Whatever happened to Shay Carl Butler anyways? Back in the day, Shay Carl and his family were one of the biggest YouTube vlogger families on the internet. Their channel The Shaytards started 13 years ago and reached 5 million subscribers at its height. The YouTube fame brought his family of 7 from living off of food stamps to being millionaires. Then, all at once, it fell apart. On February 2, 2017, the happy family front started to show holes when Shay announced he was leaving YouTube to go to rehab for his alcoholism. Shortly after, Shay was caught in a cheating scandal when the married father of five's sexually explicit message exchanges to an adult webcam girl were uncovered. While the Shaytards returned to vlogging in 2018, they soon tapered off again, and have never resumed a consistent posting schedule since. However, they have sporadically returned and posted vlogs each year. Here's what has happened in the past few years.
Colette Left Shay Carl - Has She Moved Back In?
The status of Colette and Shay's marriage has been difficult to read and has been tumultuous since the news of Shay's infidelity. On October 16, 2019, Shay posted a vlog titled "Where is she" in which he revealed that Colette had moved out a year ago. He explained that the two were still married and attending therapy, but were separated. For a time, the separation was evident, with some of the vlogs missing Colette and their Instagram pages depicting separate lifestyles and sharing the kids. However, as of today, it appears that the two are still together. The Shaytards posted their annual Christmas vlog on December 27, 2021, which depicts the entire family spending the holidays together, as well as the kids waking up Colette and Shay on Christmas morning. However, whether Colette has officially moved back in with Shay is unclear. Viewers noticed that the family celebrations took place in the smaller home that Colette moved into when separated. Shay confirmed that they still own their larger family property, where they resided together before, but gave no other details. Thus, the living situation is unclear if they have all moved in together or were simply celebrating the holidays at Colette's. While they have celebrated their anniversaries, commemorated each others birthdays, and even posted a bit of PDA, they haven't commented on whether they are still separated or living together again.
What Do Shay and Colette Do Now?
How do Shay and Colette fill their days since leaving behind their hectic daily vlogging? Well, for one, they are on-again, off-again YouTubers. As mentioned before, they have returned to vlogging numerous times since 2018. 2021 saw the most activity from them, thus far, and they held a decent streak of posting throughout the summer months, then tapered off before starting again for the holidays. It is doubtful they will ever go back to full-time vlogging, but at times, it is a part-time gig for both of them. Besides YouTube, they mostly seem to be focusing on family. Their vlogs and social media posts show them celebrating birthdays, frequenting amusement parks, and hitting the slopes for ski-time with the kids. Colette has also been exploring music and has posted several musical covers on her Instagram. Meanwhile, Shay has been showing interest on Twitter in Crypto Currency and NFTs recently. For now, though, it seems like they are falling back on their YouTube savings and not seeking out active careers.
Gavin Is 18 and Avia Has A Boyfriend!
Of course, most viewers are far more interested in what the Shaytards kids are up to. Shay and Colette have five children - Gavin, Avia, Emmi, Brock, and Daxton. Today, the Butler kids are now a far cry from the little, rambunctious kids that first shot the Shaytards channel to fame. The oldest son, Gavin, just turned 18 and is currently finishing up his last year of high school. Since the family is part of the LDS church, it is likely Gavin will follow tradition and will be setting out on his two-year mission trip following his graduation. Meanwhile, he is not the only one growing up fast, as second oldest, Avia, is now 16, a cheerleader, and has a boyfriend. Avia has grown into a stunning young woman and her and her boyfriend, Ian Hershey, are absolutely adorable together. The two have been together going on two years and have graced Avia's Instagram followers with hoco, prom, Halloween, and other adorable pics of special occasions.
Emmi, Brock, and Daxton Are As Cute As Ever
Emmi, previously known as Babytard, is now 14-years old, and seems to be a typical teenager. She has maintained her sense of humor and loves posing for photos and responding "Your mom" to every question. Meanwhile, Brock and Daxton, aged 11 and 8, respectively, are still as adorable as ever. The two still remain rambunctious, daredevils, who love sports, video games, and stunts.
All Is Not Well - Shay's Cousin Arrested For Hit and Run
However, while the family seems to be doing well, not all is well with the Shaytards and their extended family. In 2020, Tyler Carter, Shay's cousin, was arrested for a hit and run. He was reportedly under the influence when he struck and killed bicyclist Bobette Wihelm and then fled the scene. Carter was sentenced to 4-10 years in prison in 2021. The news is saddening, and also points to a generational problem of addiction and drug abuse among the Butler family. Carter was known to have attended the same rehab that Shay did, but both have experienced relapses since their time there. Shay has not commented on Carter's conviction, despite having been one of Carter's biggest supporters. Conflicting reports also suggest that Tyler was even arrested on Shay's property, but it cannot be confirmed. Status on Shay's own sobriety is also unknown, but certainly raises curiosity after Carter's addiction turned deadly.
The Shaytards - A Tragedy Or A Typical Family?
Many have referred to the downfall of Shay Carl as a tragedy and the term is quite fitting. The Shaytards shot to fame because they seemingly embodied what everyone wanted - a big, happy family, parents who were madly in love with each other, and a house full of goofy, carefree kids. However, the entire vlogs were largely a front. Behind the scenes, Shay was an alcoholic, he was cheating on his wife, and his marriage was falling apart. It is for this reason that the family can never wholly return to YouTube because the whole illusion has been shattered. Even while they try to portray themselves as a typical family on their YouTube stints, it just doesn't work. The status of Shay and Colette's marriage, for one, is still unknown. It is very possible that the two put up a good front for the videos, but still live separately. Meanwhile, alcoholism is a problem still impacting the extended Butler family. Lastly, Shay's affair and alcoholism are permanently embedded into the internet. As his children grow older, they will experience having their entire childhood documented on the internet, as well as reminders of their father's infidelity and alcoholism. Today, the Shaytards put up a good show of portraying themselves as a normal, happy family that managed to survive cheating and substance abuse, but even they can't hide the signs of cracks in their image.