The patriarch of the US’s most inbred family is alive and well – contrary to reports.
Larry Whittaker – the 67-year-old West Virginian whose family rocketed to internet stardom just a few years ago – was said to be dead last week.
Relatives made the claim to journalist Mark Laita, whose videos first shone a light on the clan and their remote settlement 75 miles south of Charleston.
As a result, Laita last week was despondent when he took his YouTube channel to announce Larry’s supposed death. Citing the word of relatives, he said the senior died of a heart attack.
However, as an update since posted to his page shows, that turned out to be not true. In it, Larry appears alive, unaware of the rumors that he’s deceased. His daughter BJ also makes an appearance, where she owns up to lying about his death to turn a buck. Laita gave her $1,000 for Larry’s ‘funeral’ this past week.
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Larry Whittaker – the 67-year-old West Virginian whose family rocketed to internet stardom a few years ago – was said to be dead last week
In it, Larry appears alive, unaware of the rumors that he’s deceased. His daughter BJ (left) also makes an appearance, where she owns up to lying about his death for money
‘I’m not proud of what I’ve done, I’m not,’ she says in the clip as she’s confronted by Laita in the almost hourlong video – satirically titled ‘The Death of Larry Whittaker.’
‘I shouldn’t have done it,’ she laments, puffing on a cigarette.
‘I’m trying to get help for my drug addiction.’
Her father, who supposedly died, is seated right beside her, after finding out about the scam mere moments before.
An already suspicious Laita was the one to break the news, as he spotted Larry pulling up to the property.
‘Is that how you dress for your funeral?’ the photojournalist asks, cracking a joke after asking other members of the rough-around-the edges clan about his whereabouts.
‘Huh?’ the son of double cousins John and Gracie Whittaker says, visibly confused.
‘Is that how you dress for your funeral?’ Laita at this point repeats, referencing Larry’s dressed-down attire.
‘Uh, I don’t know?’
At this point, BJ also exits the pickup, and makes a mad dash for a trailer on the family’s property. Laita, still filming, attempts to get her attention.
Relatives made the claim to journalist Mark Laita, who showed up on the family’s doorstep in West Virginia Monday after BJ told him that Larry was dead. Laita gave her $1,000 for Larry’s ‘funeral’ this past week
Prior to the patriarch arriving, Laita spoke with some of the family such as Larry’s elder sister Betty
‘I asked you about Larry dying, you said “he’s dead”, Laita asks the family matriarch. Betty – joined by some of her brothers and sister – answers, ‘BJ told me to tell you that – I didn’t know you were gonna give her no money’
An already suspicious Laita was the one to break the news to Larry, as Larry pulled up to the property
At this point, BJ also exits the pickup, and makes a mad dash for a trailer on the family’s property, away from the journalist she scammed
‘Hey, BJ! We should talk,’ he asks – a request the woman ignores as she enters the camper.
‘BJ!’ he shouts again – and is again ignored.
Laita at this point gives up, turning back to meet with other members of the family, Larry included.
Moments before, prior to the patriarch pulling up, Laita spoke with some of the family such as Larry’s older sister Betty.
‘I asked you about Larry dying, you said “he’s dead”, Laita asks the family matriarch.
Betty – joined by brother Danny, sister Loren, and brother Kenneth – answers, ‘BJ told me to tell you that – I didn’t know you were gonna give her no money.’
After Larry arrives, Laita plays a recording of BJ crying about her father’s supposed death, as Betty listens in as well.
‘Mark, I’m sorry,’ BJ says in the recorded clip, hysterically sobbing as she breaks the news. ‘I needed to tell you… I never thought today would be the day that I buried my dad.’
When asked outright if he was aware about his ‘death,’ Larry replied, ‘No, I just heard of it last night on a video’
After Larry arrives, Laita played a recording of BJ crying about her father’s supposed death, as Betty listened in as well
The clip then cuts to an encounter 20 minutes later, between Laita, Larry, and BJ. All are seated on the family’s front porch, as Laita sets out on a difficult conversation where she eventually admitted to scamming the journalist for money
‘I don’t know what to do anymore. I just wanted to ask, can you send me $150?’ she goes on to ask, through crocodile tears.
The voice message leads Larry to shake his head in disbelief, before simply muttering, ‘Oh, god.’
Still shocked, he adds, ‘Boy – I don’t know.’
When asked outright if he was aware about his ‘death,’ Larry replies: ‘No, I just heard of it last night on a video.’
The clip then cuts to an encounter 20 minutes later, between Laita, Larry, and BJ.
All are seated on the family’s front porch, as Laita sets out on a difficult conversation.
‘So, BJ. I understand that you got a drug problem – you told me that,’ the filmmaker begins. ‘We all know that. That’s not a secret. But for you-‘
BJ at this point interjects, admitting to being ashamed of her misdeeds.
‘I’m not proud of what I’ve done – not at all. I shouldn’t have done it.’
The now-infamous Whittaker family grew up in a broken-down property in Odd, West Virginia, and have been known to communicate through grunts and barks
That story stems back to the 1897, when two twin brothers, Henry and John, were born. The two siblings welcomed children who ended up marrying each other and had kids of their own
Among them are Larry, Betty and Danny (right), with the latter only communicating through grunts
Many members of the community believed the family were an ‘urban legend’ before meeting them at school or church. DailyMail.com visited their house (pictured) this past year
Laita goes on to forgive her, but commenters were quick to call her out on her scheme.
‘Faking Larry’s death to scam money is just…. disgusting,’ one top comment wrote, for a clip that’s already been viewed nearly 400,000 times.
‘It’s amazing how Mark doesn’t absolutely lose his s**t,’ another added
Someone else sniped: “BJ is not sorry that she lied, but she’s damn sorry that she got caught.’
‘Wow. They are smarter than people realize,’ another commented, referencing the family’s genealogy.
That story stems back to the 1897, when two twin brothers, Henry and John, were born. The two siblings welcomed children who ended up marrying each other and had kids of their own.
Those kids eventually gave birth to the Whittaker clan, having 15 offspring in total.
Among them are Larry, Betty and Danny, who communicates only through grunts.
The family went viral thanks to one of Laita’s videos in 2020, eventually earning the media-given moniker America’s most inbred family.
DailyMail.com visited their house in Odd this past year.