Mark Laita spent decades shooting advertising campaigns for Apple, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz from his studios in Los Angeles and New York. The work paid well, but by 2004, he was already pursuing a different kind of project, photographing Americans from all walks of life for what would become his book “Created Equal.” That summer, a deputy sheriff brought him to a dirt road in Odd, West Virginia, where he met the Whittakers.
Laita maintained contact with the family over the next sixteen years and didn’t start filming them until 2020. Those videos made them internet famous, but the real story was what happened during all those years in between, when financial complications and ethical dilemmas nearly destroyed their relationship entirely.
Meeting America’s ‘Most Inbred Family’
On the Koncrete KLIP podcast, Mark Laita described that first day in summer 2004 as something from the 1972 thriller Deliverance. Their eyes went in different directions, someone barked at visitors, and Ray Whittaker would scream and run when strangers spoke to him, his pants falling around his ankles as he kicked trash cans. “It was out of control, the craziest thing I have ever seen.”
The family had learned this behavior for good reason. When Laita returned to film them in 2024, cousin John explained years of harassment. “Growing up, people would come here and throw eggs at the house.” Strangers broke their windows and screamed at them at night for entertainment. Armed neighbors escorted visitors in to protect both sides.
Laita faced challenges unlike anything in his commercial career. The family that would later be dubbed America’s ‘most inbred family’ had developed their own ways of communicating, and years of trauma made them wary of strangers with cameras. Building trust would take time, something he had never needed to invest before.
Building an Impossible Relationship
Laita stayed in touch with the Whittakers, calling or visiting when work brought him to the area. The family grew comfortable with him, and the armed neighbors stopped standing guard when he showed up.
The relationship stayed simple for years. He watched them navigate daily struggles while they learned to trust an outsider who didn’t mock them. These visits gave Laita something his photography never offered: real relationships with people who wanted nothing beyond respect.
In 2016, Laita launched his YouTube channel Soft White Underbelly, documenting homeless people, addicts, and gang members across America. The work felt meaningful after decades of commercial photography.
In 2020, he realized the Whittakers’ story could help viewers understand rural poverty and disability better than statistics. Laita started filming them, and the videos exploded online, with millions discovering America’s ‘most inbred family’ through his lens.
How Money Ruined Everything
Laita always paid his subjects, typically $20 to $40 per interview, but the Whittakers were different. After his videos went viral, Laita set up GoFundMe campaigns that brought in more than $100,000 from 2020 to 2024.
The money poisoned everything as family members started expecting payments beyond filming sessions, while donors demanded to see improvements to their living conditions. Critics called it poverty porn, questioning whether these videos truly helped or simply entertained viewers.
YouTuber Tyler Oliveira released his own investigation in March 2024, visiting the Whittakers and asking pointed questions about the fundraising money. When Oliveira asked family matriarch Betty “what happened to the money,” she responded, “I don’t know.” The video quickly topped 5 million views and suggested Laita might be keeping donations for himself.
These critiques added public pressure to an already complicated situation. BJ, Larry’s daughter, had developed a severe drug problem, later admitting to using heroin, crack, and pain pills. Her addiction drove her to desperate measures that would nearly end their 20-year relationship.
The Lie About Larry’s Death
In 2024, BJ convinced Laita that her father, Larry, had died from a heart attack and needed $1,000 for funeral expenses. Laita sent the money, but Larry was alive, and BJ had used it for drugs while keeping up the lie for months. When Laita discovered the truth after twenty years of trust, he cut ties completely.
Laita responded to Tyler Oliveira’s video with receipts showing bank transfers totaling over $100,000 to the family. Hurt by the public questioning and Betty’s response, he ended the GoFundMe campaigns and vowed to stop filming them. “I’m going to discontinue my GoFundMe for the Whittakers I probably won’t even do videos with them anymore, it’s just left such a bad taste in my mouth after all this,” he said. Oliveira later apologized and took down his own fundraising efforts after seeing Laita’s evidence, but the damage was done.
But Laita returned that fall and filmed Larry approaching him with an apology. “It’s been a long time you guys, I’m sorry done for you and I want tell whole world sorry what they done,” Larry says. Laita accepted immediately. “Well, I accept your apology, that’s very, very nice of you. I’m very good at forgiving and understanding.” BJ had been clean for six months by then. “I missed you guys, I think a lot of my viewers are missing you guys too,” Laita admits during the visit.
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What Getting Too Close Really Costs
Money turned a professional relationship personal. For years, Laita maintained clear boundaries, but once he started sending thousands of dollars, family members began calling when they needed cash.
When BJ lied about her father’s death for drug money, the betrayal cut deep. Laita genuinely cared about these people. Professional distance protects both sides. Once that disappeared, Laita wasn’t documenting their lives but funding them.
“This is actually the 20th anniversary of us coming here for the very first time,” he reflects during the reconciliation visit. Crossing professional lines creates authentic connections but destroys authentic storytelling. The money meant to help had nearly destroyed everything. After reconciling, Laita resumed filming and set up new fundraising efforts, but with a deeper understanding of professional boundaries.
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