Leia
The man who made America’s most inbred family famous has warned people against visiting them.
The Whittakers, of Odd, West Virginia, have been documented by filmmaker Mark Laita for two decades.
The family has a unique way of communicating – they are known to grunt, bark, and use gestures instead of words or sign language.
And now, in a recent update on the Whittakers, Laita has shared some important advice for anyone curious to meet them.
Laita first encountered the Whittakers in 2004 when he met family members Ray, Betty, Kenneth, Timmy, and Lorene.
His initial visit was met with hostility from protective neighbors. They were armed with shotguns and wary of outsiders ridiculing the family.
Despite this challenging start, Laita persevered and gained the family’s trust.
The filmmaker photographed the Whitakers for his book ‘Created Equal,’ which explores diverse American cultures and backgrounds.
In 2020, he revisited the family to deepen his understanding of their lives.