Why Did ‘Return To Amish’ Star Sabrina Lose Custody Of Her Baby? What’s She Been Up To Since The Show?

It’s been a rough couple of years for Return to Amish star Sabrina Burkholder (who also goes by Sabrina High). Thanks to a series of personal problems and legal issues, she’s lost custody of both of her children, has become estranged from her friends and family, and has even done time, In Touch Weekly is reporting.

Here’s the issue with watching reality TV in the age of social media and up-to-the-minute news cycles: Because of the delay in production between when a reality TV scene is filmed, and when you see it on TV, months have passed. So in essence, you’re being exposed to two timelines: the timeline of real life, which is revealed on Facebook and social media, and the timeline of the show, which is a few months behind, at the very least. That means that months have passed since the final episode of the most recent episode of Return to Amish was filmed, and what has happened to Sabrina and her kids has already happened in real life and hasn’t shown up on your TV yet.

When the most recent season of Return to Amish ended, Sabrina had lost custody of daughter Oakley to Pennsylvania Children and Youth Services.

‘Return to Amish’ Star Sabrina “Burkholder” High’s Baby Daddy https://t.co/nOgOJsTYFX pic.twitter.com/kPIcguMtwU

— News Today (@News_Today4) May 28, 2017

What’s more, she was pregnant with Baby No. 2 and concerned that that baby would be taken away by CYS as well. Unfortunately for fans, the latest season of Return to Amish ended before fans could learn how that situation turned out.

In fact, it turned out just as badly as you would expect: As of this writing, Sabrina’s second baby, 6-month-old Arianna, remains in state custody. As Sabrina said in a Facebook post, she tried valiantly to prevent her daughter from winding up in foster care, even attempting to sign over guardianship rights to her parents, who remain in the insular Mennonite community Sabrina came from. However, Sabrina gave birth early, before all of the i’s could be dotted and the t’s crossed on the paperwork, and Arianna was placed in foster care shortly after she was born.

Sabrina said that it’s been over a year since she’s seen Oakley.

https://www.facebook.com/BreakingAmish/photos/a.446687662068469.92645.402764099794159/1103057843098111/?type=3

So why did Sabrina lose custody of her kids? For the most part, you can blame drugs: Sabrina has struggled with substance abuse — heroin in particular — for as long as she’s been on TV. She lost custody of Oakley in 2015 because of drug abuse, then regained custody of her, only to lose custody again in August of 2016. At that time, a friend of Sabrina’s died in Sabrina’s care while Oakley was in the back seat.

Sabrina lost custody of Arianna because of her (Sabrina’s) history of being unfit to care for children.

As for the father of Sabrina’s kids, he’s not likely to offer much in the way of parenting, either. Sabrina’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, Harry Kreiser III, introduced to fans back on Breaking Amish, has had his own legal issues, including a 2012 arrest for attacking Sabrina.

If losing custody of her kids wasn’t enough, Sabrina has also done time. On April 28 of this year, Sabrina was arrested and taken to jail for driving an unregistered vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, and use/possession of drug paraphernalia. She spent about three weeks behind bars before entering a plea deal on May 22 and then being released.

Meanwhile, says In Touch Weekly, Sabrina’s once-friends Abe and Rebecca Schmucker have also put their friendship with Sabrina in the rear-view mirror.

Here’s hoping that Sabrina can put her substance abuse and legal issues behind her and regain custody of her kids.

[Featured Image by Sabrina Burkholder/Twitter]