Instagram/@MykaStauffer James and Myka Stauffer
James Stauffer is married to social media personality Myka Stauffer, whose YouTube videos about her life as a stay-at-home mother have garnered more than 74 million views since 2014.
The Stauffers have come under fire after deciding to give up their adopted son, Huxley, who is autistic. They had documented the adoption process from the very beginning and shared footage of the moment they first met the little boy in China.
But in a tearful video shared on May 26, the parents claimed they had been unaware of the severity of Huxley’s special needs and shared that he had been successfully placed in his “new forever home” with a “new mommy” who was better equipped to handle his medical care. You can read more about the controversy here.
Here’s what you need to know about James Stauffer:
1. He Ran the Family Website ‘The Stauffer Life,’ Which Still Features Young Huxley
James Stauffer is equally involved in promoting the family as his wife, whose YouTube channel is devoted to her role as a mother. The couple has four biological children: Daughters Nakova and Jaka, and sons Radley and Onyx.
Stauffer noted on the family’s website, The Stauffer Life, that he was the “main operator” of the site. He explained on the home page why he and Myka decided to start recording their children and sharing them online:
Our family journey on Youtube all started back in late 2012… right before our second child, Jaka, was born. Those first years of videos were a learning opportunity and our way of sharing our daily lives as a family with you and the world.
Youtube for us is a way of life; a method of documenting life’s challenges and victories as a family. It is also a way for our children to remember their childhood and the adventures they went on. This journey we are all on is truly magical and by sharing ours with you, we hope to inspire others to embrace each and every day to the fullest. We all have a story to tell and this is our way of doing it.
The Stauffer Life has not been updated since at least 2018. Huxley is still listed as part of the “team” with the following description: “Such a loving little man and our son we adopted from China in late 2017. His journey is all documented and with every passing day his beautiful personality shows more and more.” The blog section was last updated in July 2018 and the page does not mention their youngest child, Onyx, who was born in June 2019.
2. The Stauffers Purchased Their Large Home North of Columbus, Ohio, One Year After Adopting Huxley
Delaware County AuditorJames and Myka Stauffer
James and Myka Stauffer moved into their current home about one year after bringing home Huxley from China. The family lives north of Columbus, Ohio, in an affluent part of Delaware County. She even posted a tour of the home’s interior in April 2019.
County property records, which are available to the public online, show James and Myka co-own the property. She used her maiden name, Bellisari, on the paperwork.
The Stauffers purchased the home in October 2018 for $670,000. The house has more than 5,700-square-feet of living space and 4 bedrooms. A search of online records shows the couple sold their previous home in Union County for just under $300,000 in November 2018.
3. Stauffer Launched a YouTube Channel With Car Cleaning Tutorials In 2014
While Myka Stauffer posts videos about parenting, James Stauffer’s YouTube channel and Instagram page is devoted to cars. He actually has a larger following than his wife: more than 97 million views since 2014 and 970,000 subscribers. (She has 715,000 subscribers and 74+ million views).
The Stauffer Garage YouTube channel includes detailed tutorials about how best to rehabilitate both the exterior and interior of vehicles. Stauffer explained his motivation for starting the project on his LinkedIn page:
Lets start from the beginning… Back in 2010 when I first started detailing in college as a way to make an income to pay for school and fund those enjoyable experiences college is known for. I learned that whether I was detailing a junked up civic or a Ferrari, every car deserves some love and ensuring every nook and cranny is touched. This is where my attention to detail originated from and the need for the best detailing tools to do the job done well and right.
4. Stauffer Owns a Car Detailing Company Called Fox Clean
Ohio Secretary of State James Stauffer registered his company, Fox Clean, with the state on May 26, 2020
Stauffer has been fully self-employed since the summer of 2019. According to his LinkedIn page, he left his engineering job in August 2019 and launched his own car detailing company called Fox Clean a few months later.
Stauffer explained on the Fox Clean website that the success of his YouTube channel inspired him to turn the hobby into a full-time profession:
In 2018 I began posting videos on my Youtube channel, Stauffer Garage, sharing my tips and techniques with the world. Getting back into the detailing game after 8 years, I had to rebuild my arsenal of detailing tools and products and struggled to find tools that were of the quality I needed to get the job done. This is when the idea of Fox Clean was born. I wanted to have the best tools and products available to help everyone get their cars clean like never before which is why I make sure I find and test every product from multiple sources before sharing them with you. Detailing is an art but also a way to connect with your car and learn to appreciate the little details that make them so great.
Fox Clean was registered with the Ohio Secretary of State’s office on May 26, 2020. Coincidentally, that paperwork was completed on the same day he and Myka posted the video explaining why they had rehomed Huxley.
5. Stauffer Was Working as a Mechanical Engineer When He Married Myka
The Stauffer LifeJames Stauffer
James Stauffer majored in mechanical engineering at the University of Central Florida, according to his LinkedIn page. As a student, he also worked for various companies with roles including diesel mechanic and automation technician.
On The Stauffer Life website, Stauffer noted that as of 2018, he was working as a “mechanical engineer at a large company.” His LinkedIn page lists the company as Cummins Inc. According to its website, the company manufactures and distributes engines and other parts. Cummins is headquartered in Columbus, Indiana.
Stauffer and his wife Myka tied the knot in September 2013. He shared a picture from their wedding day to commemorate their fourth anniversary, sharing that “the day I saw you for the first time I knew I would marry you and have an incredible future together.” He also praised her for being “the most amazing mom to our 4 incredible children.”
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