Hoarders Season 7 and 8: Where Are They Today?

A&E’s ‘Hoarders’ is a documentary television series that depicts the real-life struggles of individuals having to deal with extreme cases of compulsive hoarding disorder. It follows a team of cleaning specialists and therapists as they go about trying to make homes habitable and ensure the individuals seek the help and assistance they require. While season 7 aired on Lifetime, the eighth season was back on its original network, much to the thrill of ardent viewers of the show.

Since it has been some time since both seasons concluded, fans must wonder how far their favorite hoarders have come. While we tried delving into the current whereabouts of the cast members, it is imperative to note that most of the information below is from 2015 and 2016 and covers only those cast members who shared their updates after filming wrapped up.

Ruthann Sadly Passed Away in 2020

Ruthann from Porterville, California, appeared in the fourth episode of season 7. Intending to give herself a fresh start, she had bought her family’s gorgeous house from a cousin to turn it into an equally beautiful bed and breakfast. However, instead of doing that, she ended up hoarding the house with loads of junk, cats, and antiques. A little digging into the situation made her realize that she did this as a way to cope with the actions of her daughter, who she claimed had run away with Ruthann’s boyfriend when the former was 15 years old.

Realizing the delicate situation of the family, the cleaning team arrived, hoping to give Ruthann a fresh start. They believed that getting rid of the junk she’d stored in her house, all the while, would help her declutter the resentment she held within. However, Ruthann ensured that wasn’t the case as, despite having them on board, she refused to part ways with a single thing in her house. The follow-up segment suggested that Ruthann continued to live the way she was before, adamant about not changing anything around her. While there wasn’t much update after her time on the show, it has been learnt that she sadly passed away in September 2020.

Karen Was Determined to Change Her Lifestyle For Her Grandson

Karen hoarded anything and everything she could lay hands on. Her three adult children, Jared, Catherine, and Tonya, from whom she was estranged, were tired of her hoarding ways. However, the life of the Albuquerque, New Mexico native wasn’t the same before her divorce. It was the tragedy of being separated from her husband of several years, along with the death of her son by suicide, that caused her to spiral. Being worried about the safety of her grandson eventually pushed Karen to seek help.

As the team began cleaning up, Karen’s bond with Tonya improved, too, and the former was able to acknowledge the extent to which her hoarding had gone. Her realization paved the way for the crew to clear out the remaining mess with ease and allowed Karen to prepare for a new start. When the production team checked up on her after a while, it was revealed that Karen had finally reconnected with herself and was doing quite well with the support of her kids.

Ed and Connie Chose to Clean Their House to Stop Their Sons From Leaving

Connie and Ed treated their house in Woods Cross, Utah, like a Halloween home and filled it to the brim with all sorts of decorations, including a hearse. The parents of two, who had fallen for each other on Halloween, treated it as their ‘thing.’ However, situations came to a still when their older son gave them an ultimatum – either they cleared out the junk in their house, or he and his autistic brother left. Realizing that the only way to keep the family together was to take expert help, Ed and Connie decided to get their house cleaned and rid of all the Halloween items and other assorted junk.

While the start seemed promising, amid all the clearing out, things became a little too much for Connie, and she had a nervous breakdown after letting go of most of her hoarded items. But she managed to remain steady for her boys. Updates suggested that with the house now cleaned, the family had started to work towards bonding again. They’d also decided to take steps in the right direction, with Ed and their sons being proud of how far Connie has come and choosing to be by her side as she goes ahead to take therapy.

Gloria’s Daughters Gave Her an Ultimatum, Leading Her to Make Changes

Liberty, Texas’ Gloria had a habit of hoarding animals and had a house filled with dogs and cats. Her daughter Ann believed that the animals were being abused because of a lack of facilities and care in the house. Her other daughter Christine, was more empathetic and believed her mother hoardes because she is lonely. However, Ann refused any explanation and threatened to call APC and Humane Society on her mother if she didn’t clean up her act. Desperate to keep the house, Gloria agreed to take the help.

The clean-up drive was quite difficult due to Gloria’s reluctance to throw away anything. When Ann and her daughter had a breakdown, trying to make Gloria understand that it was their love and concern for her that was propelling them to put in all the efforts, Gloria had a breakthrough. This allowed the clean-out team to clear out everything. Gloria was thrilled with the change that she saw in her house. As an effort to maintain the work done, Gloria promised to not relapse and ensured that things never went back to the way they were before.

Sybil Decided to Put in Efforts to Bring Her Life Back on Track

Sybil from Gresham, Oregon, adored cats and she liked buying things for a rainy day. However, the problem with both was that she loved hoarding them both, and the rainy day never really came. And this had led her beautiful house to get infested with mice that ran amok. The problem in her house had gotten so dire that she was forced to live outside, in her cat aviary. Realizing how bad her situation was, her family threatened to call Adult Protection Services on her, and that compelled her to take the help of specialists.

Despite being willing to make some changes around her property, Sybil started to show reluctance from the moment the cleaners started suggesting things be thrown out. She stopped cooperating and had a mental breakdown. However, the cleaners went on for her safety and ensured that the house was as good as new when she stepped in. As per the updates post-filming, Sybil has continued to take the assistance of a hoarding specialist and has proudly reported that there are no rodents in her house.

Maggie Realized She Needed to Let Go For Her Family’s Sake

Grandma Maggie had good taste in clothes and enjoyed shopping. While her family agreed with her choice, they didn’t agree with her decision to hoard it in excess. Her home in Phoenix, Arizona, was so full of clothes that her granddaughter, Cici, who stayed with her, was compelled to sleep on piles of junk and shower with a garden hose. Things had gotten so bad that Maggie’s daughter, Peaches, had to step up and take them out of the house. However, even that didn’t stop Maggie from continuing to hoard. Realizing she had a problem, her family stepped up.

After the clean-up drive was completed, Maggie was stunned to walk into a new and spacious home. Her granddaughter was also thrilled about getting to return. While everything wasn’t thrown out yet, it had seemed like a good start. Later updates, however, looked quite promising. Maggie refused to take aftercare therapy, but her family hoped she would change her mind. Even though she had continued to resist getting rid of things, she had managed to control her shopping quite a bit.

Vivian Parted Ways With Her Collectibles to Keep Her Grandsons With Her

Mesilla, New Mexico native Vivian liked decorating her home with collectibles, so much so that there wasn’t an empty corner in the house. Trying to cope with her divorce and the death of loved ones led her to find comfort in hoarding, not realizing when and how it spiraled beyond control. When her daughter Heather, who was addicted to drugs, and her two sons were left homeless, Vivian realized she needed to clear out the place for the boys, or else they would be put into foster care or taken away by Child Protective Services.

Vivian showed great determination and promise right from the start. She knew there was a problem and was adamant to not let it be responsible for taking her beloved grandsons away. When the house was cleared out, she was left relieved as, despite the weight being lifted off of her chest, it was the joy of realizing that her loved ones wouldn’t leave her. She showed promise in her progress even after a while. Eventually, her daughter Heather lived elsewhere and was being offered counseling for overcoming her addiction, Vivian and her older grandson, Maddox, attended therapy together.

Hoarders Season 7 and 8: Where Are They Now?