TikTok Star’s Wife Speaks Out After Husband Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of Children – ‘No Secrets’ [WATCH]

Brittani Stapleton, one-half of the TikTok duo known as the Gulfcoast Stapletons, has broken her silence following her husband Josh Stapleton’s guilty plea in a disturbing child exploitation case.

In a candid 8-minute video shared with their nearly 89,000 followers, Brittani addressed what she called “false statements” circulating online and firmly defended her knowledge of, and ongoing support for, her husband.

Josh Stapleton, 39, recently pleaded guilty to 20 counts of sexual exploitation of children in a case that originated from a 2020 investigation.

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Initially charged with 15 counts of possessing child pornography, Stapleton was later indicted on 40 counts.

According to FOX 5 Atlanta, he reached a plea deal where 20 charges were dropped. He is now set to serve five years in prison and will be on probation for 15 years under sex offender supervision conditions.

The charges stem from an anonymous tip received in 2020.

Investigators alleged that between 2018 and 2020, Josh downloaded “numerous images of prepubescent children in sexually abusive situations.”

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Following the legal resolution, Brittani took to TikTok to “set the record straight,” sharing a video captioned, “Let’s address the false statements.”

@gulfcoast_stapletonsLet’s address the false statements.

♬ original sound – Gulfcoast Stapletons

She opened by challenging the perception that she had been unaware of the allegations prior to Josh’s plea deal.

“Absolutely I knew,” Brittani said.

“Josh and I were friends way before we ever started dating. When the charges occurred, we were friends—you better believe I hit him up. As soon as I saw it, I’m a really good judge of character and something was up. That was not Josh. Josh was absolutely upfront with me about everything in the charges, there were no secrets.”

Brittani also refuted a number of rumors that had circulated online since news of the plea broke.

She stated unequivocally that Josh had never blamed an ex-wife for setting him up, clarifying that he has never been married before.

She further denied claims that Josh told her he purchased a laptop from Facebook Marketplace that already contained the illicit images.

“Josh has never told me that, nor have I ever been around him telling anyone that,” she said.

Another major concern for critics and followers was whether those close to the Stapletons—especially friends with children—were aware of the charges.

“Absolutely. A, it’s been all over the internet. If you didn’t know, you just didn’t know. But B, we have never in our lives been in someone’s house, around children, and not let them know ahead of time,” Brittani said.

“We don’t want anything to ever look sketchy. Guess what? A lot of these people have our backs because they have personally seen Josh around their children and know there’s no issue.”

Addressing allegations that Josh possessed illicit material on a work laptop, Brittani responded by emphasizing how secure workplace computers typically are, suggesting it was an unlikely scenario.

She also pushed back against the idea that their online lives were fabricated for social media fame.

“There was nothing fake about it. We were just living like we always do. We are still happy. He and I have no issues,” she said.

“He has been fully transparent and honest with me. I know everything. I have been to court, I know everything.”

Regarding financial rumors, Brittani denied living a “lavish” lifestyle funded by anything illegal or unethical.

She said they typically vacation in budget accommodations and travel on a 20-year-old boat.

She also addressed a particularly hurtful claim—that she chose not to have children because she knew Josh was a child predator.

“Since age 12, I have never wanted children. Not interested in having children, never have been,” she said. “Anyone who actually knows me knows that.”

Brittani concluded her video with a direct appeal to content creators profiting off the controversy and her family’s distress.

“It is not the best thing in the world to profit off someone else’s worst moment. I am one of the most mentally tough people you’ll ever meet… not everyone is,” she said.

“So I’m glad you guys chose me for this and to give me hell, like I didn’t just go through the worst week of my life, like I did not just lose my best friend. But I would say, think about that, think really hard. It would be really difficult to sleep at night if you were the cause for someone not to be on this earth.”

Shortly after posting the video, she followed up with a simple Instagram photo of her and Josh together, captioned, “If this is the statement you’re looking for, here it is.”

While the court of law has spoken, the court of public opinion continues to debate the Stapletons’ story, their platform, and the complicated mix of love, loyalty, and justice.

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If you are experiencing or witness child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

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