Kriti Mehrotra
Hulu’s ‘The Nightmare Upstairs: What Happened to Ty and Bryn?’ is a documentary series we can only describe as equal parts haunting and intriguing. That’s because it delves deep into the way two youngsters’ entire childhood ended up being engulfed in court mediations, outside opinions, and more after allegations of abuse as well as alienation came to light. It took one parent ultimately stepping away for them to finally have some sense of peace, but the emotional toll of the long custody battle and the allegations hang over their head like a dark cloud.
Ty and Bryn Larson Have Long Alleged Their Father Abused Them
Jessica “Jess” Zahrt was quite young when she came across Brent Joel “BJ” Larson by pure chance in the mid-2000s. The two had a whirlwind romance that culminated in their tying the knot 2 months later. They got married at a drive-through chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada, after he “dared” her to, and then returned to their hometown of Provo, Utah, to gradually start afresh. They settled down in a cozy home before welcoming two children into this world – Ty in 2008 and Brynlee AKA “Bryn” in 2010 – only for everything to have already turned upside down.
According to the aforementioned original, Jessica and Brent’s marriage was on the rocks by the time they’d had Bryn, so their divorce was finalized before she even turned 2 in 2012. The former couple subsequently co-parented their young ones in a rather amicable fashion, with his parents as well as their respective new spouses later becoming part of their routine, too. However, all dynamics changed on March 1, 2018, when the 7-year-old Bryn allegedly indicated to her mother that her father rubbed an ointment not only on her private parts but also inside. What followed was Jessica immediately contacting a lawyer, filing a temporary protective order against Brent, and reaching out to Child Protective Services to have the matter investigated.
Bryn subsequently told officials she often “hurts in” her private areas “because of things” her father does, and a CPS investigation found evidence to support allegations of “chronic” and “severe” abuse. Nevertheless, the findings were heavily contested in court. Brent vehemently denied the allegations and never faced criminal charges, leading to continued co-parenting, with his visits being supervised. The court also ordered therapy for Bryn and Ty so as to ensure their well-being, not long after which the latter came forward to accuse their father of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. He claimed his father called him derogatory names, inappropriately touched him at night, put guns to his head, and threatened him with hand grenades.
Ty and Bryn Larson Barricaded Themselves in a Room For 54 Days to be Heard
As time passed, both Ty and Bryn began refusing to meet Brent for his supervised meetings, resulting in more legal proceedings as accusations of parental alienation started flying around. After all, Brent filed a custody review petition, accusing Jessica of alienating their kids from him, claiming she was potentially feeding them the accusations about all the abusive incidents. He essentially alleged she had managed to manipulate their children into fearing him or being hostile toward him, only for Ty to confront him about it all during a visit in April 2019. Then-almost-11-year-old Ty said, in part, “Me and Brynlee have had nightmares about you… You just don’t want to be caught by the judge… And if you think that my mom told me to do this, NO.”
Ty and Bryn maintained their accusations against their father over the ensuing years while living with their mother. However, in December 2022, responding to Brent’s allegation of “parental alienation” against Jessica, a judge reportedly ruled in Brent’s favor by issuing an order temporarily placing the then-15-year-old and then-12-year-old in his custody as part of a 90-day reunification program, with the additional stipulation that they not have any contact with Jessica during that period. The judge had even authorized police officers to use “reasonable force” on the children to get them to the program if necessary, so they decided to take matters into their own hands.
Ty and Bryn locked themselves in a room when their mother wasn’t home, barricading the door not only with furniture but also with wooden planks that the former drilled in. The duo had already stored ramen and other food items and secured bathroom access by cutting a hole in the wall, because they were determined not to leave for the program. In the end, officials decided not to use force to remove the siblings, but they still did not come out – they wanted to be heard, and so, Ty took to social media. He documented everything he could on TikTok, streamed live on Twitch 24/7, built a significant following, and demanded change, which they ultimately opened 54 days later.
Ty and Bryn Larson Struggle With Their Past But Hope to Move Forward in Life
“My own word does not matter, and (the legal system as well as authorities) don’t believe my truth,” Ty once said in a TikTok video in early 2023 while barricaded inside the room. “The court system isn’t trying to save us; nobody’s trying to keep us safe. I am the one that’s going to have to choose my own safety.” This sentiment persisted for him even after he and Bryn left the room, because a March 2023 hearing on their custody/their parents’ rights did not change their situation. While their mother was granted primary custody, their father was given supervised visitation, which Ty refused to attend. On the flip side, Bryn did see her father a few times before refusing for good.
According to the aforementioned original, Bryn never wanted to visit Brent and was genuinely terrified of even the idea of it. So, she claims she only said yes in the hopes of smoothing things over and making things better for no one but her brother. What followed was Ty working hard to graduate from high school a year early, following which he got a job at a local McDonald’s and moved into a place of his own. Therefore, the moment he turned 17, he filed for emancipation because he did not want to deal with the whole ordeal anymore. Bryn has since admitted she felt lonely when her big brother, her protector, and her best friend moved out, but she understood why he did it.
Little did she know Ty also felt lonely without the family around, even though moving out was completely his decision, so he was a little glad when his motion was ultimately denied. During this period in 2024, Brent reportedly willingly relinquished his parental rights, enabling all of them to move forward in life without any further legal proceedings or forced contact. As per the aforementioned show, he made a home video for it, in which he stated that he still loves his kids but can not continue the battles anymore. Since then, Ty has moved back into his mother’s home, transformed the garage into an independent unit, evolved into a full-time content creator, and embraced his hobbies. His content includes gaming videos, shopping posts, theme park explorations, travel diaries, vlogs, and more.
The now 18-year-old loves playing guitar, is a technology enthusiast, and remains a dedicated big brother to Bryn and his younger half-brother, Jagger. He is also a part of The Children Are Coming, a community of young adults and survivors of the family court system who share their stories in the hopes of sparking change. Coming to Bryn, at the age of 15/16, she is a high school student focused on her studies and friends, determined to build a good life for herself in the future. Neither she nor Ty currently has any contact with their biological father or anyone from his side of the family. We should also mention that Jessica’s second husband, Aaron Zahrt, whom she married in 2013 and shares Jagger with, has since formally adopted both Ty and Bryn, making them a one big happy unit today.
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