In early 2023, Utah siblings Ty and Brynlee Larson made headlines when they barricaded themselves in Ty’s bedroom. The kids, who were 12 and 15 years old at the time, were protesting a court order that they leave their mother’s home and go live with their father. For years, the siblings had been telling adults that their father was sexually abusing them, but no one ever did anything about it, so they had to resort to drastic measures. Ty livestreamed every minute of the 54 days they were in his bedroom on TikTok. As a result, their story went beyond viral and prompted important conversations about abuse allegations and claims of parental alienation.
A new docuseries is being released about their story.
According to a news release, The Nightmare Upstairs: What Happened to Ty and Bryn? draws on never-before-seen archives, police interviews and court records to follow a Utah family pushed to the brink, including intimate footage from both sides of a fractured family, offering an unprecedented look at what unfolded behind closed doors.”
“Facing a court order that could send them to a controversial reunification program and the possibility of being forced to live with their father, whom they allege abused them — an allegation the father denies—siblings Ty and Bryn barricade themselves for months, livestreaming the standoff and igniting a viral national reckoning.”
The trailer opens with Ty introducing himself in a TikTok video, explaining that he and his younger sister had refused visits with their biological father, Brent Larson. “And now, I have to be barricaded in my room to stay safe,” he says in the clip.
“They basically told me they weren’t coming out,” their mother, Jessica Zahrt, says to the camera.
Speaking with police officers who were sent to Zahrt’s home to remove the children with “reasonable force” as directed by a court order, Brynlee says “Don’t do anything to us. We’re just scared.”
The case of Ty and Brynlee Larson may be one you’re not familiar with.
@stupid_flipper My story…. Why I am barricaded in my room because the police is trying to force me to my abusers house #help #foryou #mylife ♬ original sound – Stupid Flipper
ProPublica reported extensively and exclusively on the case. At the time of the outlet’s initial reporting in February 2023, the siblings were already deep into their standoff.
“My own word does not matter, and they don’t believe my truth,” Ty said in a TikTok video. “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.”
At the time, two different police departments in Utah were investigating Brent Larson for child abuse, representatives for both departments confirmed to ProPublica.
When Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services found that Larson had sexually and emotionally abused his children in 2018, his parenting time was restricted.
Larson was able to keep the case going, however, by accusing Zahrt of parental alienation, a controversial term used to accuse one parent of affecting their children’s relationship with their other parent.
The standoff did eventually end.
@stellajadeofficial My ex-husband and I mediated successfully, just prior to Christmas. My ex has freed Ty and Bryn from the chains of the reunification industry and family court, for good. I cannot imagine that decision was easy for him. While I wish the years of trauma could’ve been prevented, I will forever hold gratitude to him for this. Many children don’t see this outcome, and I am humbled. This is a nightmare industry for everyone involved. I wish my ex husband healing, growth, and happiness in his future. I will be here doing everything possible to ensure healing for T&B. #believeinmiracles #justicefortyandbrynlee #alienationindustry #childrensrightsarehumanrights #flipperfam #healing #holdprofessionalsaccountable ♬ original sound – Caleb and Kelsey
In March 2023, Judge Derek Pullan delayed enforcing Ty and Brynlee Larson’s return to their father while a criminal probe into his actions was resolved, ProPublica reported.
“It appears that these allegations of sexual abuse and other kinds of abuse against the children at the hands of Brent have been put forward after this court’s ruling regarding temporary custody being awarded to Brent,” Pullan said.
Hours after Pullan’s decision, the teens finally emerged from the bunker they created in Ty’s bedroom.
“I’m still in fight or flight,” Ty told ProPublica from the living room of his mother’s home. The teen knew that using TikTok changed how the case was being handled. “I need to keep growing this. It’s like, this is the thing that saved me,” he added.
“I know this is temporary,” he said of the judge’s decision, per ProPublica. “Like, you found a little field, but you’re not out of the woods. There’s still a fight up ahead.”
Utah Senator Todd Weiler also spoke with the outlet, telling it that the case was prompting him to look deeper into parental alienation cases.
“We need to be more cautious throwing around terms like parental alienation,” he said. “There are a host of legitimate reasons a teen might not want to visit a parent — to jump to blame the custodial parent would be a mistake.”
The Nightmare Upstairs: What Happened to Ty and Bryn? airs on Hulu and Disney+ on May 19, 2026.
