The most interesting aspect of Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal was the story behind the Christian YouTube couple Sam and Nia Rader. In fact, I’d argue that the Netflix documentary series was saved because of their raw honesty in the interviews. For most of the series, the couple are interviewed separately, only to reveal that their marriage survived in the end.
Like me, I suspect many viewers of the series will be interested in Sam and Nia Rader, especially if they are still married today.
The married couple are introduced in Episode 1 of Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal. Ironically, Sam Rader talks about the day he met Nia; how love consumed him, so much so that he blubbered at the altar on their wedding day (always a tell-tale sign). Of course, in theme with the documentary, it’s revealed that Sam was, in fact, using the adulterous affair website Ashley Madison. Stress, responsibility, and the pressure of marriage led him to give in to his desires elsewhere, unbeknown to his loyal wife, Nia.
By Episode 2, it is explained how Sam and Nia became popular YouTubers after doing a lip sync of “Love Is An Open Door”.
Their popularity grew, and Sam and Nia started managing a family-orientated YouTube channel instilled with Christian values. But, of course, Sam was worried about the hackers threatening to leak the data of Ashley Madison.
Sam’s fears came true — the data was dumped to the world, and he claimed to his wife that he used the website but never physically cheated. Nia, showing her value for marriage and faith, forgave Sam and took on the challenge of fixing their relationship. Despite the attention and judgment on them, they do a YouTube Video together, and Sam apologizes to his wife publically, claiming he has cleansed all his sins. Nia vows to fight for their marriage.
But, by Episode 3, it’s clear Sam is ashamed of himself because he was sitting on more lies — he did have affairs, and on top of that, his desires led to massage parlors and strip clubs. There were years of betrayals. The last episode shows how the couple struggled to navigate this, even getting wisdom and advice from their pastor. In a surprisingly warm moment, Nia reveals at the end of the documentary series that she and Sam are still married after plenty of counseling and rebuilding of trust.
Nia Rader interviewed in Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal (Credit – Netflix)
Sam and Nia demonstrated that marriage is not only about happiness. It’s about the dark times, which come with hard work, perseverance, and the effort of making the commitment work until the very end.
Are They Still Together?
I would have been quite disappointed if I had learned after the Netflix documentary series that this marriage did not work out. However, I am happy to report that Sam and Nia Rader are still married and have four children (Symphony Pearl, Abram, Juliet, and Josie Grace). Before they enjoyed YouTube success, Sam was an ER nurse, and Nia was a store manager. Their lives have changed dramatically since the launch of their YouTube careers and the Ashley Madison scandal.
Nia and Sam are fully onboard with Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal, providing plenty of video context on their channel:
The couple has demonstrated real strength in the value of partnership and family. While the Netflix series was raw and did not put the husband in the best light, their YouTube channel is still thriving. When they decided to go on a hiatus due to all the controversies, a petition had loads of fans begging for them to come back. This goes against usual conventions—usually, the cheater is the villain in these circumstances, and it becomes messy.
Sam and Nia’s Timeline – From YouTube to Ashley Madison to the Netflix Documentary
- March 10th, 2014—Viral video of “Love Is An Open Door” lip sync—the couple hit fame by releasing a well-orchestrated lip sync while in the car. The media picked it up, and they started gaining subscribers. They also raised the attention of Disney and included them in a music video.
- June 2015—viral pregnancy announcement—Sam made a surprise video announcing that Nia was pregnant (he dipped a pregnancy test in an unflushed toilet after Nia had used it). The video has amassed 18 million views; however, there was some controversy, with some questioning whether Sam should have secretly tested Nia’s urine.
- Miscarriage – soon after the pregnancy announcement, the couple released another video a few days later stating that Nia had suffered a miscarriage. This created more controversy, with some outlets questioning the validity of the pregnancy announcement. However, the couple insisted that the pregnancy and miscarriage were real, and they kept the process as authentic as possible.
- August 15th, 2015—Ashley Madison Scandal – the couple’s rocky marriage continued, as it was revealed that Sam Rader was involved in the Ashley Madison database leak. Sam released a video two days later, apologizing to his wife and his fans, claiming his sins were cleansed and that his wife forgave him. The couple decided to go on a hiatus on YouTube for an “indefinite amount of time” following all the controversies. However, their fans set up a persuasive change.org petition asking them to return, which they did 33 days later.
- October 23rd, 2015—Fourth Pregnancy—Sam and Nia announce that they are pregnant again. In the video, they surprise their parents. Their third child, Juliet, was born seven months later. The couple continued with their YouTube Channel and still gained many subscribers.
- May 13th, 2024 — Netflix’s Ashley Madison Documentary Released – Sam and Nia are part of the documentary series that discusses the website’s controversies. The couple is brutally honest about how it impacted their marriage and how they repaired the damage and healed.
