What Happened to the Ace Family? The Popular YouTube Family Faced a Ton of Drama

The wildly successful YouTubers known as the ACE Family — consisting of mom Catherine Paiz McBroom and dad Austin McBroom along with their kiddos Elle, Alaïa, and Steel — have faced their fair share of ups and downs over the years.

From cheating allegations to legal troubles, there have been a lot of headlines since the family launched their channel in 2016.

They quit their channel in 2022, and the couple then announced their separation in early 2024.

So, what exactly happened to the ACE Family? Here's a quick rundown.

Austin, a former college basketball player, started vlogging with his partner Catherine in 2016, the same year they welcomed their first child together. The following year the couple got engaged and secretly wed. Their channel continued to grow in popularity as viewers loved watching them play pranks on each other and engage in fun challenges.

But over time, the family faced numerous scandals.

Rumors began churning that Austin was unfaithful. Austin also faced backlash for apparently making a video in which he took his young niece to an adult store and bought her an inappropriate-looking lollipop. He was also criticized for another video in which he spanked his daughter in what many felt was a creepy manner. And there were even rape accusations against him in 2019, though one of the women involved in the scandal claimed these were false allegations with the intent to make money.

Austin also faced several lawsuits following his 2021 Social Gloves boxing event, after which some participants claimed they hadn't been paid.

Meanwhile, Catherine faced scrutiny when customers of her skincare brand 1212 Gateway reported faulty products — not to mention Catherine became embroiled in a lawsuit with her business partners, who accused her of organizing a takeover of its management.

And in 2021, the family reportedly lost their house to foreclosure after failing to make their mortgage payments.

By March 2022, it seemed enough was enough, and the couple announced they would be ending their YouTube channel that year, saying that they planned to travel as a family and spend more time together. Their last video on YouTube is from June 2022.

On Jan. 12, 2024, Austin and Catherine posted separate statements on social media announcing their divorce. In Catherine's statement, she mentioned that "2024 will be my year of transformative change, and with this taking place, one of the steps in my journey is the difficult decision to leave my marriage." She said that it was a mutual decision and that they will continue to focus on co-parenting. She also still referred to Austin as her "best friend."

In his statement, Austin mentioned that "letting go is knowing that there’s a future. And we both are supporting each other’s future."