Key Points
Anna Johnston was absent from her family’s elaborate Christmas photoshoot amid ongoing estrangement.
Amber commented on the challenges: “It’s very, very hard when you have such a large group.”
It’s unclear whether Anna was invited to the photoshoot.
7 Little Johnstons star, Anna Johnston, was MIA for her family’s over-the-top Christmas photos
Ahead of the Dec. 9 episode, TLC shared a sneak peek clip with Parade of what’s in store for the Johnstons — and the rift between Amber and Trent Johnston and their eldest daughter doesn’t seem to be improving anytime soon.
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“It’s very, very hard when you have such a large group,” Amber told producers. “And then if you add animals into it, to try to get everybody’s face looking, eyes open, everybody doing what they need to be doing, and the animal doing what it’s supposed to be doing.”
In the video, Amber and Trent attempted to coach their kids—Jonah Johnston, Liz Johnston and her husband, Brice Bolden, Alex Johnston, and Emma Johnston—along with their granddaughter, Leighton, into position during a holiday photoshoot. However, Anna was not included in the photos amid an ongoing estrangement.
“I think the help of the goats and the cats and everybody’s costumes distracted Leigton pretty well for the picture,” Liz said of her then 1-year-old daughter. “It kind of kept her spirit up, even though she was pretty tired.”
Trent struggled with the goat as Amber set up the camera and then ran into the frame to pose with her family.
“Choosing the nativity scene, it was definitely different,” Liz admitted. “But I think since we had baby Leighton with us, there is no better time to do it. And I think it was a good year to pick it. Something different besides the Christmas pajamas. We could use a little break from those.”
Amber added, “This year, we kind of took it up to another level, and I think it’s pretty cool.”
That’s when Trent quipped, “And I think I’ll never fuss about Christmas pajamas again.”
Although the family didn’t address whether Anna was invited to the Christmas photoshoot or if she turned down the opportunity to join them, fans will likely learn more if they tune into the Dec. 9 episode.
Catch new episodes of 7 Little Johnstons on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on TLC and streaming on HBO Max the next day.
