A major moment in the upcoming season of TLC’s 7 Little Johnstons came as a surprise to series star Anna Johnson. 

The teaser for the new episodes – which premiere October 14 – highlights the ongoing conflict between Anna,25, and her parents Trent and Amber Johnston. The three have been at odds for years over a “bunch of random little things” that just kept “piling up,” as Anna explained in an episode of the family’s reality show that aired earlier this year. Now, those tensions seem to be coming to a head. 

Anna Johnston is ‘taking a break from the family’

In the first look at 7 Little Johnstons Season 16, Anna admits that she wishes her relationship with her parents and siblings was more cordial. But, she adds, she needs to focus on her own well-being and mental health. 

“This summer I have been taking a break from the family,” she explains. “For now, I’m focusing on my work, my dogs, and things that I can control.” 

However, Trent and Amber want to force a reconciliation. 

“She owes her younger siblings a heartfelt apology [for] not showing up to their graduation,” Amber says during a conversation with Trent. 

Amber is referring to the drama at the end of the last season of 7 Little Johnstons when Anna chose not to attend Emma and Alex Johnston’s high school graduation. She also decided not to walk in her own college graduation ceremony since her mother was graduating the same day. 

“It felt like a competition with me,” she told a producer of what it was like to attend school with Amber. “Definitely the honors sh*t, asking multiple times, ‘Well, what’s your grades? Why are you not in there?’ … It took away from my college experience and I just didn’t want to celebrate it with her.”

‘7 Little Johnstons’ star explains why she ‘walked out’ during conversation with Trent Johnston

While Anna has been trying to keep space between her and her parents, she says she was faced with a situation she couldn’t control when Trent showed up at her home with TLC cameras in tow. 

“A whole set up to come inside MY HOME and confront me! Wouldn’t leave when I asked, therefore I walked out! Just to clear the air on how bad it looks of me walking out! Do everything with PASSION,” Anna commented on TLC’s Instagram post sharing the video clip of her confrontation with her dad. 

In the scene from the trailer, Trent questions Anna about her issues with the family. 

“How come you don’t come around?” he asks. 

“I mean, I do want to come around,” she replies. “But it’s like, for the past 10 years, we’ve gotten into these arguments … there’s a lot of stuff I’m not opening up [about].”

Trent blames his daughter for the intra-family conflict. 

“There’s a lot of stuff you’re not going to open up when you’re guilty and you’re at fault,” he bluntly says. 

“OK,” the exasperated Anna says. “Then I’ll walk out right now.”

In the past, Anna has expressed frustration that her parents only want a relationship with her on their terms. 

“From the outside, it looks like my family is very welcoming, and I am not being very [welcoming] back,” Anna said in an episode of 7 Little Johnstons. “But when my parents get mad at me, they’ll get mad at me for however long they want. But then when they’re finally over it and they decide they want to talk to me, they expect me to forget about it.”

7 Little Johnstons premieres Tuesday, October 14 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on TLC.  

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