Following reports that she had been beaten by her boyfriend, Amish Mafia star Esther Schmucker's role on the hit Discovery show appeared to be in jeapordy as filming for the shows's third season commenced in Lancaster County, Penn.

A January article in an Anabaptist newspaper has been circulating on social media lately for its claims that the Discovery Channel show Amish Mafia is nothing more than a bigoted attack on those of real Amish identity.

Fans of Discovery Channel's Amish Mafia won't have to wait long to see a new episode of the addictive show, which had its second season finale Tuesday night.

Amish Mafia debuted its second season on Tuesday night, with rumors and speculation swirling on social media about whether or not the show was fake.A new photo, obtained exclusively by EnStarz, might shed some light into the true reality of the Discovery Channel show. The photo shows star Merlin, the "boss of the Ohio mafia," seemingly out of character and taking photos with fans at an Ohio shopping mall.