Teen Mom Stars With Huge Secrets
When MTV traded in 24/7 music videos for "reality" television, it probably thought The Real World would be its channel-defining hit, but it was a show about high school girls getting pregnant – 16 and Pregnant – that became the cash cow that wouldn't dry up. It ran for five seasons and spawned plenty of spin-offs: Teen Mom, Teen Mom 2, Teen Mom 3, Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant, Teen Mom OG.
For better or worse (mostly worse,) a few of the moms are now household names, and they've never really been in the business of hiding too much about themselves. Although their lives have been an open book for public consumption, there are some things they'd likely like to hide from their adoring fans. Alas, not all secrets can stay hidden — and to be honest, a few of these revelations will make you wonder just what it takes to prompt child services to get involved.
Let's go behind-the-scenes to uncover secrets Teen Mom stars probably don't want you to know.
Catelynn Lowell's cryptic posts
We all have that one friend who routinely posts cryptic messages on social media. Teen Mom star Catelynn Lowell is that friend in this story.
In March 2016, she and husband Tyler Baltierra posted worrying messages to Twitter asking for prayers and strength and stoking fans' fears for her safety. In the past, Lowell has struggled with postpartum depression, so the tweets seemed ominous. Soon after, Lowell posted a photo on Instagram from a seat on an airplane with the caption: "Arizona here I come... I can't wait to be back to my normal self... this is for me and my family." Lowell eventually explained that she was seeking treatment for her ongoing mental health issues. Okay, that's great news!
But in July 2018, Lowell posted a cryptic message to Instagram yet again: "I'm so scared right now ... but I know that everything that is supposed to happen will happen ... whatever my destiny will be .... I got this ..... I'm strong." That doesn't sound good, and some fans speculated that Lowell was headed for divorce. She attempted to shoot down those rumors with a follow-up post. "Y'all are so annoying lol! Guys don't believe everything you read on the Internet." That's excellent advice, but Radar Online reported that after a "secret split," Lowell and Baltierra were, indeed, in couples therapy trying to repair their relationship. We wish them the best.
Leah Messer blames it on the editing (not the alcohol)
Of all the teen moms, Leah Messer of Teen Mom 2 probably has the most appropriate name because this girl appears to be a total mess, at least according to a greatest hits compilation published by OK!. In addition to reportedly conceiving her twins in the back of a pick-up on prom night and cheating on her baby daddy a week before marrying him, she also allegedly has a little problem with drugs and alcohol. According to InTouch (via OK!), Messer enjoyed drinking with her fellow underage friends at the "bowling alley in town." Though she denies having a drug problem, in a 2014 episode, she did fall asleep while talking on the phone and holding one of her babies after apparently taking too much medication.
Messer claims the secret here is that she's nothing like the character audiences know on TV. She says scenes are unfairly edited to make her look like a raging alcoholic. For example, in a 2016 episode of Teen Mom 2, Leah is drinking with her ex-husband, Jeremy Calvert, while discussing the demise of their short marriage. After a heartfelt confession by Messer, Calvert responds with, "You buzzin'?" Messer says the show left an important chunk out of that scene. "I could go in detail, but wont," she tweeted. "Oh, how I love this fake a#% TV show. #SoOverIt"
May we suggest perhaps not drinking in front of the film crew? That might help.
Amber Portwood's drug problems may be bigger than we thought
Teen Mom star Amber Portwood's drug problems and her history of abusing her daughter's baby daddy were documented on the show, but what viewers didn't know was that she and then-fiancé Matt Baier were accused on Twitter of being involved in a secret drug ring selling prescription meds, steroids, and other substances, reported OK!. That's a serious accusation to lob out there on social media, and it's one that Portwood and Baier vehemently denied. Though Portwood has a criminal record, those Twitter claims have never amounted to anything, so maybe this so-called secret is just a nasty piece of gossip.
In fact, Portwood says she's turned over a new leaf. In 2018, at age 28, she welcomed a second child with boyfriend Andrew Glennon. According to Us Weekly, Portwood said her new addition is a second chance to prove what kind of mother she can be. "I want to make sure I don't fall into old patterns and get into a depressed state," she said. "I have to take care of myself. Healthy mommy, healthy baby."
Jenelle Evans didn't tell the 911 operator everything
Teen Mom 2 cast member Jenelle Evans had drug problems, but that's not a secret — a collection of her 15 mugshots is readily available online. The untold truth is just how much of her MTV money she spent on her habit.
According to the Radar Online, and tweets Evans posted in 2013, she spent about $400 a day on drugs. The reality star claimed to be clean and sober at the time of those tweets, but she later admitted to smoking weed, which is not safe for a fetus, while pregnant with her third child in 2017. Though Child Protective Services got involved, Evans insisted she did not have a drug problem. Can she be believed?
Trouble found her again in 2018, when she conveniently forgot to tell the whole truth. According to Radar Online, while traveling with her son in North Carolina, she called 911 after the driver of a truck allegedly slammed on his brakes in front of her on purpose. However, she left out the part where she supposedly followed him home, hit his mailbox, and pulled a gun on him ... with her son in the car. A police report obtained by Radar describes a "crazy lady" who "flipped out" when the truck driver tried to pass her. Sheesh.
Farrah Abraham has mommy issues
Even people who don't watch Teen Mom likely know a thing or two about celebrity gossip darling Farrah Abraham, but what you may not know is that this apple didn't fall far from the tree. Porn star Farrah and her mother, Debra Danielsen, have a relationship that can be described as tempestuous at best.
In 2010, trouble erupted between these two. According to the Council Bluffs Police Department in Iowa (via Radar Online), the mother and daughter were arguing in the kitchen "over child care issues as well as other problems," when Danielsen threw a shirt at Farrah's face that landed near her grandchild. Things went downhill from there. A police report claimed Danielsen "grabbed [Farrah] by the throat" and hit her "along the side of her head and hit her in the mouth." Danielsen was reportedly charged with domestic assault.
In January 2018, Farrah was arrested for allegedly striking a Beverly Hills Hotel employee and telling the responding cops to "go f**K yourself." Following that scuffle, Danielsen reportedly wanted custody of Farrah's daughter, Sophia, tearfully telling Radar Online that her granddaughter shouldn't be around "volatility."
Valerie Fairman's life turned tragic when the cameras stopped rolling
Though many of her challenges were no secret, thanks to 16 and Pregnant, Valerie Fairman continued to struggle when the cameras stopped rolling. Her shocking death in December 2016, from an alleged drug overdose, revealed problems that television audiences were not privy to.
Fairman's mother told TMZ that her daughter would not come out of the bathroom while staying at a friend's home in Coatesville, Pa. Eventually, "the friend broke down the door and found her unresponsive." She was just 23 years old.
Sadly, this was not the first time Fairman's secret struggles made headlines. According to Us Weekly, she was arrested on prostitution charges in 2015.
Fairman's daughter, Nevaeh, was 7 years old at the time of her death. She has reportedly been cared for by Fairman's mom, who told Radar Online that the little girl is doing well.
Danielle Cunningham spills her secrets on social media
If you follow 16 and Pregnant alum Danielle Cunningham on social media, then the dirt we're about to dish may not shock you, but for those who don't keep tabs on this mama online, well, we hate to break it to you, but she probably won't win a mom of the year award.
According to Radar Online, a 19-year-old Cunningham once live-tweeted a solo drinking binge in 2013. When a follower criticized her for underage boozing with her infant in the house, the reality star replied, "She's almost a month old. I'm aloud [sic] mommy time when I have the chance." She followed that up with, "I wonder if I'll be able to spell my tweets correctly by the end of the night." Oh, and she also reportedly admitted to using heroin.
In 2015, she posted pics of herself with a blunt pursed between her lips on Instagram, reported Radar Online. Again, followers called her out about her parenting techniques, to which she replied, "Lmfao my kids are asleep." She added, "I WILL HIT A FAT A** BLUNT AND BLOW IT IN YOUR FACE."
So, now you know. Stay classy, Danielle.
Farrah Abraham's behind the scenes scandal
You might recall Farrah Abraham's foray into adult entertainment with 2013's Backdoor Teen Mom. It got her booted from MTV, but she also managed to make an enemy of her sex tape co-star, James Deen.
According to TMZ, Farrah was spotted getting a pregnancy test after filming because sources claimed she was worried Deen impregnated her during the shoot, adding that she was supposedly not on birth control at the time.
Deen flipped his lid, claiming Farrah was secretly pulling a publicity stunt. "To say you're potentially pregnant is not something to joke about," he told Celebuzz. "When you knowingly involve another human being and a publicity stunt around that, a child is not something to be taken lightly. It's not a game anymore and it's really not cool."
Deen also said his co-star allegedly not being on birth control was news to him, considering he specifically stipulated that she be on birth control before agreeing to the project. "Had I known she was not taking preventive measures I would have never accepted the scene," he said.
Abraham did not comment on those pregnancy test pap photos, but according to TMZ, she did make a pretty penny off that video — nearly $1 million.