Disturbing Crimes Committed By Teen Mom Stars
For the people who've watched MTV's "16 and Pregnant," "Teen Mom," and the spinoffs that followed, they've seen kids on the show go from newborns to teenagers. Those same viewers have also seen their parents change in various ways, from falling in and out of love, to getting married and purchasing homes — you know, regular life stuff.
However, some people have to deal with legal troubles in their lives, and it's been no different for those associated with "Teen Mom." Farrah Abraham, who got fired from the show, is a good example since she was seen handcuffed in Hollywood, California in 2022 after being accused of slapping a security guard. She was also arrested for more or less the same thing in Beverly Hills in 2018.
But who else in the "Teen Mom" universe has been seen in a mugshot? Trust us, there's a whole bunch of people, and we're not talking about folks being arrested for small things like jaywalking; there are some really serious crimes that have gone down. So now that we've whet your appetite, let's get into the main course, as we describe some disturbing crimes that were committed By "Teen Mom" stars.
Amber Portwood pretty much lost it
Amber Portwood, who grew to fame on "Teen Mom," was in deep legal trouble in 2010 after being charged with two felony counts of domestic battery, one misdemeanor count of domestic battery, and neglect of a dependent when she was 20 years old, as In Touch Weekly shows. Portwood was charged after being accused of assaulting her ex-boyfriend and child's father, Gary Shirley. She was sentenced to 728 days behind bars afterward, which was suspended, and received two years of probation. But later, the reality star spent 17 months in prison for violating probation, and still, that wasn't the end of her legal woes.
In 2019, Portwood was arrested after it was said she swung a machete during a heated argument with Andrew Glennon, her ex and the father of her son James. She was also accused of hurling a shoe at him while he held their child. As TMZ reported, the reality star didn't swing the machete at Glennon directly but at a door as he stood on the other side of it. There was audio footage of the incident released as well, plus a picture of the damaged door. Then when all was said and charged, Portwood — who eventually lost custody of James to Glennon — was hit with criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, domestic battery, and domestic battery in the presence of a child, all felonies. But she later struck a plea deal and received a little over 900 days of probation.
Farrah Abraham called the cops on her mother Debra Danielson
After the popularity of "16 and Pregnant" and "Teen Mom" grew, so did the popularity of its former co-star Farrah Abraham. Then Abraham's mother, Debra Danielson, became well-known for always being on the show. So when Danielson was arrested in 2010 on domestic assault charges after being accused of choking and striking Abraham, it was pretty big news in the reality TV world. As TMZ reported, the charges came down in Iowa's Pottawattamie County court after Abraham told police about the assault and they saw cuts on her lips as proof.
It's said the violence erupted after Abraham and her mother argued about childcare and other issues they had between them. Those who've seen the show have probably noticed that mother and daughter fought a lot.
Plus, Radar Online gave a little more detail about the assault, stating the argument began in the family's kitchen and escalated after Danielson threw a t-shirt at Abraham that landed near her infant daughter. Then in 2010, Danielson's case took a giant leap forward since she struck a plea deal that would allow her to have the domestic assault charge dropped if she avoided any further legal trouble for some time. Danielson did plead guilty to a lesser charge, however, which got her a suspended 30-day jail sentence.
Jenelle Evans came storming out of her house
As of 2021, former "Teen Mom 2" star Jenelle Evans has been arrested 15 times. One of those arrests happened in 2015 when she was accused of hitting Jessica Henry in the head with a glass in South Carolina, which caused injury. Henry was Nathan Griffith's girlfriend, and Griffith is Evans' ex and father of her child Kaiser, who was born in 2014.
TMZ reported that Griffith went to Evans' house to pick up some personal items and took Henry with him, which probably wasn't the best idea considering his contentious history with his child's mother. But Griffith probably wasn't expecting that Evans would come running out of her house and throw a glass, and that's what she supposedly did. A rep for Evans said she felt as if Griffith was sending her a personal shot by bringing his girlfriend to her home.
Evans was eventually arrested and charged with assault, but things worked out in her favor after the court made its decision. "I'll be happy to tell you first ... Not guilty. 👏🏼👸🏼," Evans tweeted on April 22, 2016. As for Griffith, he's also been in trouble with the law for crimes like abuse and DWI.
David Eason was accused of using a weapon
David Eason hasn't been arrested as many times as his wife, Jenelle Evans, but he's gotten himself into serious trouble. In 2020 Eason was arrested in North Carolina and charged with assault with a deadly weapon and communicating threats. It's said that he hit Evans' friend James Spivey with a handgun and threatened to kill him, according to TMZ. Evans sent a Facebook message after the arrest and said she was getting away from Eason for a while.
"I just want to let the public, tabloids, and my fans know that I'm okay. I'm safe, and so are the kids." she wrote. "I'm going to take a few days out to myself to gather my thoughts and focus on what's going on, so I won't be on social media much."
Later, Eason filed a criminal summons against Spivey, per The U.S. Sun, since Spivey used a coat rack to defend himself against the alleged attack. Then in 2020, it was reported the charges were dropped against Eason, as was his criminal summons against Spivey. "It wasn't up to myself or either one of us. It was in the attorneys' hands," Spivey told The U.S. Sun about the charges being dropped: "They thought it was the best way to proceed. It is what it is ... On the behalf of myself, I just am staying away from them."
Drew Brooks sent a person to the hospital
Drew Brooks, who was on "Teen Mom: Young + Pregnant," had multiple run-ins with police. In fact, Us Weekly shows that he was arrested for theft of property in 2018 and unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon years later. But his biggest charge would come shortly after that weapons bust, as he was charged with attempted murder in April of 2022.
In Touch Weekly shared news of the arrest, stating that Brooks was accused of stabbing a man in the stomach with a knife in Tennessee after getting into a dispute. The victim had to be air-lifted from a local hospital to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, and Brooks was kept in jail without bond. But he was released in June 2022 after accepting a plea deal and pleading guilty to the whittled-down charge of reckless aggravated assault, per The U.S. Sun. Brooks also had a two-year prison sentence suspended and received two years of supervised probation.
Kiaya Elliot announced her arrest on social media
It's not every day that someone who was arrested lets everyone know about it on TikTok, but that's what "Teen Mom: Young + Pregnant's" Kiaya Elliott did in 2021. She did it by sharing a photo of her mugshot and telling her followers that she was arrested while doing her hair. "Thinking about that time I took my wig off to wash my hair and got arrested before I could finish taking my cornrows out," she captioned the clip, which was shared by The U.S. Sun.
The Ashley's Reality Roundup reported that Elliott got into an altercation in March 2021 at a party that she attended with her girlfriend Teazha in Virginia. The fight also led to the arrest of a man who was said to be involved in the fight, and he filed a charge of assault and battery against Elliott. Plus, a woman filed assault and battery charges against her, adding another level of complexity to the whole thing. In the end, Elliott was hit with one count of pointing, brandishing a firearm, and two charges of assault and battery. But by the time May 2021 rolled around, it was reported that all of the charges were dismissed against her.
Kieffer Delp tried to be 'Breaking Bad's' Walter White
Kieffer Delp was Jenelle Evans' boyfriend early on in the "Teen Mom 2" series, and he was arrested with the reality star for drug possession as well as breaking and entering in North Carolina in 2010. Some who watch the show may remember Evans' mother, Barbara Evans, seeming not to like Delp, which sparked plenty of arguments between mother and daughter. So, there's a good chance that Barbara breathed a sigh of relief when her daughter and Delp parted ways, especially when he was arrested in 2018 for running a meth lab in a Pennsylvania apartment.
As Us Weekly reports, the authorities were contacted with complaints of a chemical smell that floated through the building. In time, Delp was hit with a slew of charges, including operating a methamphetamine lab and possession with intent to deliver. The bust came after police used a search warrant and saw him in the apartment with items used to make the dangerous drug. His bail was set at $50,000, which he failed to pay, so he remained behind bars.
Later that year, news surfaced that Delp accepted a plea deal, and he was sentenced to 18 to 36 months in prison. He also received credit toward his sentence for the time he was already locked up.
Whitney Purvis admitted her crime to a police officer
On October 14, 2021, former "16 and Pregnant" star Whitney Purvis was arrested in Georgia for threatening to take the life of her ex-boyfriend in September of that year. She was also charged with making terroristic threats. Per The U.S. Sun, the ex-boyfriend said that he spoke with a Bartow County police officer and showed the officer the text messages that he received from her. The actual threats are quite graphic, which include a knife, poison, and toxic gas.
Then after giving his account to the officer, the ex-boyfriend put that person on the phone with Purvis, who admitted to sending threatening texts. In her defense, Purvis said she sent the messages because her ex physically abused her and was unfaithful during their relationship. But her claim did nothing to stop the officer from getting a warrant to bring her in. Now, of course, making terroristic threats is a serious charge, and one legal site shows that it can land a person in jail for one year in Georgia. But luckily for Purvis, her jail stay was short-lived since she bonded out for $5,000 one day after her arrest.
As of 2022, Purvis has two children with a man named Weston Gosa Sr.; however, it wasn't reported that he's the person she threatened. But she was accused of threatening him in 2020, and for that, Gosa Sr. was granted a restraining order.
Kailyn Lowry wanted her son to have long hair
Evidently, Kailyn Lowry, formerly of "Teen Mom 2," wanted her son Lux's hair long, and her ex, Chris Lopez, the child's father, didn't. The disagreement led to Lowry allegedly punching Lopez several times, so he called the police, and she was arrested in Delaware for offensive touching, per Us Weekly. The incident happened at Lopez's house after they were doing a custody swap, and she reportedly used a balled-up fist to hit him — while his sister tried to restrain her.
But Lowry — who also has another child with Lopez named Creed — didn't have to post bail to leave police custody since she was released on her own recognizance. Then once she was back in front of social media, she blasted Lopez for cutting Lux's hair while calling him a controlling narcissist. He later defended himself, however, by saying he has every right to decide on his son's hairstyle since he's the dad. Then after pleading not guilty, the charges against Lowry were dropped, which was reported in February 2021. Clearly, the former couple has a rocky past because Lowry filed a protection from abuse order against Lopez, and he was arrested for violating it in 2020, as In Touch Weekly shows.