What Happened To These Stars From Teen Mom?
This feature contains references to domestic violence and substance misuse.
"Teen Mom" is the kind of show that will have moments that make fans love it or it will bring cast members that the viewers don't like. It all began in 2009 with what is now known as "Teen Mom OG," but it didn't end there. The franchise expanded with several renditions, including "Teen Mom: Family Reunion," "Teen Mom: Girls' Night In," and "Teen Mom: The Next Chapter."
Throughout the years, many of the teen moms have stayed on the show, growing with it, and allowing the audience to see how they have changed. However, some of them decided to leave the show behind entirely and lead their lives without being followed by a camera crew. Still, they all remain in the spotlight, prompting people to question what kind of moms they are or what kind of person they might be based on whatever actions have landed them in the headlines at that time.
Some of them stayed married to their high school sweetheart while others married a different partner. Many of them had more kids after their original season ended while also building a business of their own and becoming entrepreneurs. Here's what happened to the franchise's biggest stars.
Catelynn Lowell
Catelynn Lowell was part of the OG cast when "Teen Mom" first aired. She and her then-boyfriend, now husband, Tyler Baltierra, captivated the audience with their decision to place their daughter, Carly, for adoption. Since the birth of Carly, the couple has had three more daughters — Nova, Vaeda, and Rya Rose. Through her Instagram profile, Lowell has grown her business as a semi-permanent makeup artist while also allowing the world to continue to see how her family has grown.
Aside from being a part of "Teen Mom" and several of its spin-offs, Lowell and her husband had filmed the pilot for a new reality show called "Reunited." The show was supposed to follow the couple as they helped children who had been adopted meet their biological families. However, MTV decided not to move forward with it, which Lowell addressed in an Instagram post, "This was such an amazing opportunity for some great, heartwarming, and special television!" she wrote. "We might just have to take 'Reunited' to another production company since MTV thought it wasn't great enough to continue!"
As reported by Us Weekly, though the couple has had a fraught relationship with Carly's adoptive parents, Brandon and Teresa Davis, things may be settling down between the two families. In 2022, Lowell told the outlet that they'd reached out to connect Nova with her older sister. "When I saw her struggling ... we were able to set up a FaceTime so her and Carly could talk," she shared.
Amber Portwood
On "Teen Mom," Amber Portwood gave birth to Leah, and years later she welcomed a second child, James. However, many fans likely better remember the drama of her personal life. As reported by In Touch, in 2010, she was arrested for domestic violence after allegedly assaulting her then-boyfriend, Gary Shirley. The next year, she was arrested for violating the terms of her probation, and for possession of a controlled substance in a separate incident — for which she was later sentenced to five years in prison.
In 2019, she was arrested for domestic violence after allegedly hitting her then-boyfriend Andrew Glennon with a shoe while he was holding their son. After the incident, he was granted full custody of their child, and Portwood was sentenced to 906 days of probation. Three years later, The Sun reported that Portwood had completed her probation and was fully discharged after successfully testing negative for alcohol or any illicit substances for the period required. As of this writing, Glennon still has full custody of James. Meanwhile, Shirley and his wife, Kristina, have full custody of Leah.
In an episode of "Teen Mom OG" (via In Touch) her daughter, Leah, detailed the fraught relationship between herself and her mom. "Twelve years and she hasn't really done anything," she lamented. "That's kind of been like Kristina's spot ... All she did was give birth to me."
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Maci Bookout
During her first appearance on "Teen Mom," Maci Bookout welcomed a son, Bentley with her ex, Ryan Edwards. From the very beginning, the teen couple's relationship was extremely rocky and they never seemed to be on the same page. Eventually, they broke up but continued to co-parent their son. However, when Edwards went to jail, it was his parents who had a better relationship with Bentley. In December 2022, Bookout revealed during a conversation with Page Six that she had been working on her own feelings toward her ex-boyfriend and their relationship. "Getting to know the hard parts of mine and Ryan's relationship as co-parents, that makes it more comfortable for me, I would say," she said. "Not easier, but maybe just a little more comfortable."
As of this writing, Bookout was raising her teenage son and the two younger kids she welcomed with her husband, Taylor McKinney. "Teenage years are an absolute blast and they are an absolute struggle," she told People. "It is difficult because it's gotten to the stage where he wants to make his own decisions and deal with the consequences of those."
Aside from being a reality star, Bookout had started her own clothing line, TTM Lifestyle, in 2013 — an enterprise that her husband took charge of two years later. While the company was reported as being dissolved by the state in 2019 after the couple failed to submit the company's annual paperwork, as of this writing, it still appears to be thriving.
Bristol Palin
From the start, Bristol Palin shocked the "Teen Mom" audience when she shared that she was the daughter of the Republican politician, Sarah Palin. During the show, she gave birth to a son, Tripp. Years later, she added two daughters to the brood, Sailor, and Atlee, with her now ex-husband, Dakota Meyer, a former marine. After struggling with custody battles with the father of her son and a very public divorce with Meyer, Palin seems to be thriving with her real estate career.
When "Teen Mom OG" began, Palin appeared in one season before deciding to leave reality TV behind. In 2018, she founded the Bristol Palin Team in Austin, Texas where she leads a team of female realtors. According to The Sun, Bristol has sold $15,376,962 in properties. In March 2022, she shared footage from one of her properties on Instagram, writing, "Nothing motivates me like investment properties do, first quarter goal officially achieved."
Although she is now leading a completely different life to the one on "Teen Mom," in January 2022, Bristol took a walk down memory lane by using her Instagram Stories feed (via The Sun) to share snippets from her time on the show. She filmed herself responding to one such clip, stating, "We all go through struggles. I will admit it's very weird watching it play out on TV, especially when you haven't thought about this show ... I think it's special to see that. Crazy, crazy, crazy. Full circle. God is good."
Kailyn Lowry
Many remember Kailyn Lowry from "Teen Mom 2," where she had plenty of baby daddy drama as she went back and forth with her ex, before dating other men. Nowadays, she is a mother of four and an entrepreneur. As of this writing, she's the host of three podcasts, "Coffee Convos," "Baby Mamas: No Drama," and "Barely Famous." Perhaps unsurprisingly, in 2022 she also announced that she was launching the KILLR podcast network, in a bid to support other people build their own podcast brands.
Since her time on the show, she has become a New York Times Best-Selling Author with the non-fiction books, "A Letter of Love," "Hustle and Heart," "Pride over Pity," and "Love is Bubblegum." Additionally, she has also decided to share more of her personal life through her YouTube Channel, "Kail and the Chaos."
As she continues to grow her empire, Lowry announced that she would be leaving the "Teen Mom" franchise after spending over a decade in front of the cameras. She revealed the news in May 2022, during a reunion of the show (via Page Six). "I think I need to move on ... I need to do my own thing," she shared. "I think I'm ready ... this should be the end." As for growing her family? When an Instagram user asked whether she would have a fifth child in the future, Lowry answered, "Probably, but we'll cross that bridge if we get there" (via Page Six).
Jenelle Evans
When it comes to "Teen Mom" drama, Jenelle Evans's name is sure to pop up. Throughout her time on the franchise, she was seen in and out of jail, in rehab, and fighting with her mom. Nowadays, she continues to share her life through social media where followers can see her and her three children. The reality star has grown her online following in recent years, particularly by joining OnlyFans. As The Sun reported she stirred up controversy with posts in which she is rocking lingerie while wearing a bunny mask in the style of something from "The Purge." Clearly, the pushback wasn't as big as the support since in May 2022 she was part of the top 1.3% creators. "Let's keep this hype train going. Haters are so mad y'all are being supportive," she posted on her Instagram story (via The Sun).
A few years prior to becoming an OnlyFans sensation, the reality star was rumored to have been fired from "Teen Mom 2," after her husband, David Eason, admitted to shooting and killing their family dog. A year earlier, MTV had fired him for posting tweets criticizing LGBTQ+ youth and their parents. However, in 2022, her manager told People that it was she who had decided not to return to the franchise as MTV's offer was too low. Whatever the truth, fans were surprised to see she had filmed an appearance for an episode of "Teen Mom: Girls' Night In" later that year.
Leah Messer
Leah Messer was the mom of twins on "Teen Mom 2" who fans felt sympathy for as they watched her go through multiple doctor's appointments with one of her daughters, trying to figure out what was wrong with her. But the drama didn't stay far from her as she was also seen struggling with her baby daddy, amidst cheating rumors. After her original show aired, Messer gave birth to another daughter.
Although fans are used to seeing Messer on the show, she decided to take a step back and didn't join "Teen Mom: Family Reunion" Season 2. Given that the announcement was made not long after her breakup with Jaylan Mobley, it could be possible that the difficulties in her personal life may have played in role in the decision. Speaking to People, the reality star revealed that the initial process of the breakup was understandably difficult. However, she was focused on moving forward and held no hard feelings toward her ex. "I think Jaylan genuinely loves us at the capacity at how he knows how to love," she shared on an episode of "Teen Mom: The Next Chapter" (via E! News). "I still believe in love."
In 2020, Messer was rumored to have joined Mastery in Transformational Training, a self-improvement organization that has been accused of being a cult. Per Radar, "Teen Mom" alum, Kailyn Lowry, purportedly raised concerns about her pal's involvement with the group, which may have prompted the star to eventually cut ties with them.
Farrah Abraham
Since her initial run on "Teen Mom OG," Farrah Abraham has been known for diving into a lot of interesting business ventures. These have included an online furniture store, a frozen yogurt restaurant, and various adult entertainment enterprises. In 2017, the star claimed on Facebook that Viacom fired her from her "Teen Mom" role due to her involvement in the latter, more risque gigs. Although she eventually returned for "Teen Mom: Family Reunion," in 2022 she announced her decision to leave, accusing the show of being unethical and exploitative, per The Sun.
Later that year, Abraham was charged with battery for an incident that occurred in January at a nightclub. According to Fox News, the star was accused of slapping a bouncer after he requested that she leave the venue. She pleaded not guilty and claimed that excessive force was used against her at the venue for a crime she didn't commit.
After the incident, Abraham attended a treatment center. She told TMZ, "I would say my experience was life-changing. It didn't only make my year ... but it made my life." In the same interview, she also announced her comedy tour, stating, "I want to have some fun with everyone. But I'm really blessed that I can get over my fear of people that I was having and now I can really tackle that and overcome it and be on stage." Abraham isn't the only one venturing into new things — her daughter, Sophia, debuted her new punk music in December 2022.
Cheyenne Floyd
On an episode of "Teen Mom: The Next Chapter" that aired in 2022 (via Page Six), Cheyenne Floyd shared the most horrifying experience of her life — the time that she and her family were shot during a drive. Stating that they sadly knew the person attacking them, her husband, Zach Davis, revealed, "All of a sudden [we started] hearing shots, He hit the car 13 times, and we crashed into the back of a Prius. It was the worst feeling in the world." Meanwhile, Floyd added, "God literally covered us that day because every cop who was there said they don't understand how we are all alive."
They added that the incident was understandably traumatic for the whole family. While their youngest child in the vehicle was just two months old at the time of the attack, his sister, Ryder, was old enough for the attack to take its toll on her. "Ryder never knew what a gun was before this," Floyd shared on "The Next Chapter — Reunion" (via The Sun). "Or she never had anxiety in a car or if she saw an accident, she would never talk about it, now she is just more aware of certain things."
Despite this tragedy hitting her life, Floyd is still able to bask in the happiness of her marriage. The couple tied the knot on September 29, 2022, and she shared the happiness through her Instagram, writing, "Love always wins." The couple also continues to share their lives through their YouTube channel, The Davis Family.
Mackenzie McKee
In June 2022, Mackenzie McKee announced through a series of since-deleted tweets that she wouldn't be returning to the "Teen Mom" franchise. The star claimed that she hadn't been asked back to the franchise, and without explanation. "They act like I don't even exist and can't explain to my lawyer why. So that stings," she wrote in one tweet (via The Sun). McKee had previously discussed her disappointment with the series when she told The Sun, "It hurt and broke me how my mom gave them the last breath of her life, yet after I had opened up my life to them, when my voice didn't sound like theirs, there was no more respect for me."
A month after the tweets, McKee shared in a since-deleted Instagram post (via Page Six), that she and her husband of nine years were calling it quits. The announcement stated, "Sometimes things work and sometimes, no matter how hard you fight, it just doesn't work out. I am breaking my silence about Josh and I being done. I will always respect him as the father of my children but it's time for me to find my happy." A few weeks after her post, The Sun reported that the tanning salon the couple had purchased, remodeled, and opened for business was closing mere months after its big opening.
As of this writing, McKee seems to be focusing on her coaching business, Body By Mac, where she offers plans for people looking to lose weight, gain muscle, or lead healthy lifestyles.
Chelsea DeBoer
Chelsea DeBoer joined the series during "Teen Mom 2" and has since given birth to four children — Aubree, Walker, Layne, and Watson. She and her husband, Cole DeBoer also founded a home-building and decorating business, Down Home DeBoers. However, in 2021, the couple and their business were sued for 3 million dollars by Envy — a company that reportedly consulted the couple on business and entertainment contracts related to the venture.
According to the court's paperwork, the couple was accused of breaching their contract and avoiding contractually agreed-upon fees by arranging for some brands to pay them directly. Simultaneously, they were accused of failing to comply with certain requirements expected from them, per The Sun. On top of denying the allegations, DeBoer and the other defendants in the case filed a counterclaim that accused Envy of having withheld $150,000 from them. As of this writing, the lawsuit had been delayed until the premiere of their new show, "Down Home Fab," which was set for January 2023. Discussing the show with People, DeBoer suggested that she's pretty happy with how everything has panned out. "Life with Cole and our four kids and our business is all I ever wanted," she said.