Tragic Details About Farrah Abraham
Farrah Abraham's name has barely left the headlines since she rose to fame as a mom-to-be on MTV's breakout hit reality show "16 & Pregnant" in 2009, which documented the lives of a group of 16 years olds who were, you guessed it, pregnant.
Farrah's struggles as she prepared to become a mom for the first time played out in pretty dramatic fashion, with things only intensifying when she landed the main role alongside her fellow former "16 & Pregnant" stars, Catelynn Baltierra, Maci McKinney, and Amber Portwood on the spin-off series "Teen Mom" (which went on to become "Teen Mom OG") that same year. Since then, life has been a bit of a roller coaster for Farrah, who became a mom to daughter Sophia in February 2009. The star hasn't shied away from letting her life play out in the public eye, regularly putting her life on show on social media through regular Instagram updates and her own YouTube channel.
She's also tried her hand at a slew of other reality shows, including "Celebrity Big Brother U.K.," "Ex on the Beach," and "Couple's Therapy," while repeatedly making waves for being so open about the multiple plastic surgeries that have transformed her from the teenager fans once knew. But with every up, it seems like Farrah has had her fair share of downs. Keep scrolling for some of the most tragic points of the infamous reality star's life.
Tragedy struck with Farrah Abraham was eight months pregnant
Farrah Abraham faced a horrific tragedy back in late 2008 when Derek Underwood, her ex-boyfriend and the father of her then-unborn daughter Sophia, was killed in an accident while driving his car with a friend in the passenger seat, who also died (via The Sun). Farrah was around eight months pregnant at the time and has candidly spoken out on multiple occasions about how Underwood's death has affected her.
In May 2020, Farrah opened up about the loss on Instagram as she celebrated Mother's Day and what would have been Underwood's 30th birthday. "With all the emotion, love & strength at this time, never forgetting the tragic accident," she wrote, before calling her late ex her "best friend," "soul mate" and the "love of [her] life." The star also referred to herself as a "widow," despite splitting with him before his death.
Farrah has shared multiple other tributes across her Instagram over the years, and also opened up about the moment she heard Underwood had died in her book, "My Teenage Dream Ended." "I got off the phone and I tried to calm down, but my mind was racing. Derek was the father of the baby I was carrying inside me. We hadn't spoken in more than two months, but crazily I had still hoped we had a future together — me, him, and our baby, as one happy family. It's every teenage girl's dream, isn't it?" she wrote.
Farrah Abraham has been candid about her mental health experiences
Farrah Abraham has used her platform for good to highlight mental health issues, getting candid on multiple occasions about her own mental state and how she overcame the trauma of losing Sophia's dad, Derek Underwood. In a May 2020 TikTok video reposted to Instagram, Farrah shared she'd "learned over a decade that it's ok to be on a mood stabilizer for longer [than] a few months," and realized she's "not weak" for speaking out about needing help. She spoke candidly about her mental health amid the coronavirus pandemic and how she turned to therapy and mood stabilizers.
The following year, Farrah got very candid about depression and suicidal thoughts stemming from Underwood's sudden death. "I've shared so much of my life when I have been deeply depressed, suicidal, probably mentally ill because of it and there's so much that I've learned about myself through my teens to my 20's," she said in an Instagram Story (via The Hollywood Gossip).
"I just share every year online, like this past year, it's been 12 years, going on 13, how loss feels," she added. "It's not pretty, it's not like you're gonna get over it... It's beautiful to take care of your mental health. It's beautiful to understand that emotions are healthy." The star also shared that she planned for Sophia to see a therapist so she too could "focus on her health and her well-being and her development."
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Child Protective Services has a history with Farrah Abraham
Farrah Abraham has spoken out about two experiences with Child Protective Services, which happened a decade apart. Farrah spoke about a difficult time in an excerpt from her book, "Dream Twenties: Self Guided Self Help Memoir," obtained by The U.S. Sun, revealing she and Sophia had to live out of her car for "a couple of days" in 2010 after her mom, Debra Danielsen's domestic abuse arrest. Farrah wrote that she was "threatened by CPS to take my child because of elders' actions that were unsafe."
Around a decade later, Farrah — who's had her own legal issues — was forced to speak out again about Child Protective Services being called to check on Sophia after she was accused of leaving her in Los Angeles while she went on a Mexican vacation. Farrah shut down those claims to Champion Daily, saying, "Sophia is protected from the evil people and it's sad people are jealous of my dating life, and try to affect my family in a negative way ... My father and family always watch Sophia when I'm away, as sadly nannies have proven to not be trustworthy."
Farrah has also been open about Sophia's struggles, which have played out on "Teen Mom." A particularly heart-wrenching Season 5 scene saw the little girl have a breakdown as she screamed, "I want a daddy! I want a daddy now! Daddy! Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy! I want to die," leaving Farrah in tears.
Farrah Abraham's 'turmoil' with Sophia's grandmother played out in public
Farrah Abraham's relationship with her late ex-boyfriend's family could be described as rocky at best. Derek Underwood's mom, Stormie Clark, opened up about their strained relationship in 2013, telling The Ashley's Reality Roundup she'd only met Sophia, who was about to turn five, twice. "If Derek were alive today, Sophia's life would definitely be different. She has so many family members that she has never even met," she said.
Three years later, their drama boiled over on social media when Farrah described Clark in deleted tweets of being a "crazed pill popping mom who lied and upset [her] relationship" with Derek (via Starcasm). She also claimed Clark "took [her] dad to court" and "ruins families," while accusing her of taking Sophia from her babysitter's home without her permission. Clark hit back in deleted tweets of her own, writing (via The Hollywood Gossip), "STOP LYING! ... #SLANDER!!! Keep lying about me, and I will take your a** back to court! [sic]." She added, "Listen Skank! You know damn well that I Didn't steal Sophia from a babysitter! My DAUGHTER'S & I found her @ a PARK! [sic]"
Per In Touch, Farrah continued to have "turmoil" with Clark but seemed to patch things up with Derek's dad, Jerry Underwood. Around July 2020, Farrah and Sophia spent a month with Derek's dad's family, with Farrah saying she was "grateful for Sophia's father's dad's side of the family and us getting along."
Farrah Abraham was fired from her big TV gig in a very public way
If there's one thing more humiliating than being fired, it's being fired in a public way — and that's exactly what happened to Farrah Abraham when she initially parted ways with MTV in front of the entire world.
In a dramatic Season 7 episode of "Teen Mom OG" in 2018, Farrah spoke with a producer who made it clear that if she continued on with her career in the adult industry she couldn't continue filming for the show. Farrah hit back, "Who are you to tell someone to choose one thing? Shoot me for being who I am!"
Farrah filed a lawsuit against MTV's parent company, Viacom, claiming she was "wrongfully terminated her employment because she did not conform to gender stereotypes" (via People). Directly addressing the "Teen Mom OG" scene, she said she felt "harassed, humiliated, discriminated against, disrespected, ridiculed, degraded and sex shamed" and was suing for "emotional pain, emotional suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life and other damages."
A spokesperson for Viacom responded by saying the "claims are without merit" and the lawsuit was settled later that month. Farrah told People, "I'm happy Viacom wanted to settle and I'm thrilled with the outcome. I did the right thing by filing a lawsuit." In September 2020, she slammed the show again on Instagram but was revealed to have a new "Teen Mom" spin-off in the works a year later.
An adult film 'ruined' Farrah Abraham's life
It was her adult film career that reportedly saw Farrah Abraham get let go from "Teen Mom OG," and an adult film that Farrah blamed for ruining her life. The star's explicit career choices are well documented, something that the reality star admitted is something she'd like to take back if she could.
"It made it hard to have friends and a private life and to trust family, who I feel use me for money," she admitted of her original adult movie during a bombshell interview with In Touch in 2014, which appears to have been removed (via Celebuzz). "If I went back in time, I would not have done it. The sex tape ruined my life," she added. The star also shared how she felt about the harsh realization that such an intimate moment was out there for anyone to see anytime. She called the notion "overwhelming" and shared that she went through a stage when she "wanted to hide [her] face and not go out or pick up [her] phone."
Farrah initially denied that the adult tape was a professional production, instead claiming during an appearance on "Dr. Phil" in 2013 that it was not a professional production but something that was intended for private use. She also told the doctor and host that she decided to make it "to be happy for [herself]."
A botched surgery left Farrah Abraham at 'one of the lowest points' in her life
Farrah Abraham hasn't exactly gone down the route some celebrities take, keeping us guessing about if they've gone down the plastic surgery route. Farrah has been very vocal about the multiple procedures she's had done, ranging from her multiple breast augmentations to butt injections.
With so many surgeries was (unfortunately) bound to come at least one complication, and Farrah's major one came in the form of an unwanted chin implant. The star wrote in an excerpt from her 2021 book, "Dream Twenties: Self Guided Self Help Memoir," obtained by The Sun that Farrah was given an implant she didn't want when getting a nose job. "That year with something on my face that literally had me probably the most insecure I had ever been in my life, all I remember was my friends staring at my chin when I talked or my mom calling me a witch, look it's unbearable," she wrote. It put her at "one of the lowest points" and she made a lot of "bad choices not only sexually probably trying to feel body-positive, but mentally and relationship wise" before getting it removed.
But that wasn't only her plastic surgery nightmare. In 2015, Farrah showed the effects of being allergic to lip fillers on Twitter. She also opened up about getting a reconstructive breast augmentation after telling Daily Mail she'd suffered from "burning and pain issues that were horrible."
Farrah Abraham's relationship with her parents is publicly strained
Where do we even start on this one? "16 and Pregnant" and "Teen Mom" fans have seen the deterioration of Farrah Abraham's relationship with her parents decrease as her fame increased, with much of their tension playing out on screen. Farrah's relationship with her mom, Debra Danielsen, has been particularly strained over the years, with the two repeatedly getting into a public war of words.
Things seemed to take a turn in 2010 when Debra was arrested on suspicion of domestic abuse. Per Us Weekly, the two argued about Sophia's care and things are alleged to have turned physical, with Debra being charged with assault. The two then made their drama even more public when they appeared on "Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars Family Edition" in 2017 where they had multiple dramas, with Farrah accusing her mom of choosing her boyfriend over her.
Another major low point in their relationship came in 2018 when Debra appeared on "Shot Topics" and accused Farrah of being a narcissist with Borderline Personality Disorder. Speaking to People, the reality star admitted it was "sad to hear [her] own mother would say these untrue things about her own child," calling it "evil and alarming."
Farrah has also accused her family of alleged childhood abuse, which she opened up about with In Touch in 2014. "[They] would beat me with a belt if I acted out. I had cuts, bruises, welts, swelling and scars," she claimed.
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
Farrah Abraham accused an adult star of sexual abuse
Farrah Abraham has been open about her adult movie, as well as the aftermath. But all that came to a very serious head in 2015 when Farrah accused adult film star James Deen, who appeared in her original video, of sexual abuse. Farrah told Daily Mail that she was dating Deen in 2013 and alleged he was "abusive, pushy and manipulative" during that time. She also made even more serious allegations against Deen, alleging that he "raped [her] for his benefit of fame" and "conspired against [her] with others." She also claimed Deen "wanted to break [her] and ruin [her] career" and she needed "intensive therapy" after her experiences with him.
Deen was also accused of inappropriate behavior by eight other women but denied the allegations to Daily Beast. He called the multiple allegations "inaccurate or out of context" while also stating he believed "things are being distorted by the press or are inaccurate." He added, "I want to remind people that I am not the subject of any lawsuits, I am not under criminal investigation, and at this moment I have no intention of filing defamation suits against false accusations."
Deen wasn't the only person Abraham has accused of abuse. In her 2014 In Touch interview, she claimed that while appearing at pornography conventions and strip clubs, she got in with the "wrong type of people" and "was drugged and raped more than once," calling it "a dark time."
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Farrah Abraham lost her dog under difficult circumstances
Farrah Abraham's dog, Blue, hit the headlines in 2018 when the star announced his tragic death on social media. The circumstances of the pooch's tragic passing became quite a hot topic on social media after Farrah's daughter, Sophia, took to Music.ly and explained (via Radar), "I was getting Blue to go outside and my only choice was to toss him outside. And then I did, but then he went into shock and 30 seconds later he passed with no heartbeat."
However, Farrah claimed to Radar that her dogs had "been stressed from construction at [their] building" and Blue was suffering from "a collapsing trachea issue." She continued, "Blue actually went limp once Sophia picked him up, as he was having anxiety again because of construction and didn't want to go to the bathroom on the balcony." The star even shared heartbreaking footage on Instagram of herself and Sophia in tears as they petted him while he lay on a table. Farrah explained that she and her daughter were able to be with the little dog "in his last moments" before he died.
Speaking about Sophia's initial claims, Farrah explained her daughter "was stressed from the unexplainable tragedy and like I at the time couldn't say or process clearly." She added, "It will not be easy for Sophia, but she is very excited to get Blue back once he is through the preservation process."
Farrah Abraham claimed she was discriminated against while attending Harvard
Farrah Abraham scored a big win in the summer of 2021 when it was revealed she'd been accepted into Harvard University. Farrah broke the news via her LinkedIn account, sharing in May 2021 that she was studying for a Master of Liberal Arts from the Creative Writing and Literature Graduate Program. A spokesperson then confirmed the news to The Sun, saying, "We can confirm that Farrah is registered as of right now in online Summer courses."
However, Farrah's hopes of furthering her education came crashing down just a few months later when she claimed to TMZ that she was suing the Ivy League school for "educational abuse." She accused Harvard of being a "scam" and alleged an "elder teacher in a position of power with a male dean blocked [her] out of a class and also said lies about [her] work." She explained she'd "be taking legal action against Harvard" after purporting she got no response to her complaints. "I was the most person of color in the class, everyone else was super white. Everybody deserves, no matter where you're from, to do class," she added.
Farrah then took things one step further in late August when she shared a video on Instagram of herself setting fire to a Harvard sweatshirt as she once again accused the institution of "educational abuse" as well as "financial abuse," adding, "#discrimination is illegal." She also vowed to raise funds for mental health awareness.