7 Teen Mom Couples Who Actually Made It (+ 13 Who Called It Quits)
It's pretty hard to believe that 16 and Pregnant/Teen Mom first aired in 2009. Now, 10 years later, Teen Mom OG cast members are back on our screens, and more of us are watching them than ever.
How we got so obsessed with a bunch of normies driving their kids on freeways and going for ice-cream, we'll never know. Then again, while celebs like Kylie Jenner have become mothers before the age of 21, doing it in your teens is an entirely different story.
The New York Times has been pretty harsh on these mothers. In initial previews, it called the show "a documentary-style series about real-life Junos who are not scoring in the 99th percentile on the verbal portion of their SATs." Advanced algebra might not be this cast's forte, but getting us hooked is.
Catelynn Lowell, Jenelle Evans, Chelsea Houska, Farrah Abraham and Briana DeJesus are now household names. Their baby daddies come as an all-you-can eat buffet of drama, love, tears and suspense. Some of them lasted the test of time. Some didn't. Here are seven Teen Mom couples who actually made it (plus 13 who called it quits).
20 Catelynn Lowell & Tyler Baltierra: #Married, Third Baby Is Here, Feel "Blessed"
Couples actually sticking it out on Teen Mom? You don't see that every day. Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra first landed on our screens as the 16 and Pregnant couple who chose an open adoption for their first baby. With three kids and a solid marriage, these two have come a long way.
Out-shining every other Teen Mom couple, Catelynn and Tyler have been together for over 10 years.
Catelynn has been open about her mental health. She has also battled pregnancy difficulties, although she's since given birth to the couple's third child. Catelynn and Tyler tied the knot in 2015, as The Daily Mail reports.
19 Maci Bookout & Taylor McKinney: Married Since 2016, Two Babies, #RockSolid
Maci Bookout is about as "OG" as it gets. 16 and Pregnant saw this young mother give birth to Bentley with her then-boyfriend, Ryan Edwards. Not exactly #MrResponsible, Ryan wound up in a ton of legal trouble, so "Thank U, Next."
In 2016, Maci married Taylor McKinney. They now run a solid household and a clothing line called Things That Matter, Floor8 reports.
Most importantly, Maci and Taylor are parents to Maci's 2nd and 3d child. Maverick and Jayde are this couple's two kids. #Goals
18 Her Ex, Ryan Edwards, Moved On With Mackenzie Standifer, But He Missed His Baby's Birth
Ryan Edwards was once a duo act with Maci Bookout, being the father of her first child. The headlines for this guy might come with a new baby, but they equally come with the reminder that Maci had to take out a restraining order against him, E Online reports.
"Shocker," Maci said about Ryan being in a tight spot with the law. Still, he's found happiness.
The media outlet reports threatening behaviour on Ryan's part. Sadly for Ryan, who is currently married to Mackenzie Standifer, the arrival of their baby was missed by the father. Hopefully onwards and upwards!
17 Kailyn Lowry: The T-Shirt Says A Lot (And It Might Be Back On With Chris Lopez)
Easily one of the most high-profile of the Teen Mom cast, Kailyn Lowry is a woman with a giant personality, an attitude that doesn't quit and 3.6 million Instagram followers.
Kailyn joined the cast as the teen mom to Isaac, whom she had with Jo Rivera. They split soon after the baby's 2010 birth, E Online reports.
In 2012, Kailyn married Javi Marroquin (shortly followed by the birth of their son, Lincoln). In 2016, these two called it quits. In April 2018, Kailyn welcomed her third baby with Chris Lopez, In Touch Weekly reports. Way too much drama to know if these two are actually #On- guess we'll find out. The internet seems to be rooting for a yes.
16 Jenelle Evans & David Eason: 2017 Wedding And A Baby (But A Lot Of Exes Left Their Mark)
Jenelle Evans doesn't know how to pick them. "Partying and pregnant" was how this mom used to roll back on 16 and Pregnant, although she's since grown up. Jenelle's first son, Jace was in the custody of Jenelle's mom, as E Online reported.
Jenelle is now married to David Eason, and yes, there are more kids. Kaiser came along (but Jenelle's ex, Nathan Griffin was the father). David and Jenelle tied the knot in 2017 (admittedly giving us slight #DressEnvy).
The couple's September 2017 wedding followed the January 2017 birth of their child- Jenelle's third at the age of 27. She's still with David.
15 Ex #1: Courtland Rogers, Divorced In 2014
The amount of baby drama that comes with Jenelle Evans is enough for its own spin-off. Credit where it's due, though, Jenelle is a girl with a strong head on those shoulders. If he isn't right, ditch him. Hollywood Life reports:
"Jenelle's marriage to Courtland was doomed for trouble since they said: I do," Hollywood Life reports. They divorced in 2014.
Courtland didn't seem right for Jenelle, long-term. Hollywood Life also reported a violent marriage, delays in getting divorced and the sad loss of a baby that never made it.
14 Ex #2: Nathan Griffin Gave Her A Son, But Their Engagement Didn't Last
Jenelle Evans was happy with Nathan Griffin (once upon a time). Andrew Lewis (2009) was out the way. So was Kieffer Delp (2010-2011). So was Josh (last name unknown, fall 2011), Wet Paint reports.
June 2013- August 2015 marks a period of time that saw some much-needed stability in Jenelle's life. She was with Nathan Griffin following her divorce from Courtland. Nathan might have had the model looks (and they met on Tinder), but they acted like a real couple.
Jenelle and Nathan welcomed their son, Kaiser, in June 2014, after just months of dating. Nathan proposed, but the engagement fell through. Still, Jenelle credits Nathan for her sobriety.
13 Farrah Abraham: The Father Had A Tragic End And It Fizzled Out With Simon Saran
Farrah Abraham has managed to earn herself a bit of a diva reputation.
"Out of nine moms, you're the only one that's the problem," Teen Mom's producer was reported as saying in 2018 by Too Fab.
Farrah's motherhood journey comes with a touch of sadness, though. At 17 years old, Farrah appeared on 16 and Pregnant. Her ex-boyfriend, Derek Underwood, was the father.
Sadly, Derek passed two months before their daughter, Sophia, was born. Farrah later had a relationship with realtor, Simon Saran, Us magazine reports, but they didn't last.
12 Chelsea Houska & Adam Lind: Didn't Last, Turned Sour, She Slammed Him On Teen Mom 2
Chelsea Housker (now DeBoer) took a while to find happiness. Much like her fellow Teen Mom cast members, that rollercoaster journey came in the form of a string of guys, and not many of them seemed to be Mr. Right.
In 2018, Radar Online reported that Chelsea had "slammed" her ex, Adam Lind, on the Teen Mom 2 Reunion. Chelsea now has sole custody of their daughter, following "fears over 8-year-old Aubree's safety."
Adam doesn't come with the world's best track record. Erratic behavior and the wrong side of sobriety made Chelsea insecure about having him around. Adam is the father of Chelsea's first child. #OverAsACouple
11 Her New Life As Chelsea DeBoer Is Going From Strength To Strength
After all the drama these girls have gone through at such a young age, it's honestly the best #FeelGoodFactor ever to see an Instagram account that shows a happy, solid family. In 2016, Chelsea married Cole DeBoer. Together, they have two kids.
Still a major Teen Mom 2 face, Chelsea is now less about the arguments and more about the wholesome family living. Moving on from Adam Lind, Chelsea met Cole in 2014.
October 2016 marked their wedding. January 2017 marked the birth of their first child together. Another one has since arrived.
10 Leah Messer & Corey Simms: Had Twins, Married In 2011, It Lasted Six Months
Leah Messer and Corey Simms were the 2010 16 and Pregnant couple who met when Leah was 16 (and Corey was 19). Fame 10 has documented this couple's ups and downs (which sums up to nothing short of a book).
Leah and Corey are the only Teen Mom couple to have had multiple kids together. They had twins, but called it quits in 2011 after 6 months.
On the sixth-season special with Dr. Drew, infidelity from both parties was exposed. A custody battle ensued, the whole thing was filmed and Corey is now long out of the picture as a partner.
9 Briana DeJesus Has A New Man (But Devoin Austin Is Still Co-Parenting)
Briana deJesus has a new man, and it's official. In September 2018, the Teen Mom 2 star threw her fans a curveball on Instagram- she wasn't posing alone.
"My sweet love, thank you for shining your light into the darkness that was surrounding me," she posted alongside a pic of herself with her new man. E Online reports that Briana's new guy is Johnny Rodriguez.
"It's nothing crazy and it's relatively new," Briana told Radar Online. "There's no other baby mama craziness to deal with." Devoin Austin, her baby daddy, is still co-parenting with her.
8 Not Forgetting That Relationship With Kailyn Lowry's Ex, Javi Marroquin
A lot of the Teen Mom 2 scenes featuring Briana also feature her former man, Javi Marroquin. People reports that Javi had bought Briana an engagement ring, but it didn't go much further than that.
“I don't know why he wants to propose right now,” Briana said. “We've had a conversation about what we want for our lives, like what we want for the future but it wasn't like I want to get married with you, I want to have your kids right now. We spoke about it like, 'Yeah, maybe one day.' We've only been together for a few months, so it's super fast.”
Her relationship with Javi came with a #Drama, considering that Javi was Kailyn Lowry's ex. Well, it wouldn't be good TV without a little drama now, would it?
7 Mackenzie & Josh McKee: Three Kids, #ChristmasGoals, Actually Appear To Be Making It
Mackenzie Douthit has been Mackenzie McKee for quite some time now. In 2011, the show's cute blonde welcomed her first baby with Josh McKee. In 2013, Hollywood Life reported that they were expecting their second child. Jaxie was born in 2014.
It's Christmas pics like these that just warm our hearts. Here is Mackenzie with her husband and their three kids. Their third baby arrived ahead of schedule in 2016.
Mackenzie has had her troubles. Her mother's cancer battle took its toll on this young mother, but her bodybuilding and fitness career has gone from strength to strength. Admittedly, this is one cute family.
6 Amber Portwood & Gary Shirley: A Long Road For Custody, Ended In 2013
Amber Portwood and Gary Shirley came as one word- trouble. The couple that E Online called "contentious" had the world's biggest "on-off," and it came with the added burden of co-parenting their daughter, Leah. In 2018, Us Magazine reported:
"I feel horrible for the things I've said" - Gary is finally apologizing to his baby momma, Amber.
Amber and Gary were a couple back on 16 and Pregnant. They broke up, they got back together, they got engaged, then broke up again (like, a zillion times). Amber had legal troubles. She also got involved with Matt Baier, Hollywood Gossip reports, and it all ended up a bit #Messy. Amber and Gary called it quits in 2013.
5 Amber & Matt Baier: Lie Detector Tests, She Dumped Him Right Before Their Wedding
If the facial expressions in this pic aren't a giant giveaway, Amber Portwood's relationship with Matt Baier had its dramas.
With Matt, aged 47, and Amber, aged 28, there was a giant age gap. People reports that Amber and Matt had planned a 2017 wedding, but it was called off at the last minute.
Safe to say that everyone moved on here. In November 2017, The Daily Mail reported that Amber's ex, Matt had gotten married. Meanwhile, Amber had confirmed a new pregnancy. This relationship came with lie detector tests and a #NotMeantToBe. Wait, is this Teen Mom or Keeping Up With The Kardashians?
4 With Jeremy Calvert And Corey Simms Behind Her, Leah Spent Mother's Day With The Kids
In 2018, Leah Messer joined her Teen Mom co-star Jenelle Evans for a little #GirlTime. The pics Leah chose to post focused on one thing, though. Her kids.
Leah's love life has more than had its ups and downs. Now a mom of three, Leah's kids form the Simms-Calvert clan that represent three cuties (but a whole lot of heartbreak).
After being treated for "emotional issues," The Hollywood Gossip called Leah "the comeback kid" in 2018. That might have to do with a certain new man, though…
3 But She's Back With Jason Jordan (And He's Nearly 40)
Leah Messer officially has a new man, The Hollywood Gossip reports. Well, a #BackOn status. She's dating Jason Jordan, a 38-year-old dad of one. Since they both come from West Virginia, they've got their roots in common (and more, we'll assume).
In November, 2018, Cafe Mom reported that Leah was back with her (relatively new) man, Jason, after the couple posted a cute family Thanksgiving pic to Instagram.
Their relationship was first made public in July 2018. There was a split, but these two seem happier than ever. The hashtags in Leah's posts are now #love. She absolutely deserves it.
2 Cheyenne Floyd: Just Admitted She "Wants More Kids" With Ex, Cory Wharton
With a first appearance in 2018, Cheyenne Floyd might be a newer Teen Mom face, but she's no newbie to reality TV. The Challenge: Rivals III is where we know this girl from, and her baby daddy is her co-star from the show. Together, they're parents to a daughter, Ryder.
As reported by Inquisitr, when Dr. Drew recently asked Cheyenne if she wants more kids, she nodded.
OK! reports that Cheyenne is possibly set for a reunion with the man who has (up until now) been firmly her #Ex. While the series finale showed a dinner date and Chey admitting feelings for Cory, the magazine reports that he wasn't "ready for anything serious."
1 Amber Portwood Celebrates One Year And A Baby With Andrew Glennon (Let's Hope They Make It)
You know what really warms our hearts? Seeing these former teen mothers go from tears, instability and drama to finally happy and settled. Teen Mom might have chins wagging in terms of glamourizing teenage motherhood, but the show has taught us one thing- the reality of it is a struggle.
Following personal battles, breakups and heartbreak, The Hollywood Gossip reports that Amber Portwood is finally settled with Andrew Glennon. They've been together for over a year. Their baby boy, James, is being raised by loving parents who are together. #Finally, good news.
Admit it- you watch the show (and we don't blame you).
References: The New York Times, The Daily Mail, E Online, Radar Online