15 Things You Didn't Know About The Cast Of Teen Mom OG
MTV's 16 and Pregnant debuted way back in 2009, bringing viewers into the lives of a group of teenage moms (and moms to be). The show became so popular that it birthed a few spin-off series, Teen Mom, Teen Mom 2, and Teen Mom 3, featuring a ton of colorful characters. There are countless MTV shows that last a season or two before being cut, but for some reason, people love to get an inside look at the lives of young moms. The first of the spin-offs has been re-named Teen Mom OG ever since the fifth season - yes, that's right, five seasons and still going strong. The teen moms have now become 20-something young moms, but viewers continue to tune in to see everything that the cast are getting up to - Farrah Abraham, Catelynn Baltierra, Maci McKinney and Amber Portwood.
Of course, the show isn't just about regular moms living regular lives - that isn't exactly the kind of show MTV was looking for. They banked on teenage hormones causing some major drama, and that's exactly what they got - the cast have gone through everything from cheating to drug addiction to prison sentences. Some of the cast remain relatively unknown, apart from fans of the show, while others have made a name for themselves - although not always for the right reasons.
Here are 15 things you may not have known about the cast of Teen Mom OG - although the way the show has been going, you may very well be watching these ladies well into their 30s.
15 Catelynn is a heavy smoker
MTV tries not to depict reality television show contestants smoking on camera very much. Sure, every now and then a clip will make its way onto a show, but it's not something they want to encourage given how many people hold an anti-smoking point of view. And in the Teen Mom franchise, it's usually Jenelle Evans who gets caught smoking, if anyone. What you may not have known is that Catelynn and her now hubby Tyler Baltierra are both smokers. Catelynn was responsible and gave up all smoking when she was pregnant with her second child, Novalee, but she's since admitted to smoking pot at least twice a day, and smoking cigarettes on the regular. Compared to some of the other cast members, her vices seem almost tame, but still - not exactly a good habit to have. At least she managed to kick the habit while pregnant, we'll give her that.
14 Amber was offered a 'naughty' movie deal too
Ah, who could forget Farrah Abraham's ridiculous claims that a private tape showing a private moment between her and adult entertainment star James Deen was released against her consent, before the world found out that it was just her way of launching an adult tape. Well, it turns out that Farrah wasn't the only star approached by the adult industry to show her stuff on camera. Apparently Vivid Entertainment, the company behind Farrah's tape, also approached fellow cast member Amber Portwood and offered a cool half a million dollars for starring in a movie. Unlike Farrah, who seems to do anything to get on camera, Amber turned the deal down. There is, after all, a difference between letting your life be filmed and broadcast on a reality television show, and letting the world see all of you in graphic detail. The adult industry isn't for everyone, and it's good Amber was willing to turn away the money.
13 Amber's substance use started at just 9
By now, everyone has heard of Amber's drug habit. I mean, the woman was in prison after getting the choice to either do jail time or do time in rehab. However, you may be surprised to know just how young she first got involved with drugs. Amber confessed in an interview with Dr. Phil that she was just 9 years old when she had her first experience with drugs. Now, obviously she didn't get hooked immediately, or her life would have spiralled far more quickly than it did - but it introduced that element into her world at a really, really young age. Thankfully, her time in prison seems to have helped Amber clean up and she seems to be doing much better lately. Still - we can only imagine the strict attitude she'll probably take her child and drugs, given what an impact they've had on her life to this point.
12 Maci has a degree in media technology
While some of the cast members on the show have been happy exploiting their fifteen minutes of fame in any way possible and trying to transform their reality television stardom into a career in the entertainment industry, Maci has taken a different approach. Fans of the show saw her trying to pursue her degree, attending classes while trying to balance raising her child. It was a lot of hard work, and it took her a bit longer than most because of all she was balancing, but eventually she got there, graduating from Chattanooga State Community College with a degree in Media Technology. She and her partner also took a business course, in an attempt to educate themselves before taking on an entrepreneurial venture. We've got to hand it to Maci - she definitely thinks things through a lot more than many other reality show participants do once they get a taste of fame.
11 Catelynn met her hubby in the seventh grade
Every teen mom has a different story when it comes to their pregnancy and relationships - some have incredible tumultuous, drama-packed relationships, others are tragic, and others are, well, kind of normal. Catelynn definitely falls into the latter camp. Sure, she and hubby Tyler have had their arguments over the seasons, but they're a pretty happy couple - and they've been together for a really long time, relative to their young age. The duo met when they were in the seventh grade, with Tyler sharing the charming detail that he was first drawn to her because she was more blessed in the chest than any other girl in their class. Though the attraction may have been physical at first, obviously there's a deeper connection there, because the two have been together ever since, and after giving their first baby up for adoption, are now the proud parents of a baby girl.
10 Catelynn is pro-life
A lot of celebrities - even reality television stars - tend to shy away from taking a public stance on controversial issues. Sure, there are a few crusaders who are super passionate about their preferred causes, but many opt to stay fairly neutral in order to appeal to more fans. Catelynn, however, isn't afraid to speak out about what she believes in - even though her life decisions make it pretty clear already. Catelynn has been fairly vocal about the fact that she is pro-life, which may not come as a surprise given her first pregnancy. With her first child, Carly, Catelynn quickly realized she wasn't ready to raise a child at that point - but her decision was to carry Carly to full term and put her up for adoption rather than taking other measures. While Catelynn's pro-life stance has definitely ruffled some feathers in her fan base, some of whom are pro-choice, she's unapologetic about her belief in this case.
9 Catelynn wants to have four kids
A teen pregnancy is definitely not easy, and you would think that having that kind of experience would make you wary of having more children. However, for many of the cast on the show, baby number one is just the beginning of things. While some seem content to just have their one child, some like Maci have added more children to the mix, and Catelynn in particular has been clear about wanting a bigger family someday. In an interview, she said that she's trying to convince Tyler to expand their little family to a family of six, but he draws the line at three children. So far they aren't even at that point yet, but it'll be interesting to see if he actually get snipped once the Baltierra family is a family of five, or whether he decides to bow to Catelynn's wishes and add a fourth child into the mix.
8 Farrah made it onto the New York Times Bestseller list
Many celebrities' books make it onto the prized New York Times Bestseller list not because they're high quality or amazing books, but simply because the public is curious and wants to learn more about their lives. Farrah Abraham is the perfect example. No one would think she'd pen a literary masterpiece, but her book, My Teenage Dream Ended, did well on the list simply because everyone wanted to learn more about the reality television star. The book was published in 2012, and Abraham has certainly had her fair share of drama since then, so we're definitely anticipating a follow-up memoir covering everything that's happened in her adulthood, including her foray into adult film. Or, Perhaps titled My Hollywood Dream Ended? We'll just have to wait and see - we know she probably has no qualms about spilling all the dirty details, so it's likely just a matter of someone giving her a lucrative enough offer.
7 Farrah has had way more 'augmentations' than you might think
If you look at pictures of Farrah Abraham when she made her debut on MTV in comparison to now, she looks like two entirely different people. That's because Farrah has used some of her reality television money (and, let's be honest, some of her impressive adult film paycheck) to bankroll several trips to the plastic surgeon's office. Now, everyone knows about her breast implants - in fact, she's undergone three breast augmentations over the years trying to get her curves exactly right. And, everyone will guess that she had lip injections, based on the photo of her with the terrible reaction to them. However, she's also had cheek fillers, a nose job, and goodness knows what else. Unfortunately, there are many other celebrities who fall down the plastic surgery rabbit hole and go way overboard, so we're just hoping that Farrah realizes soon that she's fine as she is, and doesn't need to keep going under the knife.
6 Farrah went on the show Couples Therapy - when she was single
It's not uncommon for some reality television stars to appear on multiple shows. There are some individuals who go on a particular reality show because they're a fan or because they want to have the once in a lifetime experience, but there are many others who are just looking to get famous - so they're willing to go on any show that will have them. Farrah Abraham definitely falls into the latter camp, and her appearance on Couples Therapy proves it. The show has featured celebrity couples like Hulk Hogan and his wife Linda, as well as the controversial Doug Hutchison and his wife Courtney Stodden. As the title suggests, it generally features celebrity couples who have some kind of issues to work through. However, in 2014, Farrah Abraham was on the show - even though she was single at the time. She twisted the premise a little bit, appearing with her mother rather than a partner, and was actually the only person in the show's entire history to appear without her partner. If she ever starts up a relationship with a celebrity or fellow reality television star, we don't even want to know how many shows she'll somehow manage to get on!
5 Maci has her own clothing line
We've got to hand it to Maci - while some of the other MTV reality stars have tried to use their reality television fame to get, well, more fame, she's been quietly trying to build a life for herself and her little family. Sure, she's on camera all the time as a cast member, but she's not pursuing red carpet dreams. Instead, she's branching out into entrepreneurial ventures. Maci and her partner Tyler bought a clothing line, Things That Matter, and have been working hard to make it successful. And, this isn't the case of a celebrity clothing line where the celeb just gives their name and image to the company and then has little to do with the line they're supposedly creating. Maci is involved in everything from working on the company's website to physically shipping out orders. She does have a media technology degree and some business courses under her belt, so who knows - maybe she'll be able to transform the brand into a huge success.
4 Maci is a huge football fan
Maci was born and raised in Tennessee, and as many know, football is practically a way of life in the south. Maci has shown a passion for other athletic endeavours before - as many know, she's a huge motocross fan and even met many of her partners that way - but did you know that she's a big football fan as well? She's frequently spotted rocking Tennessee Vols orange and cheering on her home state team. Given how many other cast members' passions seem to fall in the camps of drug use and scandal and things like that, we kind of have to admire Maci's relatively squeaky clean extra-curricular activities. Who knows - maybe someday she'll be able to transform her reality television fame and her love of football into some type of career, if that's the path she wants to take. Or, maybe she'll just be cheering Bentley on from the sidelines one day.
3 Maci has a collection of Converse sneakers
While some of her fellow cast members prefer to rock skintight dresses and sky high heels, Maci has always had a more casual style. After all, she's not trying to make it in Hollywood - she's just trying to raise her little family in the south. While she can definitely get dressed up for a special occasion and look super glam, her daily wardrobe is far more casual - and includes many pairs of Converse sneakers. Maci shared some shots of her Converse collection on social media, and we kind of dig her obsession with the classic shoes. Given that she's likely always running around after her tots, it makes way more sense to rock something like that instead of an uncomfortable high heel. Plus, it definitely goes with her brand - her clothing line Things That Matter features a lot of relaxed tanks and casual gear like that which would pair perfectly with a pair of Converse sneakers.
2 Amber was addicted to getting it on
Everyone knows about Amber's highly public drug addiction - the woman went to jail, after all - but it appears that's not the only addiction she's struggled with over the years. Apparently, as her drug use spiralled, she also discovered she had a sex addiction. As she stated in an interview, “I used to get into fights with boyfriends over how much sex I wanted. If they weren't in the mood or they were too tired, I would go off.” All the pills she was ingesting probably didn't help her mood or her outbursts, but still - at least it's something she recognizes and can take steps towards working on. Many people struggling with addictions often have other issues that accompany them, so hopefully the time spent in jail cleaning up and clearing her head did her some good. She seems to be in a better relationship now than her highly tumultuous one with Gary, so perhaps that's a step in the right direction.
1 Farrah wrote a trilogy of erotic novels
We're totally serious. Apparently, Farrah has really fallen into the camp who believes that sex sells, and wants to try her hand at every corner of the XXX market. She's put her name on the infamous 'leaked' adult film, and has even created some adult toys, but did you know that she's also got a trilogy of erotic novels? Fittingly, they're a veiled look at her own leaked tape experience, a series called Celebrity Sex Tape. She's not about to become the next star of erotic fiction, let's just say, but because of the name splashed across the cover, there are probably many people who will pick up the books out of curiosity to see just what she's created. Honestly - what corner of the adult industry hasn't she ventured into? We're waiting to see what she does next because it seems like her ventures never stop.