Behind Bars: Which Stars From MTV's 'Teen Mom' Have Been Arrested

Teen pregnancy and legal troubles don't always go hand in hand, but the continued documentation of the subject on MTV has shown that a lot of those involved in teen pregnancy can get into some trouble.

MTV's reality franchise, Teen Mom, has documented dozens of teen parents and their families since debuting in 2010 and while most of the cast members have stayed out of trouble... a lot of them haven't. Let's take a look at all of the Teen Mom cast members that have been arrested over the years. Some of them have even served some pretty hefty jail time.

Adam Lind

Adam first appeared in 2010 alongside ex-girlfriend and Teen Mom 2 star, Chelsea Houska (DeBoer), as they welcomed their daughter Aubree. Ever since then, he has found himself in trouble with the law on multiple occasions. In fact, Adam has one of the largest legal files of any Teen Mom cast member and it's hard to find just how many times he's been in and out of jail.

As of 2022, Adam's legal history includes 50 arrests, restraining orders, and major tickets. He has been arrested for infractions such as not paying child support, DUI's, careless driving, speeding tickets (including going over 105mph), seatbelt violations, driving without a license or insurance, and many other traffic related violations. Most recently in 2023, he was arrested for driving with expired license plates and failure to pay child support.

Adam's history led to him being taken to court several times by his children's mothers and even led to him forcing his way out of his MTV contract in 2017. He even voluntarily terminated his parental rights to his second daughter, Paislee, in 2019.

Zach Davis

Zach is one of the newest additions to the Teen Mom franchise. He connected with Teen Mom OG star, Cheyenne Davis, and the couple has since gotten married and had a son, Ace. We are still learning about Zach, but one thing we do know for sure is his criminal record.

In June 2020, he was arrested for a DUI in Los Angeles and was sentenced to four months in jail with 60 days probation afterwards. He also was ordered to complete an 18-month alcohol education class and counseling. He briefly touched on the most recent season of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter that he felt his criminal past was holding him back from achieving professional success. Hopefully he can put everything behind him and find the success he is looking for.

Christy Smith

Christy is also rather new to the franchise, only appearing after her daughter Jade was brought onto Teen Mom 2 from Young & Pregnant. Unfortunately, she has a rather extensive past with addiction. Most recently in 2019, Christy and her husband Michael were arrested for felony drug possession of methamphetamine. This came after a drug-fueled brawl with Jade's now husband, Sean Austin, which led to Jade kicking everyone out of her home.

Christy has since entered a rehab program for substance abuse and has been back in and out of jail for previous charges. She even almost missed Jade and Sean's wedding due to being in jail. Here's to hoping she can stay on the right path!

Kailyn Lowry

Despite a history of showing violent tendencies while MTV cameras were rolling, Teen Mom 2 star Kailyn Lowry always stayed out of real trouble with the law. That was until she was arrested in September 2020 for battery.

According to her ex-boyfriend, Chris Lopez, the couple got into a physical altercation over their child's hairstyle. Lopez claimed she struck him several times with a closed fist in the head and torso because she didn't want the child's hair cut. Kailyn never formally addressed the allegations or her arrest, but the charges were later dropped.

Gary Shirley

Probably one of the least offending arrests belongs to Teen Mom star, Gary Shirley. As was documented on the very early seasons of Teen Mom OG, Gary was arrested in 2011 for driving with a suspended license. He was later released on a $3,000 bond, got his license renewed, and has never been arrested again.

Courtland Rogers

Courtland is technically the first husband of Teen Mom 2 star, Jenelle Evans, and their marriage only lasted from 2012 to 2014. They were both arrested for heroin possession and assault in 2013, and Evans filed for divorce shortly after. Since their split, Courtland has had a lot of run-ins with the law. In 2020, he was arrested on drug and larceny charges in North Carolina and was sentenced to prison. In 2021, he was arrested for unauthorize tobacco usage. Most recently in 2022, he was arrested on domestic violence charges for allegedly strangling his estranged wife, Lindsey.

Gary Head

Former US Marine, Gary Head, was another brief moment in Jenelle Evans' history, as he proposed to her in 2012 just 5 months after meeting. The engagement was called off after just two weeks when Gary allegedly cheated on Jenelle. As we saw documented on Teen Mom 2, the couple got into a physical altercation in her North Carolina home after the breakup and both were arrested for domestic assault. Jenelle accused him of assault, but he refused to return the favor and press charges on her to avoid jeopardizing his military career. In the end, Gary pled guilty to assault and moved on from he and Jenelle's relationship.

Kieffer Delp

Another ex-boyfriend of Jenelle Evans, Kieffer is one of the more memorable pieces of the Teen Mom 2 puzzle. I know we all remember Jenelle's mom famously saying "I don't care about Kieffer!" While he's since remained out of the spotlight since leaving the show, Kieffer has often found himself in jail. While on the show, the couple was arrested for breaking and entering and drug possession. After he and Jenelle split, news broke that he was arrested once again for manufacturing methamphetamine - to which he pled guilty. He also been arrested for retail theft, drug possession, and intent to distribute controlled substances.

According to the internet, Kieffer was last seen around the streets of Pennsylvania and was known to take pictures with fans for some extra cash. Kieffer was always a smooth talker, but was a likeable guy. It's sad to see that addiction still has its hold on him.

Nathan Griffith

Nathan is another one of Jenelle's exes that can't seem to get out of his own way. He shares a child, Kaiser, with Jenelle and while on Teen Mom 2, the former US Marine was arrested for domestic assault which led to the couple's split. Since then, Nathan has been arrested for driving with a suspended license, DUI's, giving false information to police, resisting arrest, stalking, and domestic battery. In 2023, he was arrested for allegedly strangling his sister and strangling his ex-girlfriend - in separate offenses.

David Eason

Jenelle's most recent ex-husband has made quite a splash since getting together with the star. After making his first appearance on Teen Mom 2 in 2016, suspicions immediately grew about David from Jenelle's mother, Barb. Unfortunately, the history that Jenelle chose to ignore played a factor in the trouble the couple got into in later years. And this is all glossing over the incident that aired on MTV where she claimed he broke her collarbone, but later changed her story.

David was initially fired from MTV after making anti-LGBTQ+ commentary on social media in 2018 - also after pictures of him with confederate flags surfaced. Jenelle was fired as well in 2019 after David shot their family dog with the children present. But this wasn't the first time David was in hot water. Before meeting Jenelle, he was charged with breaking and entering and larceny in 2012. That same year, he was charged for trying to obtain property under false pretenses, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia. In 2012, 2013, and 2014 he was charged with reckless driving and a DUI. In 2014, he was charged for failure to appear in court. In 2020, David was charged for assault with a deadly weapon and threats against Jenelle's friend, James Spivey - alleging that David hit him in the neck with a gun and threatened to kill him. In 2021, he was arrested for driving with an open container and driving with a revoked license.

The final straw for Jenelle was when David was arrested in October 2023 for an incident involving her son, Jace. After the teen attempted to runaway for a third time, David allegedly assaulted Jace in front of another house - with a Ring camera. David was charged with misdemeanor child abuse of a child under the age of 16. In January 2024, he was hit with an additional felony charge of assault by strangulation. The case was delayed due to David not being able to obtain a lawyer. As of August 2024, he was begging the state of North Carolina for a public defender after revealing he is now unable to pay the lawyer obtained by his now estranged wife, Jenelle. She filed for sole custody of the couple's daughter, Ensley, and it was granted in August 2024 after David failed to appear in court for the custody hearing.

Jenelle sure knows how to pick them...

Jenelle Evans

Along with her exes, Jenelle also has a pretty lengthy criminal past. Initially starting when she was charged with breaking and entering and drug possession in 2010, the Teen Mom 2 star has a total of 15 arrests under her belt.

In 2011, she was arrested on a warrant after being involved in a fight. She violated her probation in that case after testing positive for drug use and was arrested once again in 2012 for assaulting her former roommate. She was hit with a domestic protection order and was arrested a week later for violating the protection order. As we talked about with her ex-boyfriend Gary, she was arrested for domestic abuse when the couple got into a fight. In 2013, she was arrested for heroin possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, and simple assault. After being arrested for fighting her ex-boyfriend Nathan, she was arrested again for driving with a suspended license and for assaulting one of Nathan's new girlfriends - an ordeal that was documented on Teen Mom 2.

Debra Danielson

Farrah Abraham's mother, Debra, has always been a rather controversial figure in the Teen Mom franchise. Between her "in the clouds" demeanor and obvious disdain towards her daughter, a lot of MTV viewers weren't surprised when Debra was arrested in 2010 for assault.

As was seen on Teen Mom, Debra was arrested for physically assaulting Farrah during an argument. She was accused of causing multiple cuts to Farrah's face, as well as grabbing her by the throat. It wasn't the first time MTV viewers saw physical violence between the mother and daughter as their original 16 & Pregnant episode showed Debra hitting Farrah in a car. Debra struck a plea deal to avoid jail and was sentenced to complete community service.

Farrah Abraham

Along with her mother, Farrah has also seen herself in handcuffs. In 2018, the Teen Mom star was arrested following an altercation at the Beverley Hills Hotel in California. She was charged with battery and resisting arrest. To avoid jailtime, Farrah struck a plea deal for two years of probation and community service. She was also ordered to complete anger management classes as part of the plea.

In 2022, Farrah was once again arrested for allegedly slapping a security guard in Los Angeles. She was once again charged with battery and was ultimately sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation and community service.

Devoin Austin

Devoin first made an appearance on 16 & Pregnant when he and his ex-girlfriend, Briana DeJesus, welcomed their daughter Nova. He has since appeared on Teen Mom but has always seemed to struggle to provide financial stability for both himself and his daughter. Amidst this struggle, he is no stranger to some trouble that has come along the way.

In 2017, he was arrested for drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested again on those same charges for failure to appear in court. Since then, it seems as though Devoin has managed to stay out of trouble with the law, but has continued with personal struggles. On social media, he has ranted about how hard it is to make a living working in restaurants and stated he'd rather "sell illegal drugs than scam people out of money." In 2022, he announced that he'd been struggling with a gambling addiction and had lost "significant" amounts of money in casinos. This even led to him being in danger of getting evicted from his Florida apartment.

In the latest season finale of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, Devoin made the tough decision to leave his daughter behind in Florida and move to Michigan for a job opportunity. Hopefully the move works out for him and he is able to get the stability he has worked for.

Bariki "Bar" Lockett Smith

Since first appearing on Young & Pregnant along with soon to be ex-wife, Ashley Jones, Bar has unfortunately built quite the extensive and dangerous criminal record.

First starting in 2015, the California native was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, obstructing a police officer, and trespass. He pled guilty to the trespass charges and seemed to stay out of trouble until late-2017 where he was arrested for battery and disorderly conduct. On separate occasions in 2018, Bar was arrested for battery domestic violence and two counts of driving under the influence. He pled guilty to one DUI count and was sentenced to three years of probation.

Trouble continued in 2020 when he was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, vehicle theft, inflicting injury on a spouse, and willful cruelty to a child - three of those being felony charges. That same year, he was arrested again on two counts of driving under the influence with a suspended license and sentenced to three more years of probation. He would violate his probation in 2021 and was arrested again for willful discharge of a firearm. After he and Ashley separated and she moved to Nevada, Bar was (once again) arrested on an outstanding warrants for the firearms charge and his DUI, as well as being placed on a fugitive hold in Nevada for the State of California. In 2023, he was arrested for malicious destruction of property and domestic battery, where he was later found guilty for destruction of property.

In August 2024, as we saw documented on the latest season of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, Bar was arrested for second degree kidnapping, coercion and harassment constituting domestic violence, contempt of court, and residential burglary. The details of the encounter are quite terrifying as it was reported Bar broke into Ashley's apartment and waited for her overnight to return. When she came home, he took her electronics and car keys and was demanding she take him to her new boyfriend. When she refused, he barricaded himself inside her apartment forcing her mother, Tea Chapple, to call the police. After his arrest, a temporary restraining order was granted and Ashley officially filed for divorce.

Ryan Edwards

Ryan debuted on MTV in the very first episode of 16 & Pregnant with his ex-fiancé, Maci McKinney (Bookout), and things have only gone downhill for him since the couple welcomed their son Bentley. Ryan went down the spiral of substance abuse and has sadly been arrested several times. His addiction even cost him and his parents, Jen and Larry, their jobs on MTV for a brief time.

In 2017, Ryan was first arrested in Tennessee for heroin possession and drug paraphernalia. That same year, Ryan and his soon to be ex-wife, Mackenzie, shocked Teen Mom audiences when he nearly fell asleep behind the wheel of a car while driving to their wedding. After the episode was filmed, Ryan made a statement and announced he'd checked himself into a treatment center. Sadly, he was arrested in March 2018 for violating his probation. That same month, Maci and her husband Taylor filed for an order of protection against Ryan, claiming that he'd made several threats against them. According to court documents and Teen Mom OG footage, Taylor stated that Ryan threatened to "show up at my house and put a bullet in my head." The couple and their two children, Jayde and Maverick, were granted a two-year protection order from Ryan.

In July 2018, Ryan was arrested once again for violating his probation. He struck a deal to complete 6 months probation and random drug testing. The next month, Ryan was arrested for a probation violation after he was pulled over for speeding. In October 2018, he checked into rehab again and just three months later, Ryan was arrested for heroin possession and theft. Ryan remained in county jail until April 2019 and seemed to fly under the radar until February 2023. He was arrested for violating an order of protection that Mackenzie had been granted. He was found with drug paraphernalia and two bags of narcotics and was subsequently charged with harassment, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested again in March 2023 for stalking and violating the protection order (yet again). After being found unconscious behind the wheel of his truck in April 2023, he was arrested for possession of a controlled substance.

After being held in county jail without bond, Ryan pled guilty to the harassment charges and was sentenced to just shy of 12 months in jail. After his release, he and his new girlfriend, Amanda, were faced with a custody battle and harassment accusations from Mackenzie. In June 2024, a motion was made by Ryan asking for 50/50 custody of the couple's two children, Stella and Jagger, but Mackenzie was granted sole custody after Ryan failed to appear for the court date. Only time will tell with Ryan, as he just can't seem to get out from under that rock he put himself under.

Amber Portwood

While other cast members have been arrested, charged, jailed, etc. with consequences from the network, Amber has remained rather unscathed. What makes it so wild is while others have offended while cameras were put away, Amber has done it with the cameras rolling - including literally trying to kill one of her exes.

Starting back in September 2010, Amber was arrested for domestic battery while being under investigation by Indiana Child Protective Services. This arrest came after several calls were made to the agency and local police after the airing of Teen Mom episodes that showed Amber being physically violent against her ex-fiancé, Gary Shirley. In December 2011, Amber was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance. This arrest led to her violating her parole for the domestic violence charges.

As part of her probation, Amber was ordered to complete random drug testing as well as a drug treatment program - both of which she failed to comply with. After dropping out of the rehab facility and failing multiple drug tests, Amber was sentenced to five years in federal prison in 2012. She was released just 18-months later after for "good behavior" and completing her GED.

Amber continued her pattern of violence with MTV cameras rolling and continued to try and gaslight fans about it, but it all came to a brutal stop in July 2019 when she was arrested once again for domestic violence. This time Amber swallowed an entire bottle of clonazepam and tried to attack her ex-boyfriend, Andrew Glennon, with a machete. What makes matters worse is that Andrew was holding their young son at the time of the attack, subsequently being forced to hide in a closet. The attack was caught on audio and video via in-home Ring cameras. After being hit with a restraining order, Portwood pled guilty to charges of domestic battery, criminal recklessness committed with a deadly weapon, and domestic battery committed in the presence of a child under 16-years old. She officially lost custody of their son in 2022 and was ordered to complete 906 days of probation and attend 26-weeks of parenting classes. Glennon was granted sole custody and has since moved back to California with their child.

She found herself in yet another situation in June 2024 when her latest ex-boyfriend, Gary Wayt, went missing while the couple was vacationing in North Carolina. No charges were ever filed and no one seems to really know what exactly happened, but it sounds like Gary had a realization after a "heated argument" and ran away as fast as he could - leaving his cell phone behind.

Darl "Butch" Baltierra

One of the more famous "jailbirds" in Teen Mom history is Tyler Baltierra's father, Butch. Now also known by his real name, Darl, the Michigan native was first introduced in 16 & Pregnant as the drug-addicted father of Tyler Baltierra. Tyler's continued appearance as a cast member, along with his wife Catelynn, made it very well known over the years that his dad's history of incarceration and drug use had profound impacts on him. This includes being a main reason Tyler was adamant about giving the couple's first child, Carly, up for adoption.

Butch has been to jail more times than we honestly could count, so it's just easier to say he's been to jail many, many times.

What is the craziest 'Teen Mom' cast member you can think of? Let us know in the comments!