If you ever turned to MTV during the early 2000s, chances are you saw at least one episode of Teen Mom. It ran from 2009 until 2021 and followed 16 and Pregnant stars Catelynn Baltierra (formerly Lowell), Maci Bookout, Farrah Abraham and Amber Portwood as they dealt with raising kids while also trying to become adults themselves. Most recently, there was even another spinoff, Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, which is currently in the middle of its second season.
While watching the spin-off, TV fans quickly noticed that since Teen Mom aired, the kids not only grew up but are now the age their mothers were when they gave birth to them back in 2009. Below, we look back at the original four cast members of Teen Mom and find out what the moms and kids have been up to over the past 16 years,. Scroll on for more.
Catelynn Baltierra and her daughter Carley
Catelynn first appeared on Teen Mom under her maiden name, Catelynn Lowell, way back in 2009 with her daughter Carley, who was born in 2009. Throughout her time on the show, Catelynn was hardly seen with Carley because the young mother and now husband, Tyler Baltierra, decided to put her up for adoption.
This decision has since caused a lot of drama because Carley’s adoptive parents—Brandon and Teresa Davis—reportedly won’t let Catelynn or Tyler have any contact with her.
“Before communication was cut, I was told Carly was asking her parents, ‘Why can’t we get together more? Why can’t we get together with them for the holidays? They would fly here to come see me,’” Catelynn wrote in an Instagram story in February 2025, per US Weekly. “So, in my heart, I don’t feel it’s her wanting this.”
This entire saga has been a focal point for season 2 of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter and fans are eagerly waiting to see what comes next.
Catelynn and Tyler got married in 2015 and have since welcomed two more kids together, both of whom are often seen on the reality stars’ Instagram.
Maci Bookout and her son Bentley
Bookout was born on August 10, 1991, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She first appeared in 16 and Pregnant in 2009, and following that, she went on to star in Teen Mom OG and Teen Mom: The Next Chapter alongside her son Bentley Cadence Edwards, who was born in October 2008.
“Bentley, he’s the oldest Teen Mom Kid. He was born on TV, so it’s kind of normal for him,” Bookout told People magazine of her son and his instant rise to fame. “As he’s gotten older, obviously sharing things that are personal to him has always been under the same set of boundaries.”
Bookout did get married in 2016 to Taylor McKinney and has since welcomed two more kids named Jayde and Maverick McKinney.
“At this point, [Bentley’s] really a huge help. He likes to feed her and help change her and bathe her,” Bookout said in 2016 after giving birth to Jayde. “He’s wonderful. [His help] has been really nice and made the transition into parenting two children much easier. It’s awesome to see him so involved and, really, in love with her.”
Farrah Abraham and her daughter Sophia
Farrah captured viewers’ hearts in Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant because of her tragic backstory. While pregnant with her daughter Sophia Abraham, Farrah’s boyfriend Derek Underwood died in a car accident.
Farrah kept on going, though, and has since become a single mom and comedian.
“This is a full circle year,” Farrah wrote on Instagram for Sophia’s 16th birthday. I remember being this age & well, it ended up on @paramountplus @mtv @teenmom. Look at us now. Shows all teens [and] teen parents God is so good in my life [and] my child’s & we can recover and overcome all obstacles -—Teens, I believe in you as I believed in myself when no adults did. You’re amazing young adults, nothing or no one can hold you back & unexpected things happen, but there is God’s Will & a way. In spite of all the negativity [and] set backs, this single surviving mom did it, & SO CAN YOU.”
Farrah is not in Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, but she often posts life updates on her Instagram.
Amber Portwood and her daughter Leah Shirley
The last original star of Teen Mom OG was none other than Portwood, who gave birth to her daughter Leah Shirley in November 2008. Just like her other cast members, Portwood went through quite a lot during her time on the show, including a pretty serious substance abuse problem and was even arrested for assault back in 2019 after she reportedly held a machete to her then-boyfriend Andrew Glennon’s neck after consuming a lot of pills and threatening to end her own life.
At the time of this occurrence, Glennon and Portwood had a one-year-old son named James together, and Portwood lost custody of Leah because she abused her ex, Gary Shirley, on camera. Gary’s current wife, Kristina, is currently in the process of adopting Leah.
Portwood was arrested and charged after both instances. She did appear on Teen Mom: The Next Chapter for a little while, but has since left.
“Not only am I not being let go, I quit three days ago,” Portwood said in a TikTok live a few days ago after people began speculating why she was leaving. “I told Larry, the producer, I quit. My mental health was one of the things I said other than the yelling and crying from being so damn hurt from stuff.”
She is 33 and not married.
