Television
Bennett Raglin/Getty Images
ByAlex Ceneviva/
The following article mentions substance abuse and domestic violence.
Kailyn Lowry has had a long run on reality TV ever since she was added to MTV's popular "Teen Mom" franchise. The Pennsylvania native made her debut on the network's reality show "16 & Pregnant" back in 2010 when she was expecting her first child with her high school boyfriend, Jo Rivera. From there, Lowry joined the cast of "Teen Mom 2" where her journey as a parent, along with her three other pregnancies, romantic relationships, and multiple feuds with co-stars have been documented ever since.
Despite the drama that came with doing reality TV — and Lowry dealt with a lot of drama — the mom of four has been able to use her fame to become a social media personality and launch three podcasts, "Coffee Convos," "Baby Mama No Drama," and "Barely Famous." She also became a New York Times bestselling author with four books under her belt.
While that's impressive for anyone, Lowry in particular has had to overcome a lot of challenges in her life since her childhood. Yet, Lowry is using those past hardships to learn and grow from. She dished on E!'s "Daily Pop,""I'm just so open about the things that I do and the mistakes that I've made that I feel good about using my mistakes as an open line of communication with my kids." With that said, Lowry appears to be in a good place but how did she get there after what she's been through? We're breaking down the transformation of Kailyn Lowry from childhood to age 30.
Kailyn Lowry had a traumatic childhood
It's safe to say that Kailyn Lowry had a rough childhood, growing up with a mother who struggled with alcoholism and being abandoned by her father. The "Teen Mom 2" star explained about how that made her feel in her book "Hustle & Heart," writing, "It sure as hell seemed like my own parents couldn't muster up any love to send my way." She emphasized how her mother's addiction especially hurt her, writing, "The best of my mom's love went into the bottles she drowned herself in."
The reality star also recalled traumatic moments from her past, like when her mother once showed up to her elementary school drunk and the times she was left with questionable babysitters.Lowry shared in her first book, "Pride Over Pity," "She would disappear for days without warning, I'd wonder if I would ever see her again." When appearing on "Marriage Boot Camp," Lowry detailed one heartbreaking incident in particular: "I was like, maybe six and the cops came for my mom ... I didn't know why she was being taken from me."
If that's not traumatic enough, Lowry alleged on an episode of the "Coffee Convos"podcast (via The U.S. Sun) that her estranged father apparently once kidnapped her to raise her in Texas. Even so, she did seemingly gives her parents the benefit of the doubt. "I don't think my mother or my father knew what they were getting themselves into when they were having me," Lowry said.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Kailyn Lowry appeared on 16 & Pregnant
When Kailyn Lowry was 17 years old, she got pregnant and ended up on the second season of the MTV reality show "16 & Pregnant." "I was going through exactly the same things these girls were going through and I knew it was an important show that could help girls like me,"she recalled in her book "Pride Over Pity."
Once on the show, Lowry revealed that she had only been dating her high school boyfriend, Jo Rivera, for nine months before she found out she was expecting. She then moved in with his family, with her mother even signing over custody to his parents since she was living in a hotel with a boyfriend. Lowry later shared in her book, "I was so preoccupied with the move and dealing with being pregnant that I barely gave the idea a second thought until the day the MTV crew showed up." Lowry had initially hoped to inspire other teens but felt she wasn't portrayed well, especially in her emotional state. It apparently hurt her relationship too, with Lowry writing, "Jo quickly became annoyed with the cameras and we fought more and more as my due date neared."
Lowry dished on the "ShrinkChicks" podcast that she wishes she had more guidance before signing the contract for "16 & Pregnant." She recalled, "I'm signing my entire life away: my name, my likeness, everything about me for $5,000 before taxes."
Kailyn Lowry joined Teen Mom 2
worldswildlifewonders/Shutterstock
By age 18, Kaitlyn Lowry was not only a first-time mother to baby Isaac, but a full-fledged TV star. She decided to continue doing reality on the MTV show "Teen Mom 2." While balancing reality TV with being a teenage mother may sound like a tricky task, you could say it turned out to be one of the most stable things in Lowry's life. What wasn't stable though, was her relationship with Isaac's father, Jo Rivera. The drama was of course caught on camera with Lowry even recalling in her book, "A Letter of Love" (viaShowbiz CheatSheet), "We started a cycle of breaking up and getting back together within the first year. If that's not a red flag ... then I don't know what is."
Lowry's relationship with Rivera eventually ended early on in her "Teen Mom 2" days, with her later writing, "You simply outgrow some people."Her custody battle with him, however, went on to last for several seasons. Rivera looked back on those times on the "Baby Mama No Drama" podcast in 2020, dishing, "I was young, I was naive, I didn't know my rights."
Lowry also had another boyfriend in her late teens, her co-worker, Jordan Wenner. While that relationship got her kicked out of Rivera's house, it didn't last long. Lowry recalled in her book "Pride Over Pity," "Jordan had become so caught up in the attention that the show had brought him."
Kailyn Lowry married Javi Marroquin
Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images
At age 20, Kailyn Lowry married Javi Marroquin. Lowry first met Javi in early 2011, but initially rejected him, according toHollywood Life. She later dished on Twitter, "When i met javi he lied to me and told me he didn't know who i was." Of course, Lowry eventually changed her mind because Marroquin moved in with her and proposed after only a few months of dating. The twosome then secretly married at a courthouse in September 2012, before Lowry and her son, Isaac, relocated to Delaware.
Marroquin and Lowry did have problems though, and their tumultuous fights were often captured on "Teen Mom 2." Yet the couple decided to get married again for the MTV cameras in 2013, while Lowry was pregnant with their son, Lincoln. Getting into why they decided to film their big day, she wrote in "Pride Over Pity," "Our ups and downs have been televised for everyone to witness. Now, we wanted to have the opportunity to share in a positive day of love and happiness."
Another wedding and a new baby didn't resolve their issues, and by 2015 things seemed to have only gotten worse. Lowry even revealed on the Season 7 "Teen Mom 2" reunion that Marroquin had blamed her for having a miscarriage. She said on the show, perIn Touch, "He was not helpful, not sympathetic."
Kailyn Lowry got divorced at age 24
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
In 2016, Kailyn Lowry made the decision to divorce her husband, Javi Marroquin, while he was deployed in the Middle East. At the time, she told Daily Mail, "We're trying to do the best we can for our kids because they are what really matters." According to In Touch, Lowry later admitted that her feelings for her classmate, Chris Lopez, contributed to their split. She even oncetweeted, "Damn I really ended up with the one I told him not to worry about."Marroquin accused Lowry of cheating too, telling Radar, "I found out a lot of things while I was overseas that was a deal breaker."
The drama didn't end there though, with the former couple continuing to fight on "Teen Mom 2" and on social media. Things apparently got so bad that Lowry took out a protective order against Marroquin, which was later dropped. They somehow agreed to appear on another reality show, "Marriage Boot Camp" in 2017 but had different intentions for doing so. Lowry explained to Us Weekly, "I thought we were going in, literally, to make coparenting work. And still when I was there and I learned that Javi wanted to make our relationship work."
Marroquin and Lowry were eventually able to become friends and even sparked rumors that they were back together in 2021. Her rep denied the claims, telling E! News, "They are both heavily involved in [Lincoln's] football activities, and this has resulted in them spending more time together."
Kailyn Lowry had another baby at 25
Kailyn Lowry became a mother again at age 25 when she welcomed her third son, Lux, with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Chris Lopez. Unlike Lowry's past relationships, she kept their romance under wraps at first by waiting months to reveal him as the father. The two still couldn't make it work though, with a source telling Radar, "Kail became a relationship of convenience for him." Since they split before Lowry gave birth, she took to her blog to explain (via Radar), "This was the choice I made...I know this isn't an ideal situation but I know everything will be okay."
Another less than ideal situation was the timing of Lowry's pregnancy, which was soon after she underwent major cosmetic surgery. Her plastic surgeon even joked onTikTok, "When you give her a full body makeover but then she gets pregnant." According to In Touch, the podcast host had gotten lip injections, neck liposuction, a tummy tuck, and a Brazilian butt lift.
Lowry later explained in her book "Hustle & Heart," "My decision to get plastic surgery came down to one simple thing: I'm human." She added, "I knew that being satisfied with my outer appearance would give me the confidence I needed to face the world head on." However, it seems by that next year, Lowry was reconsidering that since she tweeted, "I came to Miami for lipo & a boob job. But hours before my surgery i decided i don't want to go through with it."
At 26, Kailyn Lowry branched out from TV
Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images
By age 26, Kailyn Lowry made it clear that she was more than just a reality TV star. In 2018, she launched her podcast "Coffee Convos" with former "Chrisley Knows Best" star Lindsie Chrisley. As their podcastdescriptionbreaks down, this seemingly random pairing has more in common than you might think:"These two reality stars ... have become close through their shared experiences as mothers, reality stars, and women."
Lowry seemed to enjoy hosting too because she started another podcast called "Baby Mama No Drama" with her ex Jo Rivera's wife, Vee Rivera, soon after. That show was based on how they had managed to go from enemies to co-parents to even friends. Yet that apparently had its hiccups, particularly in 2021. Lowry had dished then, per In Touch, "Things have transpired in the past week or so, and so, I think I'm going to continue the podcast by myself," adding "Baby Mama all drama right now." The two were eventually able to work out their issues though, with Vee explaining, "It just goes to show it's always up and down, a work in progress always."
That year Lowry also released her fourth book, "A Letter of Love." The "Teen Mom 2" star was already a New York Times Bestseller at that point, having released "Hustle & Heart" and "Pride Over Pity," as well as the children's book "Love is Bubblegum."
Her relationship with Chris Lopez turned volatile
It appears that 2019 was exceptionally hard for Kailyn Lowry in that she allegedly went through a terrifying ordeal involving her on-again, off-again boyfriend Chris Lopez. The former "16 & Pregnant" star revealed on the "Teen Mom 2" reunion in 2022, per The U.S. Sun, "Chris almost killed me in October 2019 by domestic violence." Regarding why she'd waited until then to open up about it, she said, "I just haven't figured out the right time or way to tell my whole story." She also shared she felt hypocritical since she had gotten physical with her ex-husband, Javi Marroquin, in 2012.
Lopez denied the accusations, saying, "She's making it seem like I literally beat her... I never beat her." He did admit that he had threatened her but was sure to add, "It's been abuse on both sides," per Heavy. Regardless, In Touch reported that Lowry was granted a protection from abuse against Lopez at the time, but he was arrested just months later in January 2020 for violating it.
Lowry and Lopez's relationship had been toxic before that incident. In 2018's"A Letter of Love" (via Radar), she said Lopez disrespected her in front of her children and regularly crossed the line.She wrote,"I've had my bedroom window broken while the baby was asleep with me in the room. My back door had been broken while all of my kids were at home."
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Kailyn Lowry had her fourth son in 2020
Kailyn Lowry welcomed her fourth son, Creed, in July 2020. While she was still pregnant, the "Teen Mom 2" star toldUs Weeklythat while ChrisLopez was the father, they were not together and had zero contact. She went on to state, "[He] has admitted to intentionally getting me pregnant." Yet, once again Lowry wasn't going to let her drama impact her children. "I know that the situation is not ideal," she said. "I'm prepared to raise another baby on my own and we are all so excited to welcome him into our family."
Yet, Lopez wasn't the only thing making Lowry's pregnancy difficult, considering she was also giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic. She shared some of those challenges with her Instagram followers (viaThe U.S. Sun), writing,"Because of the stay home order & social distancing, I am not allowed to have anyone with me at appointments." Yet she managed, later tellingE! News, "I can check giving birth during a pandemic off my bucket list now."
What presumedly made 2020 worse for Lowry though, was that she also got arrestedfor allegedly punching Lopez. (Per The U.S. Sun, she denied hitting him and the charges were eventually dropped.) With all those hardships, it makes sense that Lowry was happy to see that year end. That New Year's, she wrote on her Instagram Stories (viaThe U.S. Sun),"I missed damn near every shot I took in 2020...but we are gonna try again in 2021 – no expectations."
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
At 29, she sued Briana DeJesus for defamation
Age 29 wasn't exactly a walk in the park for Kailyn Lowry since that's when she entered into an expensive legal battle with her "Teen Mom 2" cast-mate, Briana DeJesus. According to Us Weekly, she sued DeJesus in June 2021 for defamation after DeJesus had publicly claimed Chris Lopez told her Lowry had assaulted him and broke into his home. DeJesus apparently didn't take being sued well, at one point sending Lowry a treadmill, writing on her Instagram Stories, "I know u are fantastic at RUNNING YOUR MOUTH SO I THOUGHT UR FEET WOULD RUN JUST AS FAST!"
Lowry and DeJesus had been at odds since 2017 when DeJesus began dating Lowry's ex-husband, Javi Marroquin. The two have taken digs at each other for years on social media, andgot into a huge fight during one of the reunions. And although Lowry's lawsuit was eventually dismissed by a judge in 2022, the drama didn't end there. DeJesus took to her Instagram Stories (via Us Weekly) to celebrate, posting, "Alexa, play 'b***ch better have my money!'" with a screenshot of a clown suit and mirror.
As for Lowry, she wrote on her own Instagram, "I stand by my truth and the information spread about me is still not true." She went on to state on an episode of "The Viall Files" podcast, "It was a waste of $200,000, but you live and you learn," before adding, "I actually don't regret it because I stood up for myself."
Kailyn Lowry quit Teen Mom 2 at age 30
Kailyn Lowry made a huge life change at age 30 by deciding to leave "Teen Mom 2" after 11 years on the show. She made the announcement on its Season 11 reunion, saying,per Us Weekly, "I think I need to do my own thing. I think this needs to be my farewell," adding, "I think that we should part ways." While many fans were shocked, Lowry had been vocal about her problems with the show before, specifically its producers whom she felt treated her differently than the other moms. She explained on an episode, "They're hounding me to talk about my baby dads." She continued, "I don't want to give you the stuff that I'm doing when I'm not respected in the same way as them."
Lowry later divulged her reasons for leaving "Teen Mom 2," telling E! News, "I want to focus on my self-growth and my kids and I didn't feel like the show aligned with the goals that I have anymore." She was also considering her future with her new boyfriend, whom she's kept very private. However, she did go on to add, "I joked to the producers that if you guys want to give me my own show, I would be willing to tell all about my new relationship."
With a career change and a new romance, it appears Lowry's 30s will bring new adventures for the former teen mom. And with reality TV in her rearview mirror, hopefully it will bring a lot less drama too.
