Living a normal life after appearing on reality TV is something many former stars struggle with. One alum from MTV’s 16 & Pregnant is facing serious prison time after being charged with 7 felonies, including murder. Keep reading for all the details.
16 & Pregnant Star Charged With Murder
Before there was Teen Mom, MTV spotlighted teen pregnancies in 16 & Pregnant. Both shows were immensely popular with viewers. But one star from the original series never returned for any of the spinoffs.
Whitney Purvis gave birth to her first child, Weston Jr., on 16 & Pregnant. She had a second child with Weston Goza in 2014. She lost custody of both children amid a legal battle. The former teen mother went on to have a third child in 2023. The father’s identity is unknown.
Tragically, Whitney Purvis suffered a devastating loss in June 2025 when her oldest son, 16, passed away unexpectedly. His official cause of death was natural causes after lifelong medical issues. A month later, Whitney Purvis was arrested on murder charges.
The 16 & Pregnant star allegedly supplied a friend with drugs that caused a toxic overdose. She faces decades in prison if convicted. According to PEOPLE magazine, she was charged with “alleged distribution of a controlled substance and alleged use of a communication device to commit a felony involving controlled substances.” The reality star was also charged with felony involuntary manslaughter in Floyd County, Georgia.
Authorities claim that Whitney Purvis gave her friend, John Mark Harris, 37, a mix of fentanyl and xylazine, a vet tranquilizer called Tranq. Her friend passed away in February from a toxic overdose caused by the drugs.
Latest Case Update
The wheels of justice move slowly. Whitney Purvis was in jail for about ten days before she bonded out. Now, nearly a year later, she finally returned to court. According to Ashley’s Reality Roundup, the reality star was back in court last month after being appointed a public defender. Whitney Purvis pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Furthermore, her attorney requested a copy of the witness list, search warrant, and other evidence in the case. The lawyer asked for permission to do independent testing on any physical evidence used against Whitney Purvis. She’s due back in court on April 1.
16 & Pregnant viewers took to Reddit back when Whitney Purvis was first charged with involuntary manslaughter with reactions to the shocking news. Surprisingly, many were sympathetic to the former reality star.
- “Wow she’s had a rough year. I don’t think I would cope well with the loss of one of my children”
- “I’m looking at her eyes in her mugshot and I see absolutely no life behind them. Just emptiness.”
- “Some time behind bars, a good half way house, after that outpatient treatment and meetings might save her life and bring more peace to those around her.”
- “The way she turned out is so sad.”
- “She’s had it reaaaalllly bad lately”
Before her arrest, Whitney Purvis was reportedly in talks to star in a Netflix docuseries about the MTV teen mother franchise. However, it’s unclear if the streamer is still working on the project or if its been scrapped. Stay tuned for more on the ongoing court case.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger