Meet Tonight’s ’16 & Pregnant’ Girl: Cleondra Carter

(Photo: Facebook)

Tonight on 16 & Pregnant we will meet Cleondra Carter. She’s 17 and from the South (shocking…almost every girl on this show is Southern). Technically, she’s from Horn Lake, Mississippi, which is just about as Southern as you can get.

Here’s a little background on Cleondra. She is the daughter of a country fried woman named Dixie (ya’ll will love her, trust me).

Cleondra was a dancer in high school until she quit the team out of protest when her coach got fired.  Then she got pregnant and gave birth to baby Kylee in late 2010.

Baby-daddy Mario (Photo: Facebook)

Cleondra’s baby-daddy is Mario Escovedo. They’re still together and have been for over three years. He actually has a job and a high school diploma, which is much more than I can say for a lot of the other dads on Teen Mom and 16 & Pregnant. He seems to be a together guy who’s a good dad to Kylee.

As a couple, Cleondra and Mario seem relatively stable. They are the first 16 & Pregnant couple in weeks that has never been arrested for assault! (Click here to see Danielle’s baby-daddy’s record, and here for Jaime’s.)

There is one thing though, Mario did seem to have a run-in with the law back in March of 2010. He was allegedly picked up for transferring and distributing marijuana. 

Honestly, it’s not really a big deal, especially when you compare it to the other 16 & Pregnant dads’ records. A little wacky tobaccy isn’t a major problem.

Anyway, Cleondra is a standout of this season for me because she not only takes care of her daughter and goes to school but she also works full-time! She seems to be very ambitious and hard-working, and should be commended for that! I hope the blogs and tabloids don’t tear her down after her episode airs, she seems to be a nice girl who’s working hard to do well in life!

22 Comments

  1. most of these girl are Southern because we have no abortion clinics–e.g. in Mississippi there is only ONE planned parenthood (in Jackson, hours away from Horn Lake). Having lived in DC for 12 years, i know that girls up there simply go and have abortions–esp those who are wealthy. It also doesn’t help that we still teach abstinence down here, which clearly isn’t working.


  2. Sorry, Horn Lake is next to Olive Branch. NEITHER are “across the river” from Memphis. ARKANSAS is across the river from Memphis.


    1. @DogFather — you are totally right- duh. You’d think I would have caught this considering I’ve spent time in Memphis and Horn Lake! Hahah My mistake! -The Ashley


  3. I caught the first minute of this episode, where Cleondra says that she lives in Olive Branch, Mississippi, which is “just across the RIVER from Memphis.”

    With a sense of direction like that, why am I not surprised she got knocked up?


  4. one more thing, the show probably focuses on southern pregnancies because the executive producer “Morgan Freeman” is from Clarksdale, Mississippi and still resides in mississippi so that could be a contributing factor?


  5. Mario is a real down to earth cool guy, the show made him look like an asshole but anyone who knows him knows he isn’t. p.s. there are alot of mario escovedos’ around that area probably isn’t him with the record


  6. I will back The Ashley up and say that I didnt think that she was talking sh!t about the South at all. The Ashley COULD have been saying that MTV seems to gravitate to pregnant teens in the South for these shows.

    Additionally, please note that Mississippi HAS lead the nation in teenage pregnancies FOR YEARS. The small town I am from (not far from Horn Lake) lead the nation a few years back.

    In all, you were wrong for coming on here ranting with the vile, disrespectful language that you did.


  7. So you wanna talk shit about the South? Saying were the problem with teenage pregnancies, huh? Your an ignorant ass bitch. “Hornlake is the most southern it gets”, not even close bitch. Go back to school before you try to act like some smartass bitch because you just look stupid as fuck. Go to hell and kiss my ass on your way down you stupid bitch.


    1. Thanks for your comments. Normally I wouldn’t even respond, but I just wanted to clear up one thing you said– The Ashley does NOT hate the South, it’s actually just the opposite. In fact, my car’s license plate holder says “I’d Rather Be Walking in Memphis”– no joke. I love the South and visit frequently. I do not think that the South is the problem with teenage pregnancy. I think that teenagers are the problem with teenage pregnancy. No one person, region or geographic location can be soley attributed to the problem, so I would have never said that. Thanks for visiting and don’t forget to tell your friends! 🙂 -The Ashley


  8. I’m watching her episode now and I am very happy that they are all doing well cleondra you have done a great job and I congratulate you.! Kylee is beautiful:)


  9. awe! thank ya’ll! ya’ll are so sweet. && the media && people have been harsh, but they’ll never get me down. im too strong for a little petty words. 😀


    1. i really like you cleondra im 19 and pregnant & for you too be younger then me you inspire me alot i promise you do but i wish you & kylee the best of luck love your #1 fan onecia <3


  10. She has also basically raised her niece!! She also continued school after the baby was born which doesnt always seem to happen!


  11. you forgot to say that she also has already practically raised her 2 year old niece!!! i think she is amazing

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