Twelve years after appearing on 16 and Pregnant, Karley Deatherage is speaking out about some of the most-problematic parts about filming the MTV reality show, including the producers’ and crew members’ unwillingness to step in to help the pregnant teens featured on the show, even when things crossed the line and became dangerous.
Karley— who gave birth to twins Amariah and Amayah during the fifth season of “16 and Pregnant”—recently took to TikTok to answer fans’ questions about the show. Karley also addressed the producers’ unwillingness to assist the girls, even when they clearly needed help, choosing instead to let the scene play out without interference from the adults in the room.
The topic of reality TV crew members and producers being unwilling to step in when things started getting out of hand has been covered extensively in recent weeks, especially after Netflix released Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model. In that documentary, several girls who starred on ‘America’s Next Top Model’ came forward to criticize those behind the cameras for not helping cast members, including one whose sexual assault was filmed for the show.
According to Karley, the producers and crew members for “16 and Pregnant” had a similar stand-offish attitude when it came to their cast members.
“Did the filming or production crew of ’16 and Pregnant’ ever step in and help me? No,” Karly said. “They were not allowed to interfere when I was carrying two car seats, and they were not allowed to interfere when my daughters’ dad was getting aggressive and violent.”
Karley stated that a recent conversation she had about the situation made her realize that it was weird that the adults filming the show never put down their cameras to help her, despite the fact that she was a literal child. (Karley gave birth to her twins at the age of 17.)
“I don’t mean helping with parenting. They definitely didn’t need to be stepping in when I was changing diapers or even crying through the night,” Karley said. “Any of the normal f**king s**t of having babies…
“But it is a little strange that they never intervened when it got to a certain point,” she said.
Karley acknowledged that the crew was just doing their jobs.
“This s**t sells but we were children!” she said.
While she admitted that she “subjected” herself to the situation by signing up for “16 and Pregnant,” her mindset has changed a bit since becoming an adult.
“I may be placating myself. [The production and film crew] were very hands-off,” she said.
Karley was not the only “16 and Pregnant” girl who found herself in a dangerous situation during filming. Several girls— including Allie Mendoza and Jennifer Del Rio of Season 3, to name a few— were involved in scenes that escalated to almost becoming physical violent.
“I do think there could have been some intervening when it comes to how close you see some of the f**king girls get to being f**king assaulted in these episodes,” Karley said. “But, yeah, no, they stayed behind the camera.”
In another recent TikTok, Karley talked about how the producers would purposely make her have conversations with her then-boyfriend Tony Shipley about things that they knew would set him off.
“In my episode, and I’m sure this is not just an isolated case specific to me, it was very clear [to the producers] that I was not receiving great treatment from my daughters’ dad, so I would be forced to have these conversations with him that I knew would anger him,” she said. “And I remember having so much anxiety in the moment doing so because I knew I was the one who was going to have to deal with it later.
“So the least favorite part [of being on the show] was poking the f**king bear for the sake of good drama.”
Karley and Tony got married right before filming their episode but split soon after in 2014. Their daughters are now 12 years old.
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(Photos: MTV; TikTok)
19 Responses
Didn’t she end up in a car with him at the end and he was driving recklessly with her and their newborn twins on the highway and then when she asked him to slow down, he left her, the twins in their carseats, on the side of the highway? Am I remembering this incorrectly? It was for me the darkest episode of the series.
That was Jennifer, she had twin boys & when she told her baby daddy to slow down she got out of the car but he sped off with the twins still in the car. Then she called the police on him for kidnapping but he came back before they showed up. He ended up getting arrested for driving off & for picking her up & moving her away from the car when she was trying to get the twins out, he picked her up by the stomach when she had a fresh csection scar
There’s only one time I’ve ever thought “oh my God, how are they just recording this” and that was Kylen and Jason on Unexpected. I felt guilty watching that level of psychological abuse. Still have no idea how they put that on tv, my heart broke for that poor child.
Should they step in if somebody (especially a minor) is being physically assaulted? Absolutely. But the verbal arguments are what they’re there to film, that’s the drama. Also, you don’t have to talk about the stuff producers ask you to. You choose to do it so they don’t stop filming you. She should really be calling out her parents for allowing her to film and not being the ones to protect her.
If anybody has a right to bring this type of stuff up, it’s Gary. He was physically assaulted multiple times on camera and MTV never tried to stop Amber or call the cops.
Gary was also 21 with a 17 yo girlfriend who had recently birthed his child. If he was in prison where he belonged, he never would have been assaulted on television.
Why are they blaming production? They were children. WHERE WERE THEIR OWN PARENTS?????? ya know, the adults responsible for them!
Remember tho, it wasn’t just girls that “got assaulted”. When Amber was beating tf outta Gary no one did shit. The neighbors were the only ones that tried to do something (by calling the police on Ambien)
I have heard it all now…… Did you need adults with you when you had sex? NO….. You signed up for it and got paid, so don’t blame the people that were filming… They had no dog in that fight so why would they intervene? Nobody is going to feel sorry for you because you had 2 babies and 2 car seats.. Like are you kidding me right now. I don’t care how old you are,,, they didn’t sign up to jump in and help any of the girls. Did they threaten you if you didn’t strike up a conversation? NO….. Girl go take care of the babies that you had, because nobody else if going to help you. Like I am shocked after reading the story. All I could do is LMAO.
It would probably help if you actually watched the TikTok made, as the “paraphrasing” in this is actually comical and not a great representation of how I actually discussed the topic 🙂
Ew, yeah we’re not giving your maga ass views girl 😂 no one cares about your story either lames
I swore to myself I wasn’t going to entertain these comments anymore but girl I must make it so known I am so so so SOOOOO liberal, I promise 😭 call me literally anything in the book just don’t mistake me for a republican PLS lol
Well you certainly are a disgusting individual. No wonder you voted for Cheeto pedo
I am not sure what she thought was going to happen when signing up for reality TV while in an abusive relationship. She thought the producers of a reality show were going to make her shitty relationship seem better than it was?
Nope, not at all haha. The “paraphrasing” in this article in regard to the TikTok I made, is not done well haha. I placed way less blame than what is depicted
This is like blaming profession athletes for your kid’s poor decisions. The MTV producers are simply doing their jobs. While they should be reporting serious, illegal activities (domestic abuse) they are not therapists. Karley sounds like she might be a bit jealous of not making the show after 16 and Pregnant.
This was a strange comment, Stan. She showed no jealousy whatsoever, you’re reaching and you’re weird and you definitely have no empathy for the struggling, these were kids! hi mtv!
Agree. She obviously watched the show prior, knew they pick dramatic stories and knew they didn’t step in- anyone whos ever seen the Rhine wedding episode knows that! She contacted MTV, she signed herself up. Her episode was boring af and now she’s trying to grab onto revelance- Oh, I mean FUCKING relevance since she says it like 8 times in her quote. Ok gorl
She was trying so hard to be Leah with those double A ridiculous names…
Not helping the girls while they were being verbally or physically assaulted is so wrong but insisting they provoke the people who were assaulting them to get more drama is beyond messed up. They were young girls overwhelmed and they took advantage of that