Leah Messer, a former cast member of Teen Mom 2, recently spoke out about her experiences on the show in an interview with Teen Vogue. Messer believes that MTV executives should have stopped filming once her drug addiction became evident on air. She expressed her desire for the cameras to be turned off during those moments and for an intervention to take place instead of using her struggles for TV drama.
Messer has been open about her past struggles over the years. In her memoir, Hope, Grace & Faith, she shared that a “botched” spinal tap in 2013 during her C-section with her daughter Addie led to her pain and unfortunate path of addiction. In a podcast in 2020, Messer even admitted to trying heroin at one point.
On Teen Mom 2, viewers witnessed Messer nodding off while holding her newborn niece, as well as a disturbing phone call with her daughter’s nurse where she mentioned “dye in the baby’s head” while under the influence of drugs.
According to the Teen Vogue profile, there was never a time when the camera crew stopped filming an obviously high Messer struggling to take care of her children. However, producers did intervene in 2015 and helped Messer seek professional help. Messer expressed gratitude for the assistance she received but also believes that action could have been taken without being captured on camera.
Despite her criticisms, Messer credited MTV with turning her life around in 2020, stating that without them, her children wouldn’t have a mom. Messer is the mother of twin daughters Aliannah and Aleeah, 13, with ex-husband Corey Simms, and daughter Adalynn, 10, with ex-husband Jeremy Calvert.
Currently facing financial concerns, Messer’s decision to speak to Teen Vogue and generate media attention may be a response to her circumstances. In a statement to Teen Vogue, an unnamed producer of Teen Mom 2 mentioned that the show follows the principles of documentary filmmaking and documents rather than intervenes.
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