Reality television star Kailyn Lowry has shared new insights into her decision to leave the hit MTV series Teen Mom 2 in 2022. In a recent interview on the Just Trish podcast with Trisha Paytas, Lowry, 32, explained that her unexpected pregnancy with her fifth child, Rio, played a significant role in her choice to step away from the show.
This marked the end of an era for the long-time cast member, who had been a fixture on the series since her teenage years. The pressures of her growing family, new relationship, and professional opportunities outside of reality television ultimately led Lowry to leave Teen Mom 2 after more than a decade in the spotlight.
Pregnancy With Fifth Child Was the Turning Point
Lowry, who is now a mother of seven, explained that her pregnancy with baby Rio—her fifth son—was a major factor in her decision to leave the series. The 23-month-old Rio, along with Lowry’s 11-month-old twins Verse and Valley, are shared with her fiancé Elijah Scott. Lowry is also a mother to four older children: Isaac Rivera, 14, with ex Jo Rivera; Lincoln Marshall Marroquin, 10, with ex-husband Javi Marroquin; and Lux Lowry, 7, and Creed Lopez, 4, with ex Chris Lopez.
Reflecting on the moment she realized she was pregnant with Rio, Lowry revealed that the pregnancy came at a time when she was still getting to know Scott, and the unexpected nature of the situation made her rethink her role on the show.
“Yeah, I left in 2022 when I got pregnant with my fifth son,” Lowry said on the Oct. 17 episode of the podcast. “Because I was like, ‘I can’t, we’re not doing this.’”
She explained that the pregnancy had not been planned and occurred early in her relationship with Scott.
“We did not plan to get pregnant,” she admitted. “It was the first time I slept with him. And we had just developed a relationship. So, I was like, ‘This is just a lot for one person.’”
Balancing Personal Life and Professional Ventures
Lowry’s unexpected pregnancy was only one of many factors contributing to her departure from Teen Mom 2. The reality star also pointed to her growing professional responsibilities outside of the show, including her highly successful podcast, Coffee Convos.
“There was a lot of reasons,” she continued. “Elijah had not been on TV. My podcast became super successful. I was making more money on the podcast than I was on Teen Mom.”
Lowry has long been open about the challenges of balancing her personal and professional lives. In addition to her duties as a mother of seven, she has built a thriving career in podcasting, and her entrepreneurial ventures have proven to be both fulfilling and lucrative. The decision to leave reality television, she explained, was largely due to the fact that her other projects were offering her a more rewarding—and less stressful—path forward.
Emotional Toll of Teen Mom 2 Took Its Toll
While the financial benefits of her podcast were certainly a factor, Lowry also noted that the emotional toll of participating in Teen Mom 2 had become too much to bear. Over the years, the reality star became increasingly frustrated with the direction of the show, particularly its focus on her relationships with her children’s fathers.
“I couldn’t justify the stress I was going through for Teen Mom,” Lowry said. “I felt like I would give them this laundry list of things that I wanted to film, but they only wanted to talk about the relationships that I had with my kids’ dads. That’s old and tired, right? I have other drama, I can give you drama, I’ll do whatever you want, but let’s talk about it.”
Lowry’s struggles with her ex-partners, including Jo Rivera, Javi Marroquin, and Chris Lopez, were often central storylines on Teen Mom 2. However, she expressed a desire to move past these narratives and showcase other aspects of her life on the show. Despite her attempts to steer the storyline in different directions, she felt pigeonholed into revisiting the same issues season after season.
Shifting Focus: Kailyn’s New Ventures
Though her time on Teen Mom 2 has come to an end, Lowry is far from done with television. During her interview with Paytas, she hinted that she may soon return to the small screen in a new capacity. While she remains under contract elsewhere, she is hopeful that her next project will offer a fresh start and allow her to showcase different aspects of her life.
“Yeah, hopefully, if someone buys it,” she said, teasing her potential return. “Somebody buy my show.”
Lowry did not provide specific details about her upcoming venture but indicated that she is excited about the possibility of returning to TV in a format that better aligns with her current life and interests. Her success as a podcast host and author, combined with her experience on reality television, has given her the tools to create and lead new projects.
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