'16 and Pregnant' Star Shelby Was Shocked to Learn Her Ex Had Another Baby During Her Pregnancy (Exclusive)
When 16 and Pregnant's Shelby first learned she was pregnant, the young mother, then 17, wasn't [...]
When 16 and Pregnant's Shelby first learned she was pregnant, the young mother, then 17, wasn't "completely surprised" — but she was in for a wild ride when it came to her ex. Speaking to PopCulture.com ahead of Tuesday's all-new season of the hit MTV show, Shelby revealed that even though she was using the birth control patch while she was hooking up with her ex, she knew there was always a risk of pregnancy dangling overhead.
Going to her mom, Angie, and her ex's mom first to break the news, Shelby said she got a disappointing reaction when she actually told her ex he was going to be a dad. "I don't know if he didn't believe me or didn't want to believe me," she said of his response to the big news. "I was definitely expecting more support than that." Shelby and the father of her child have a "history" together, first dating a couple of years back, but she had no desire or intention of getting back with her ex when she learned she was pregnant.
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"We had a decent relationship in the beginning," she explained, calling her ex "not a bad kid" but a person who has "made some bad choices." Adding to the complication of her pregnancy was learning that the father of her child had a 6-month-old baby with another girl. Shelby heard whispers of the other baby during her own pregnancy, but told PopCulture, "I didn't want to believe it. ... I just didn't know what to think."
One of Shelby's closest friends is her ex's sister, and while she said it isn't "weird" for the two to continue their friendship throughout the drama, the young mom joked that upon hearing her baby news, "She's probably like, 'Oh my God, another one.'" Shelby is also close to her ex's mom, who offered when she was briefly considering adoption to adopt their child and raise her in the family.
"I really didn't like that idea," Shelby said, but "appreciated the idea of her stepping forward like that." It wasn't long before Shelby decided to keep her daughter, and in December 2020, baby Alaya Lerae was born. "[Motherhood] has been really nice, but there's obviously been a lot of changes and adjustments," the 18-year-old said, adding as an example, "I'm a person who likes a lot of 'me' time, and it doesn't exist anymore."
While Alaya stays with her mostly during the night, the little girl also gets in plenty of time with her father's family, spending time at her ex's house, especially when Shelby is at work. Don't miss more of Shelby's journey on 16 and Pregnant, kicking off a brand new season Tuesday, March 16 at 9 p.m. ET on MTV.
Disclosure: PopCulture is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.