‘Teen Mom 2’: Leah Messer Opens up About ‘Pressure’ Going Public With Boyfriend Jaylan Mobley (Exclusive)

Leah Messer is ready to share her love for boyfriend Jaylan Mobley with the world. Ahead of Tuesday’s Teen Mom 2 Season 11 premiere, the MTV star opened up to PopCulture.com about the “pressure” of going public with her relationship and her “boundaries” getting back into the dating world this season.

Meeting Mobley at a concert with friends, Messer said she immediately was drawn to how “fun” he was and everything they had in common. But despite Mobley being a “natural” on camera, the reality star took her time when it came to sharing her relationship with the public. “It definitely took me a little while before I wanted to introduce him to the public and be open,” she admitted. “I think being in the public puts a lot of pressure on our relationship.”

“I just wanted to get to know him at first, but it took me a little while to put it out there,” she continued. “But now that he’s out there, it’s still going great.” Making the transition to the spotlight with their romance, Messer said “communication and listening to each other” have turned out to be one of their biggest strengths. 

Getting back out into the dating pool, Messer said she wasn’t nervous at all, but she also wasn’t ready to settle for anything less than exactly what she deserved. “When I went into the dating scene this time, I was like, I know what I want, and I think you’ll see that at the beginning of the season I had boundaries,” she told PopCulture. “I know [Mobley] had boundaries as well, and if it didn’t align, it didn’t work out, then it just didn’t and I was okay with that, but it has.”

Dating as a single mom to 12-year-old twins Aleeah Grace and Aliannah Hope and 8-year-old daughter Adalynn Faith did give Messer pause. “I’m a mom and I just felt like, I don’t know, I don’t want to bring just anyone around my kids,” she explained. “So I wanted to get to know [Mobley] for a little while before I even [did] that.”

Now that he has met the girls, Messer said she’s simply enjoying where she and Mobley are at in their relationship now without thinking too far ahead into the future. “I want whatever that’s meant to happen, to happen and I just want to enjoy the moment with me, him [and] my kids,” she said. “We’re really happy.” Teen Mom 2 returns Tuesday, March 8 at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.