'Teen Mom 2' Star Bar Smith's Mom Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

Outside of the co-parenting drama fans are used to seeing on Teen Mom 2, ever so often viewers are left emotionally impacted by the cast and their loved ones. During the May 3 episode of the hit MTV reality series, Ashley Jones and Bar Smith received heartbreaking news: Smith's mother had been diagnosed with cancer. The young father and husband learned that doctors found "a bunch of malignant stuff" on his mother's spine, according to her, who viewers know as Shen. "It's a tumor and they can't stop it," she explained, as Bar began to break down in tears. But despite the diagnosis, she refused to be sad. She even joked that she's excited about getting "free" massage therapy sessions because of her condition. More than anything, she begged Bar not to worry because he has Ashley and their daughter Holly to consider and care for.

Shen's relationship with Bar has always been a close one, but the same cannot be said for her daughter-in-law. She's made regular appearances on the show since Jones was featured on Young and Pregnant, with their relationship being a rocky one. Their feud came to an all-time high after she and Jones got into a physical altercation when Jones opted not to invite Shen to Smith's 21st birthday party. 

Shen also alleged that she was sending gifts to Holly that were getting returned by mail in December 2020. Since then, their road to reconciliation has been a rollercoaster ride. But now, Shen is happy to put the past behind them.

Since the episode aired, Shen has provided an update to fans via a video on Instagram. More than anything, she says she is "so enjoying the little things," noting she saw a beautiful dove that same morning. Fans have been sending their love to Shen online.