All of the mothers who’ve appeared in an episode of 16 and pregnant continued to work with MTV on the teen mother franchise. Jennifer Del Rio, 29, is one such mom. Greater than a decade after her episode aired, Del Rio leads a peaceable life on a Florida farm, the place she runs a goat’s milk cleaning soap enterprise. She lives together with her husband, Luis Gutierrez, and 4 youngsters, and is glad to have her MTV days behind her.
Del Rio’s 16 and pregnant episode aired in 2011. Throughout that explosive hour, cameras caught her altercation with then-fiancé Josh Smith, who was finally arrested. Del Rio welcomed twins, Joshua Devan Jr. and Noah Matthew Smith, on October 11, 2010. The final time Del Rio appeared on TMZ was again in 2012 when she filed for sole custody of their twins.
As we speak, Del Rio lives in Florida, the place she and Gutierrez run Southern Bay Farm. They purchased the property in 2017 after certainly one of his twins requested for a goat for his birthday, Del Rio mentioned The American Solar in March. On the time, the farm was overgrown with weeds and timber. After laying the groundwork, they opened the cleaning soap enterprise in 2018. Del Rio and Gutierrez additionally share a son, Sebastian, 9, and a daughter, Annabella, 5.
Del Rio manufactures the all-natural merchandise itself. She was impressed to make them as a result of certainly one of her sons was recognized with eczema. She spends round $2,000 a month and even opened a retail retailer in a Tampa mall. Her subsequent large venture is to promote her merchandise in an all-women’s retailer this spring.
His life has not been with out challenges. Del Rio was absolutely recognized with lupus in 2022, regardless of having had signs since her teenage years. She almost misplaced her son in her second being pregnant to issues from lupus. Del Rio additionally had a breast most cancers scare.
Whereas Del Rio was on 16 and pregnantMTV has began filming OG teen mother. “My dad and mother have been like, ‘Hey, you already know this may very well be an even bigger alternative for you,'” Del Rio mentioned. The solar. “However I am grateful that did not occur. I believe the universe knew what it was doing.”
Del Rio is “not an enormous fan” of teen mother, though she stayed in touch with some stars for some time. She additionally did not care how Dr. Drew Pinsky tried to make her one other statistic in a gathering. “They did not present it on TV, however he saved saying, ‘You understand you are going to be pregnant in a 12 months due to these stats,'” Del Rio recalled. “I am not that lady…I wasn’t going to be one other quantity.”
After filming her episode, Del Rio moved from Florida to Illinois together with her twins. She earned her GED and attended faculty. She labored as a correctional officer when she returned to Florida earlier than shopping for her farm. His relationship with Smith has additionally improved, and their sons stay in touch with their father.
“I wished full custody as a result of I wished to know my youngsters have been protected with me, not as a result of I wished (Smith) offstage,” Del Rio mentioned. The solar. “The door continues to be open to have a relationship (with the twins), however in the event you screw it up, it is your fault.”