Appearing on 'Teen Mom’ Ruined Farrah Abraham's Life

Farrah Abraham was one of the original Teen Mom stars, but no one could’ve predicted the twists her life would take. These days, she barely resembles the person she once was, both physically and in reputation. From her early days on 16 and Pregnant in 2009, where she navigated the heartbreak of losing her daughter’s father in a car accident while pregnant, to her turbulent run on Teen Mom from 2009 to 2012, she quickly became one of MTV’s most controversial reality stars. After brief stints on Couples Therapy and Celebrity Big Brother, she returned to Teen Mom OG in 2015, but her comeback was short-lived. Her volatile treatment of staff and renewed involvement in the adult industry led MTV to cut ties with her in 2017.

But if there’s one thing Farrah brings, it’s drama. So, it wasn’t shocking when MTV producers welcomed her back for a new spin-off Teen Mom: Family Reunion in 2022. While she was just a guest in season one, she returned as a regular cast member in seasons two and three. Over the years, Farrah has made countless controversial choices, often defending herself as a “good person” while doubling down on her bad behavior. But looking back, it’s impossible to ignore MTV’s role in shaping these young reality stars. The fame and fortune of Teen Mom kept many cast members from growing up in a normal way, turning their struggles into entertainment. And no one leaned into the spectacle of it all quite like Farrah, who’s been determined to make a name for herself – by any means necessary.

Farrah’s Trauma Was Exploited for Ratings

Farrah was only 17 when she was thrust into the public eye as a pregnant teenager. That alone made her vulnerable, but losing her daughter’s father, Derek, in a car accident was undoubtedly more traumatic. Instead of being given space to grieve, Teen Mom turned her pain into a storyline – one made even worse by the way her family handled the situation.

Farrah’s parents didn’t want her speaking to Derek before his death, and after he passed, they showed little sympathy. Honestly, they acted as though his passing made things easier by removing complication of having to co-parent.

Even worse, rather than protecting their daughter from media scrutiny, Farrah’s parents welcomed MTV cameras into their home. That set a precedent of prioritizing the show over their own daughter’s emotional well-being, if they ever did.

Farrah never had the chance to process her trauma privately. Instead, she had to jump straight from mourning her high school boyfriend to being a teenage mom, which was all documented on national television, for millions to watch.

MTV Rewarded Drama, Not Growth

Farrah’s tragic backstory made her a compelling figure on Teen Mom, but that also meant the network expected her to keep delivering drama. The more chaos, the more screen time she got. And that translates into a higher pay check, especially in recent years, when Teen Mom salaries depend on how much time the star appears in an episode.

There’s no denying Farrah played the game well. Over the years, she exhibited a cycle of extreme behavior to stay relevant, from her controversial parenting choices to her family’s dysfunction. It’s a pattern we’ve seen with many Teen Mom stars. The franchise has been on air for nearly two decades, and long-term fame hasn’t been nice to everyone. Instead of encouraging the moms to build stable lives, MTV made them financially dependent on their ability to bring the drama drama and generate headlines. For Farrah, that’s meant constantly outdoing herself in controversy, even during times she wasn’t filming with MTV.

Farrah’s Extreme Transformation: The Price of Staying Relevant

One of the biggest ways Farrah has tried to stay relevant is through plastic surgery. She barely resembles the girl who first appeared on 16 and Pregnant, as she’s undergone various procedures to fit in with ever-changing beauty standards. This is a struggle many Teen Mom stars have spoken about, with several saying they regret the cosmetic work they got during their early MTV years. Kailyn Lowry, for example, has admitted she wishes she never altered her body.

But Farrah took it to another level, repeatedly going under the knife despite the risks – and the backlash from fans who say it doesn’t look good. She claims to have had hundreds of thousands of dollars done in procedures. And what show do you think is funding that lifestyle?

And MTV didn’t just stand by. They’ve actively encouraged this culture. The network has aired plastic surgery journeys as storylines on Teen Mom, turning medical procedures into entertainment. For years, the main cast made six-figure salaries, but as ratings have dropped and contracts have been renegotiated, their earnings have become dependent on-screen time. And what makes better reality TV than someone suffering post-surgery complications? Farrah, like so many reality stars before her, has become a product of the system that created her.

MTV Is a Hypocrite for How It Treated Farrah

Farrah’s history of bizarre behavior has kept her name in the headlines, helping her remain financially successful even during breaks from Teen Mom. She’s managed to build a huge online following the keeps brands wanting to work for her – even if it’s for the wrong reasons.

One of her most infamous attempts to advance her career was her 2013 foray into the adult industry. That year, she released a tape with adult film star James Deen. At first, she claimed it was leaked, but later admitted she had orchestrated its release. It seemed like a calculated move, considering she continued creating explicit content even after the backlash.

However, MTV decided this was a step too far. By 2017, after years of controversies, they fired her from Teen Mom, citing a conflict with the show’s image. The hypocrisy is alarming. MTV had no issue airing teenage girls’ sex lives on 16 and Pregnant, and its spin-offs, turning their personal struggles into content. They glorified teen pregnancy, but when one of their stars made legally produced, legally distributed adult content, that’s where they suddenly drew the line.

Farrah, to this day, defends her decision and calls out the network for shaming her. And yet, despite firing her, MTV couldn’t resist bringing her back when it benefited them, reintroducing her on its new spin-off Teen Mom: Family Reunion in 2022, as the entire franchise was dealing with declining ratings.

MTV Enabled Farrah’s Toxic Family

Another one of MTV’s biggest failures was allowing Farrah to remain trapped in a toxic family dynamic. Her parents had a duty to protect her, but instead, they capitalized on her fame, just like the network did. Remember when her mother, Debra Danielson, even attempted to launch a rap career off the back of Teen Mom? Unlike most cast members’ parents, who stayed behind the scenes, Debra and Michael Abraham inserted themselves into the show, fueling the drama, and more importantly, selfishly profiting from it.

MTV did nothing to intervene. Instead of offering Farrah real support, they kept the cameras rolling, even as her family unravelled on-screen. Years later, Farrah has revealed in memoirs and interviews that she suffered physical and emotional abuse from her parents. She also claims they encouraged her to market her adult tape to boost her career.

Today, she’s cut ties with both of them, citing their toxic behavior. But that doesn’t stop her mom and dad from continuing to chase fame by speaking to tabloids about their estranged relationship (and discrediting her accusations).

MTV Is Continuing the Same Cycle with Farrah’s Daughter

Sadly, it seems Farrah is repeating the same mistakes with her own daughter, Sophia. And since she remains involved with the Teen Mom franchise, MTV is playing a role in allowing the cycle to continue.

Farrah has been widely criticized for her parenting choices, from being accused of mistreating her daughter’s pets to pulling Sophia out of school so she can travel with her. Sophia has been exposed to inappropriate adult situations, like Hollywood parties, just like her mom was as a teen during her early MTV days. While Sophia hasn’t undergone plastic surgery yet, Farrah has allowed her to dye her hair and get facial piercings, leading critics to wonder whether she’ll follow in her mother’s footsteps.

The most telling sign of Farrah’s questionable parenting is her recent claim that she feels like an “empty nester” now that Sophia is 16. It echoes a similar claim Farrah made when Sophia was only 4, and she said they were taking a “break” from each other – seriously.

Nowadays, Farrah says she no longer needs to parent her much, mirroring how Farrah’s own parents seemed to check out once MTV made their daughter famous. Farrah no longer speaks to her own parents, and if she continues this detached approach to motherhood, her relationship with Sophia may be headed in the same direction.

Did MTV Ruin Farrah Abraham?

Farrah has done plenty of controversial things in nearly two decades – too many to list. We haven’t even covered her various legal troubles, from arrests over assaults to bizarre public lies (like her false claim that Harvard accepted her into law school).

But MTV has a long history of supporting cast members with criminal pasts. Ryan Edwards is currently getting a redemption arc despite his drug-related arrests, and Amber Portwood has remained on the show despite her history of domestic violence.

If Teen Mom can forgive these infractions, why was Farrah’s adult tape such a dealbreaker?

The truth is, MTV has been at the center of this mess from the start. Farrah is an adult now and responsible for her own actions, but that doesn’t erase the trauma of growing up on reality TV. When she was a teenager, MTV production saw her toxic home life firsthand. They watched her spiral over the years and did nothing to help. The only time they stepped in was when it hurt their image, not hers.

And let’s be real – was Farrah’s time in adult entertainment really worse than Amber Portwood admitting to chasing her baby daddy with a machete on national TV? If anything, Farrah was following a well-established approach. Many reality stars – like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian – used leaked tapes to start their careers in Hollywood. MTV had no problem exploiting Farrah’s family drama for ratings when she was a minor, but when she made an independent choice to profit off her own body, that was where they drew the line.

MTV didn’t just ruin Farrah Abraham – they built her up, only to tear her down. They profited off her downfall for years. And now, as they continue welcoming her back to the franchise, they’re doing the same thing to Sophia. The cycle doesn’t end with Farrah. Unfortunately, it seems like it’s only getting started.