When MTV first introduced audiences to Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra on 16 and Pregnant in 2009, they stood out immediately. Amid a franchise defined by volatile teenage breakups, Catelynn and Tyler were high school sweethearts facing an unimaginably difficult reality. Lacking financial stability and dealing with highly toxic, substance-dependent home environments, they made a choice that would define their lives and capture the hearts of millions: placing their firstborn daughter, Carly, for adoption.

Nearly two decades later, they remain one of reality TV’s longest-lasting couples, turning their teenage struggles into a platform for advocacy, mental health awareness, and the raw, unedited reality of open adoption.

Catelynn & Tyler’s regret

@girlmeetsrealitytv #teenmomog#teenmom#tylerbaltierra#catelynnbaltierra#16andpregnant ♬ original sound – Gigi