MTV The "Teen Mom" star faced criticism for placing her first daughter for adoption.
“Teen Mom” star Catelynn Lowell Baltierra had something to say when fans criticized her for being pro-choice. Lowell and her husband, Tyler Baltierra, placed their first child, 13-year-old Carly, for adoption when they were 17. People were curious why she was defending women’s rights considering she chose adoption instead of abortion.
Roe v. Wade was overturned on June 24, 2022, eliminating the federal constitutional right for women to have an abortion. Lowell has been an outspoken proponent of women’s rights ever since.
“People are wild. Coming at me with “Then why did you choose life for your firstborn.” Ummmm let’s see.. because I had a CHOICE Duh!! That’s why!” she wrote via Instagram stories on November 7. “Crazy right? That’s the point though. My girls and every girl deserves the right to have a choice.”
Lowell added gifs that said “My life, my body, my choice, my right, not yours” and “The opinion of the court has no place in our bodies.”
Fans on Reddit celebrated Lowell for speaking out. A thread about Lowell’s Instagram posts garnered more than 800 upvotes and hundreds of comments.
“Good for her! I bet this really pisses Dawn off, lol,” one person said, referring to Lowell’s adoption counselor, Dawn Baker.
“I love her for refusing to let be a poster girl example for the pro-life bulls***,” another wrote.
Lowell & Baltierra Want to See Carly More
It wasn’t immediately clear what directly prompted Lowell to issue her statement about women’s rights. Still, it could have been because she and Baltierra were talking about their complicated relationship with Carly’s parents, Brandon and Teresa Davis on the November 1 episode of “Teen Mom: The Next Chapter.”
When they were teenagers, they agreed to a semi-open adoption. That means they could send letters to Carly and receive pictures. They also agreed to visits with Carly at the Davis’ discretion. There’s been some tension over the last part, with the “Teen Mom” stars wanting to see Carly annually and the Davis’ bringing her around every two years.
Lowell texted Teresa to see if they would be able to see Carly this year, but Teresa said it wouldn’t be possible with her children’s schedules. Lowell and Baltierra were disappointed. Their 7-year-old daughter, Nova, cried after school one day because she missed her sister and was confused why her parents had “separated” them. Lowell also wanted Carly to meet her youngest daughter, 1-year-old Rya Rose. Baltierra and Lowell have one more daughter, 3-year-old Vaeda.
Baltierra Was Furious Over the Contract He Signed
Baltierra didn’t think it was fair that he should be held to the same adoption contract he signed when he was a minor. He said that he was vulnerable and didn’t know what he was doing at the time.
“I was a minor not knowing half of what these words mean,” he said about the contract. “Yes, you’re right, I did sign that at 16. What the F is your point?”
Baltierra remembered when he was reminded of the contract he signed a few years ago. Their adoption counselor, Dawn Baker, brought the paperwork so they could look over what they legally agreed to.
“I’m gonna tell you something right now, if I ever get that paper thrown back in my face that I signed, I’m gonna flip,” he said. “Don’t you dare use my naive 16-year-old very vulnerable — very emotionally vulnerable — state of mind against me at the age of 26.”