A young girl whose pregnancy story will be featured in a new reality TV series has revealed that her boyfriend was just 12 years old when she became pregnant.
At 15, Bella Vaughn was 14 when she conceived and has responded to criticism from some online communities as she prepares to appear on the upcoming series of TLC’s Unexpected, a show that documents the experiences of teen pregnancies.
The show’s fans were stunned when the trailer for the new season was released, particularly because of the age gap between Vaughn and her boyfriend, Hunter, who is currently 13.
Facing criticism from multiple fronts, Vaughn took to TikTok to address her 60,000 followers and respond to her detractors.
A significant issue Vaughn needed to clarify was that her child’s father, Wes, was not yet a teenager when their baby was conceived.
“I understand it doesn’t make it any better. I understand he was sexually ready faster than I was, and that’s OK, but I was ready when we had sex,” she explained.
Many on social media questioned the ethics surrounding her pregnancy by a 12-year-old, questions that Vaughn mentioned were also raised by law enforcement.
Facing criticism before Unexpected even aired, she responded: “You can all stop saying that it was illegal and that I raped him because I didn’t.
“It was both intentional. On both sides, people have already said that. We’ve already talked to the cops about it. It was consensual.”
Despite being a few years away from legal adulthood, Vaughn insists that she should be treated like any other mother, stating: “Just because I am a teen does not make me any less of a mother.
“I am a mother. I did have that baby. I did grow that baby for nine, almost 10 months. Hunter is a father.”
However, her path through teenage pregnancy has not been without its challenges, as both her parents and Hunter’s parents were initially in disagreement.
While Vaughn’s family supported keeping the baby, Hunter’s family favored a termination.
This disagreement led to accusations that Vaughn had intentionally trapped the young boy with a baby, a claim she vigorously denied.
“I did not ruin Hunter’s life. I gave, when I found that I was pregnant, I gave him the option. I said, ‘If you can’t do this or you don’t want to be here, that is fine. I understand we’re both very young, but I can do this on my own or with you. It’s your decision. Whatever you choose, I’m fine with’.”
After being presented with this choice, Vaughn disclosed that ‘he chose to stay with me. He chose to take care of our baby.’
Season 7 of TLC’s Unexpected premieres February 16 at 9pm CET.