Look, if you’re reading this, then you’ve read the headline.
You know we’re going to get into some tough stuff here.
Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra are fan favorites on Teen Mom OG, and they’re also the only couple still together from the 16 and Pregnant days.
Or, well, they were.
Yep, things aren’t going so great for these two right now.
So let’s just delve into these sad, sad details …
The Happy (???) Couple
So Catelynn and Tyler have been together forever, right?
Awww
They started dating when they were 12 — they’re not even high school sweethearts, they’re middle school sweethearts.
SO MUCH
As we’ve seen on 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom, they’ve been through a lot together. But like, a WHOLE lot.
Poor Kids
We saw them place their first daughter, Carly, for adoption because they knew they couldn’t offer her the life she deserved.
All the Tears
We saw them deal with emotionally abusive drug-addicted parents, we saw them get through high school and figure out their lives … we really did watch them grow up.
Why, God, Why
And, as we’re figuring out now, we watched them grow apart.
Red Flags
We actually saw a bit of this back in the day … they called off their engagement at least once, and when they went on Couple’s Therapy, Tyler admitted that he was having second thoughts about marrying Catelynn because he wanted to do more with his life before settling down.
Uh Oh
But then Cate got pregnant with Nova, and so they ended up getting married, because why not, right?
Trouble
After that, things fell apart pretty dang quick.
A Struggle
After giving birth to Nova, Catelynn suffered from severe postpartum depression, and Tyler really was very supportive.
Thanks, Ty
He supported her going off for a month of inpatient treatment at a rehab facility in Arizona.
Not Looking Great
But when she came back and nothing really changed, that’s when things really got bad.
Come On, Cate!
At that point, Catelynn had been in a deep depression for nearly a year and a half, and Tyler told her that things couldn’t keep going on the way they were, and that if they did, he might have to leave for his own emotional wellbeing.
Wow
Things were definitely tense for a while, but obviously they worked things out — last year, they decided they were ready for another child.
Heartbreaking
Catelynn got pregnant right away, but she suffered a miscarriage, and it was so hard on her that she contemplated suicide.
Getting Help
With Tyler’s full support, she went back to the treatment center in Arizona for six weeks while he took care of everything at home.
Hmmm …
But just a few weeks after coming home, she decided she needed to go back for ANOTHER six weeks, and she wouldn’t consider finding a therapist or checking into a treatment center near home or any other alternatives.
The Last Straw?
Tyler was not pleased.
Brutally Honest
At one point on the show, he said that maybe he and Cate weren’t right for each other anymore, and on a different occasion, he said that he was repulsed by her behavior — this was after she told him that she’d been skipping therapy sessions in rehab to sleep in.
Yikes
After she came home from rehab, he tried to get her into couples counseling with him, and he tried to get her to watch the last season of the show with him, at his therapist’s reccomendation. She refused.
Venting
“When does it ever turn around?” he asked some friends later. “When is it ever 50/50?! I’m saying this is what I need, awesome. If you can’t, let me know now. I don’t want to waste any time, let me get out of here. Marriage is a bitch.â€Â
Wrap It Up, Kids
As for Cate’s pregnancy — they’re expecting another girl in March — he’s said that they were absolutely not trying to have another kid, and that the news was a big shock to him.
Fair?
He’s obviously just super, super over it, right? It really seems like he wants out of the marriage, and fast.
What a Development
We just didn’t know it would be this fast.
NO NO NO NO NO
In a new sneak peek for Teen Mom OG, Catelynn and Tyler reveal that they’re doing a trial separation. Yes, really.
There It Is
After explaining in a voiceover that Tyler had been going to therapy, Catelynn said that “he decided he wanted to try living separately for a month,” and that while she was “devastated” at first, going to therapy on her own helped her be more OK with the idea.
Sounds … Good?
Then, while she and Tyler were talking to their producer, she said that they were going to start going to therapy together after she got comfortable going to therapy on her own.
Makes Sense
“Basically all I want to share with the cameras is that me and you learned that we’ve been together so long that it’s like, who are you as a person by yourself?” she said to Tyler.
Big News
He revealed that he asked for the trial separation while they were on their couple’s retreat, and that they were doing it while he finished up working on their new house.
Aww, Cate
“Am I jumping of joy for it?” she asked. “No.”
Taking It Hard
Tyler told her that neither of them were “jumping of joy” at the idea, but he added that she “took it kinda hard.”
Oh, Guys …
“In that moment, it did trigger me,” she admitted it. “It did bring up wounds, it was scary, it was hurtful. Things that I’ve been through, like when people say that they wanna separate, they wanna leave, it seriously does feel like somebody died”
Those Wounds
“It’s like bringing up those old wounds from the miscarriage, and that’s traumatic,” she added.
Compassion
Tyler said that it was hard to bring up the fact that he did want to separate, because he knew it would be “the worst possible thing” for her to hear.
Oh No …
“I feel like, in my mind, it makes it harder for a mom to be trying to do that and take care of a three-year-old and then being pregnant, it’s just a lot of stress,” she complained.
Awkward
“Yeah, I get it,” he told her before things faded off into an uncomfortable silence.
WHAT NOW?!
This was obviously filmed months ago, so what’s going on? Are they back together? Have they been faking it until the episodes air? Are they in some sort of weird, in-between state where they want to be together but it’s just not working? WHAT’S HAPPENING TO CATELYNN AND TYLER?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Putting It Mildly
On Twitter, fans reacted to the stunning split, with a surprisingly large segment of the audience placing the blame on Catelynn’s shoulders.
Team Tyler
Many viewers felt that Catelynn was being manipulative by causing Tyler to feel guilty for wanting a trial separation.
Addressing Cate Directly
At some point over the past couple of years, Catelynn lost her fan favorite status, and many now believe she’s using her diagnoses as an excuse to behave however she wants.
Suck It Up!
It certainly doesn’t look as though Cate can count on much sympathy from Teen Mom OG viewers. But we’re sure as long as she receives a little compassion from Tyler, she’ll be just fine.