Leah Messer’s debut memoir doesn’t hit stores until next week, but already, the revelations contained within its pages are making tabloid headlines.
In the book, Leah opens up about her addiction to opioids, as well as the many other challenges she’s faced in her young life.
One of the most controversial excerpts addresses the topic of Leah’s abortion, which she claimed at the time was a miscarriage,
Now, in a new interview with People magazine, Leah discusses exactly why she chose to lie to fans about this painful chapter in her life.
Take a look:
Sharing Her Story
In a new interview, Leah Messer reveals new information about her controversial decision to get an abortion.
Speaking Her Truth
Leah now says she felt pressured by members of her inner circle to lie to the public and claim she suffered a miscarriage.
A Low Point
“I had very low self-esteem at that point in my life and I 100 percent allowed others to control my decision making,” Leah tells the magazine.
Misleading the Public
Leah is referring to the season four premiere of Teen Mom 2 in which she stated on camera that she had suffered a miscarriage, when in reality, she had undergone an abortion.
Dawn’s Early Lie
Leah says she accepts full responsibility for the decision, but adds that several members of her inner circle — including her mother, Dawn — pressured her into lying.
A Difficult Time
This was back in 2012. Leah became pregnant by future husband Jeremy Calvert, but the situation was complicated by her feelings toward her first husband, Corey Simms.
No Regrets
Leah says she does not regret having the miscarriage, but wishes she would have been more truthful with her fans.
Owning It
“Looking back now, I just wish I would have owned it. I wish I would’ve owned what was going on,” Leah tells People.
Moving On
“[I wish I hadn’t been] fearful of what everyone was going to say … but I’m not going to dwell on the decision I made at that time,” she adds.
Teachable Moment
“I’m going to rise above the decision I made and learn from that experience,” Leah continues.
Taking Control
Leah says it was this desire to control her own narrative that led to her decision to write a memoir.
Her Story, Her Truth
“At the end of the day, if I was going to own my story and own my truth, I was going to own it all,” she says.
Driven By Passion
“That was the whole purpose behind the writing process, the passion behind my book, all the drive that I had behind it.” Messer continues.
Baring Her Soul
“[I wanted to] open up and allow others to see all the imperfections, because it’s okay,” she adds.
Wise Words
“We’re perfectly imperfect and we get to embrace every imperfection that comes our way, all the adversity, no matter what,” Leah says.
Rock Bottom
Elsewhere in the book, Leah discusses her addiction to prescription painkillers, and her eventual decision to seek treatment.
Motivated By Love
“It was so scary because I just didn’t feel worthy enough. I didn’t feel that I was good enough to be their mom,” Messer says of the love for her daughters that drove her to get sober.
The Turning Point
“It was definitely a turning point for me when I realized that I was legit trying to take my own life,” Leah adds.
A Terrifying Moment
Yes, at the depth of her addiction, Leah says she considered driving her car off a cliff.
Driven to the Edge
“The car was going so fast and I was watching it and I was so angry. That was it for me,” Leah recalls. “That’s when I realized like, ‘All right, Leah, you’ve got to do something.’”
On the Same Page
At the end of the day, Leah says she decided to open up about the darker moments of her life in order to clear up some misconceptions and help her fans feel less alone in their struggles.
The Wrong Idea
“I want my supporters and viewers to see me for who I truly am. I feel like there’s this misconception of me, ‘Oh, she was 17 and pregnant.’ It was portrayed like, ‘She was a cheerleader. She had everything planned out for her,’” she tells People.
More to the Story
“But there was so much more to my story and my life that the viewers hadn’t seen. I wanted to open up and inspire others who may be going through the same thing,” she adds.
Happy Ending
These days, Leah is single, and sober, and happier than ever thanks in part to the hard lessons she’s learned.
The Most Important Lesson
“I didn’t realize what loving myself was,” she says. “[Loving myself] got me out of codependent relationships. Now, I’m okay with being alone and living my life and being the mother and the woman that I was meant to be.”
A Bright Future
We congratulate Leah on how far she’s come, and we and wish her and her family all the best going forward.