Skip to Content

Teen Mom 2’s Jenelle Evans has some advice for her co-star Leah Messer, who has battled addiction issues and lost custody of her twins.

While she’s encouraging and upbeat, Jenelle believes Leah has a lot of work ahead of her if she wants to win back custody of the girls.

“I would just say stay strong and level-headed,” Evans said, when asked what advice she’d give Messer. “Just stay on the right path.”

Messer, 23, has spent time in rehab for anxiety, depression and for what sources believe is a not-so-secret prescription drug addiction.

Leah has never admitted she has an issue. Rather, she frequently makes excuses for parenting that Jenelle feels are part of the problems.

“I think she should [discuss her addiction],” Evans said. “But at the same time, no one can force you to do anything. You have to be ready.”

“You can’t force people to go to rehab,” she continued. “If you do force them, they’ll do it like, ‘Yeah, I’ll do it to make you happy."

"[But] then they’ll get out and probably do drugs again."

"They have to be ready themselves,” adds Jenelle.

Evans believes that her co-star has a chance of winning back custody of her girls, who are now with Leah’s first ex-husband Corey Simms.

“There is always time to change,” she said. “I would just tell them to just be civil and don’t argue. Keep the co-parenting going the right way.”

Sage advice … which is a little dubious coming from Jenelle Evans, but at the same time, she’s been through a lot of these exact things.