Jennifer del Rio was a star before her episode of 16 and Pregnant even aired. TMZ has been all over the allegations that she and assaulted baby-daddy Josh Smith and that Jennifer only got pregnant to get on the show. So let’s get down to the drama, because there’s plenty of it.
1. She got pregnant with twins after being careless about birth control, which she pronounces “bref control.”
Josh, in his perfectly reasonable slanty-faced (seriously, it seems like his entire head is tilted at a 15-degree angle) said that he didn’t go to the store to buy condoms because it was “awkward.” Jennifer correctly points out that walking around with a giant pregnant belly is awkward too. She and Josh decide to name the kids Noah and Josh, Jr. That has to suck for Noah, although considering what a peach his dad turns out to be it appears little not-Josh-Junior really dodged a bullet. Jennifer’s father doesn’t want the twins to have Josh’s last name, and mentions that he considered killing Josh. Normally I am not in favor of the patriarchal thing where dads have to protect their daughters’ good names, but her dad does have a point about Josh sucking out loud, so whatever.
2. Josh’s parents threw her a baby shower.
Unlike some of the parents who have been on this show, Jennifer’s parents didn’t throw their daughter a big, lavish party to celebrate her knocked-up-edness. After a not-at-all-staged conversation with the ultrasound tech, Josh’s parents offer to throw Jennifer a shower. Josh’s dad has the exact same Picasso-esque nose as Josh, and his mom has bitchin’ crunchy hair and gray eyeshadow. Jennifer’s parents are invited to the shower, but they don’t attend.
3. Josh and Jennifer were engaged for a hot second.
On their one year anniversary, Josh proposed to Jennifer and she accepted. However, Jennifer’s awesome dad wanted nothing to do with their relationship and told her she couldn’t have his permission to get married (she is, as the show title implies, 16). He wisely suggests that she waits until the kids are born and then figure it out. Considering all the recent drama about Josh and Jennifer in the news, I think that a) they shouldn’t get married, and b) Jennifer’s dad is right about everything.
4. She had a C-section.
Because of Jennifer’s age and the fact that she was having twins, Jennifer’s doctor scheduled a C-section. Thanks to either a doctor or parent saying no, the birth was not filmed, so we’re just treated to some shots of the babies covered in placenta with their teeny baby penises blurred out. After the birth, Jennifer tells the attending nurse to fill out the babies’ birth certificates with Josh’s last name, which breaks her parents’ hearts. As soon as they go home to the del Rios’ from the hospital, Josh bails. Try to look surprised.
5. Josh dumped her on the side of the road and took the kids.
In the scene that’s been teased in several MTV promos, Josh and Jennifer had a fight while driving somewhere with the kids. Jennifer’s parents called and weren’t happy that she was with Josh. Josh reacted by getting his hands in Jennifer’s face, calling her a “stupid-ass bitch,” and then forcing her out of the car. Jennifer was left alone on the side of the road while Josh sped off with the twins. (Luckily, they both slept through the incident, which should probably become a helpful coping mechanism for them later in life.) Jennifer caught up to him and tried to punch him. Then she called the police and her mom, who came to pick her up. The cops showed up and arrested Josh, but for some unknown reason she declined to press charges. A friend hilariously asks “what’s up with your engagement?” and Jennifer replies “He can shove it up his butt.”
Watching this episode was exhausting, so I can only imagine what it was like for the people involved to have to live through it. I guess if Jennifer is lobbying for the Amber Portwood/Jenelle Evans role in Teen Mom 3, she certainly has a good audition reel.
