Television shows on teen parenthood were usually intended as a cautionary tale on the reality of what one would be facing as a consequence of unplanned pregnancy at a young age. Briana DeJesus’ journey to motherhood was featured on “16 and Pregnant,” and her life thereafter with all the pressures of becoming an adult was chronicled in “Teen Mom 2” and “Teen Mom 3”. Among the cast members, Briana was much talked about due to all the drama and controversies surrounding her. She had health scares following her collapse at the 2022 reunion special, on top of her lupus diagnosis in 2021.

A little background on Briana’s roots

Briana DeJesus was born on 21 May 1994. Her father was in and out of her life, but she lost contact with him around the time when her mother Roxanne moved her and her sister Brittany from Brooklyn, New York City to Orlando, Florida; Briana was 10 at that time. Even as a grown-up, she longed for her father, and posted on her Twitter account on 31 December 2017: ‘Hopefully in 2018 I can rekindle my relationship with my father… I miss him. [And] would love for the girls to meet him.’

In season one of VH1’s “Family Therapy” with Dr. Jenn Mann, aired in 2016, Roxanne revealed that Briana and Brittany had different biological fathers, and Briana’s father raised Brittany as his own since she was a year old. Brittany was shocked, even more so when she learned that her biological father passed away when she was three.

Not many knew that her mom and her grandmother Marta were among those featured in the 1984 documentary called “Los Sures.” Back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Los Sures was one of the poorest neighborhoods in New York City, and at one point had been called the worst ghetto in America. Filmmaker Diego Echeverria captured the personal experiences of some of its Dominican and Puerto Rican residents, as they lived in a society riddled with crime, gang violence, drugs, and racial tension. Marta said that if one could survive Los Sures, one could survive anything. The film had been restored in time for its 30^th-anniversary screening in 2014 at the New York Film Festival.

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Life was tough for Marta, as she raised her son and four daughters relying on welfare and surviving on food stamps. She was married to the father of her first three kids, whom she said was very abusive. Roxanne’s dad was ‘very loving’, but they had to break up due to drug problems. Marta never actually lived with the father of her youngest child, but they were in a relationship for six years. In a follow-up interactive documentary in 2014 called “89 Steps”, Marta decided to sell her place after living there for almost 40 years. She knew that the 89 steps it took to get from her apartment on the sixth floor to the ground floor would only become more difficult as she became older; she was 65 when it was filmed.

The relationship between Marta and Roxanne or Briana was not explored in the reality TV series, so some doubted its authenticity, but others who viewed the interactive site saw photos of the family in Marta’s apartment. On her Instagram account, Briana posted a photo of her with Marta’s other grandchildren, as well as Marta with Briana’s children.

“16 and Pregnant”

Briana was introduced in the fourth season of MTV’s “16 and Pregnant”, which aired in April 2012. Each episode of the reality TV series followed the pregnancy of a teenage girl at the time she gave birth until the baby was a few months old.

Telling her mother that she was pregnant wasn’t easy, so Briana did it by way of a letter. Her mom felt a little nauseous after reading it, as Briana was only 16 at that time, and her other daughter Brittany was also pregnant; she believed she was a failure as a mother.

Brittany had her baby aborted as the father wasn’t supportive. On the other hand, Briana kept her baby, even though it was a month since she and the baby’s father, Devoin Austin II, had broken up. With a baby on the way, she wanted to work things out with Devoin; however, it seemed that she and their baby were the lowest on his priorities; he didn’t have time for them, and he also didn’t Briana pressuring him to get a job.

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Devoin was there when Briana gave birth to their baby girl, Nova Star, on 9 September 2011, but left the hospital right after that to play basketball with his friends. He was angry when he learned that his daughter didn’t have his last name on the birth certificate. When Briana brought the baby home, Devoin came to visit, but spent more time on his phone rather than with his daughter. When Brittany and Roxanne called him out for his lack of attention, and tried talking to him about what being a dad entailed, he left.

Briana was surprised to receive a text from Devoin, who wanted to talk to her without her mother present, so they agreed to meet at a restaurant. Unfortunately, he stood her up and she had to call her mom to pick her and Nova up. She later confided in her sister that if she could go back in time, she would have had an abortion. However, she made it clear that she loved Nova, and didn’t regret having her, but wished she could trade places with Brittany. Being a mom meant she had to be responsible for her baby, and think of their future. She also had no time to go out with her friends and have fun like she used to, because she had to take care of Nova. Her mom was supportive of her, and agreed to help her financially until she finished school. She matriculated from high school, and checked out the local college to see what her options were.

“Teen Mom 3”

The reality TV series, “16 and Pregnant” was a success, despite the very controversial topic, as some believed that they were glamorizing teen pregnancy. However, its executive producer was quick to defend the show, as he said that there was nothing glamorous about any of the situations that each teen might be facing, which could include raising the kid alone, custody battles, or finding work.

#TeenMom3 Season One Promo Photos! @DouthitKenzie @Katiebyeager @OfficialSekella @BrianaDejesus_ Trailer Coming SOON! pic.twitter.com/vvmtzoTV2g

— Teen Mom 3 (@OfficialTM3) July 9, 2013

TV executives wanted more episodes after season one was well received by viewers, but casting pregnant teens posed a problem for the producers. To buy them time, someone pitched the idea of a show that would continue the stories of four young moms featured in the series, and so “Teen Mom” was born. It premiered on 8 December 2009, and MTV had another hit in its hands.

Briana along with three other girls from season four of “16 and Pregnant” was cast in another spin-off series, “Teen Mom 3,” which started airing on 26 August 2013. During the reunion special, she and Devoin got into a heated argument that caused Brittany and mom Roxanne to rush on stage; security had been called in to prevent things from escalating. Roxanne took off her high-heeled shoe and was poised to use it as a weapon to protect her daughters. Fortunately, nothing untoward happened.

It appeared that Devoin wanted to be part of his daughter’s life, but claimed that he wasn’t given a chance, and that Briana’s family was always ganging up on him. She said that he wasn’t a constant presence in Nova’s life, and her daughter needed a father who was responsible. Devoin had been in and out of jail, charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, burglary, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and parole violation. However, Briana’s relationship with Devoin improved over the years as he tried to be a good father and regularly saw his daughter.

“Teen Mom 2”

“Teen Mom 3” was canceled after season one, with the last episode aired in November 2013. Briana lived a normal life out of the spotlight, until she was cast for the eighth season of the reality TV series “Teen Mom 2,” which started airing in 2017. MTV did plan on stopping the show once the cast reached their 20’s, as they weren’t teen moms anymore, but since they developed a rabid following, filming continued.

Briana had baby no.2

She had another unplanned pregnancy, with Luis Hernandez the father. Things weren’t well between them, but she decided against an abortion because he had been supportive, and said that they would just figure things out. Her daughter Stella Star was born on 2 July 2017, and had immediate health issues as her heart had three holes. The doctor said that one could live with it and be fine, but had to be monitored. After a year, she was relieved to learn that the holes had closed.

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Briana discovered that Luis had been seeing someone else behind her back, and when she had the chance to talk to the girl, she was told that Luis said he was only with Briana because he wanted to be there for the baby. She broke up from him as she didn’t want them to feel obligated to stay together because of their daughter. She then considered putting Stella up for adoption, so her baby would have parents who could give her everything, but later on, they both agreed to keep her. Unfortunately, Luis had not been doing his part. No matter how many times he apologized and made promises to be a better father, he still wasn’t there for his daughter.

Feud with Kailyn Lowry

Briana’s life had become more complicated, as she hooked up with Javi Marroquin, the father of co-star Kailyn Lowry’s baby. This caused friction between the teen moms, who were once friends before Briana joined the show. Javi and Kailyn filed for divorce in 2015, but the latter felt that Briana broke the girl code to which Briana said, ‘Kail was never my friend. I was always closer to Javi. I’m not here to make friends, I’m here to share my story and keep it moving.’ Briana and Javi’s relationship didn’t last, as she wasn’t yet ready for the kind of commitment that he was asking from her, but he didn’t want to wait until she was.

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The girls continued to fight via social media, so perhaps it was inevitable that it would lead to a physical altercation, when they saw each other during the filming of the reunion special in 2018. They had a shouting match, and then Brittany pulled Kailyn’s hair from behind. Security rushed in to intervene before Brianna and Kailyn could get close enough to harm each other.

In 2021, Kailyn filed a lawsuit against Briana for defamation, as the latter posted on social media that Kailyn broke into Chris Lopez’s house and beat him up for getting their son a haircut without her permission. The case was dismissed as Briana’s statements were found to be true, and the judge said that ‘the damage to Lowry’s reputation, if any, had already occurred when [Kailyn’s arrest] was publicized by news media.’

Breaking off her engagement to Javi Gonzalez

Many thought that Briana finally found the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with, when she announced her engagement to the tattoo artist, Javi Gonzalez in May 2021. They met through a mutual friend in September 2020 and quickly fell for each other. However, just a month after she accepted his marriage proposal, fans started speculating that the two were no longer together, after they unfollowed each other on Instagram. Briana confirmed the split in August, as things didn’t work out between them. Some weren’t surprised by this development, as they recalled Briana’s interview about Javi in which she said that he’s not comfortable with cameras around, and didn’t understand ‘the whole TV life.’ She also struggled with what she called living a triple life – TV, mom, and girlfriend. For his part, when he was asked what went wrong between them, Javi said, ‘Different frequencies, different principles…No hard feelings just not for me.’

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Through all of Briana’s failed relationships, her mom and sister were there to support her, and they helped her out in taking care of her kids. However, some were wondering if they were partly the reason why it was hard for Briana to resolve issues with the men in her life. Her mom and sister would fight alongside her whenever she and her baby daddies were having an argument; sometimes it was even Briana who had to calm them down.

Not a true depiction of a teen mom

A lot has happened since Briana started appearing in reality TV shows, and it was evident how far she has come as she became famous and thousands of dollars richer. Some said it wasn’t a true depiction of how teen moms fared over the years since not everyone was given the chance to earn big bucks like Briana. Reportedly, she was paid about $5,000 for her stint in “16 and Pregnant,” and the paycheck for “Teen Moms 2” was significantly higher at $100,000 to $200,000 a year; it increases with succeeding seasons. The good thing about it was that she was able to provide well for her children. In 2019, she bought a four-bedroom house for nearly $270,000, and lived there not just with her kids but also with her mom and sister. ‘I’ll always take care of my family. I got a forever home that we can always go back to,’ she said.

Health update on Briana

In September 2021, she revealed to the public via her Twitter account that her antinuclear antibody (ANA) test came back positive, and she was diagnosed with lupus, which is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and pain, affecting the body’s systems. It has no cure, and would require treatment to manage the symptoms and reduce other health problems caused by the disease. Briana has since been taking medicine for it. She had been updating her fans regarding her condition and said that she was having difficulty driving, or even just brushing her hair because her hands and fingers were painful. Briana talked about wanting to seek a second opinion regarding the treatment for her condition, and perhaps look into a more holistic approach.

Her mother also suffered from lupus, and in 2017, Briana shared how hard it was to see her mom struggle with it. She worked with the Lupus Foundation of America, an organization that aimed to help people with lupus by helping improve their quality of life through research programs, along with Posh Kids to launch a fashion show for their benefit.

At the “Teen Mom: Family Reunion” in February 2022, Briana fell down after going through the obstacle course for the second time, and complained of difficulty breathing. As she was being taken to the hospital in a car, she passed out, so they had to stop and call 911. She woke up in the emergency room fearing the worst, as she saw all the doctors and nurses attending to her, later revealing that she really thought she was dying. Fortunately, it was nothing serious, as the doctor told her she overexerted herself and was dehydrated. She was discharged but advised to take things easy; she resumed filming after that.

The Johnstons from Georgia are known to be the world’s largest family with achondroplasia dwarfism. Their lives have been chronicled in the reality television series “7 Little Johnstons” since it premiered on 6 January 2015. Amber Johnston raised her adopted children along with her biological ones to become independent, confident, and able to adapt to a world that was challenging for people with short stature. Dwarfism usually comes with health complications, but what worried her most had nothing to do with her genetic condition – it was the possibility of having skin cancer.

How did “7 Little Johnstons” come about?

Amber Johnston’s first foray into television was in 2011, when her family made a guest appearance in the American talk show “Anderson”, hosted by the broadcast journalist Anderson Cooper. As the show was said to be focused on featuring extraordinary families, or people with interesting stories, they needed not to look any further, when Amber expressed an interest via email for her family to be cast in the show, saying ‘I have been inspired to share our story of being the true seven dwarfs.’

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Each member of her family has achondroplasia, which meant ‘without cartilage formation.’ It is characterized by disproportionate short stature, limited range of motion, bowing of legs, and an unusually large head size (macrocephaly), but with at least average intelligence.

Having a short stature made them the subject of ridicule, discrimination, and name-calling. Being called ‘midget’ was highly offensive to them, but ‘dwarf’ or a ‘little person’ was acceptable, although they preferred to be called by their names instead of a label. Some people assumed that they were incapable of doing things that an average-sized person could do. Amber wanted it to be known that they could accomplish what any other person could, but they just had to be more creative and resourceful in going about it. They wanted social acceptance, to be seen as human beings and not as objects to be stared at.

Educating the public about people with their condition had been their goal as well, when they agreed to do the reality TV series, “7 Little Johnstons.” They generated so much interest by  appearing in the talk show, that the production company LMNO Cable Group invited them to star in their own show, an opportunity that they couldn’t resist. The series was aired on the cable channel TLC owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

Get to know the “real-life seven dwarfs”

Trent and Amber

Amber Stormer was still in high school when she first met Trent Johnston, at one of the get-togethers arranged by the non-profit organization Little People of America (LPA), which provides resources, information and support to those with dwarfism and their families. Trent said, ‘I saw a gorgeous blonde-haired, blue-eyed, 16-year-old girl,’ and the attraction was mutual, as Amber said, ‘I saw a very attractive young man, who turned out to have a funny personality.’ Soon they were in a long-distance relationship, and had to wait until she matriculated from high school before she could move to Georgia and be with him. They were married in November 1998 at his church in Ellenwood.

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Jonah and Elizabeth

Five months after their wedding, she was pregnant with their first child, Jonah, and they had quite a scare when he wasn’t breathing when born. The doctor revived him, and placed him on a ventilator. After six weeks of staying at the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), they brought him home although he was still in and out of hospital during his first year, having been born prematurely, and needing surgeries because of his dwarfism. Her second pregnancy was difficult, not to mention painful, as her hips were repeatedly dislocated. She was only four feet tall but had become so big that her middle measured 51 inches. Their second child, Elizabeth, was born in December 2001, with the same genetic condition.

Anna from Russia

Because of the medical risks to Amber if she were to conceive again, she had her tubes ligated after her cesarean section. The couple had always wanted a big family, so the only option left for them was adoption. It was said that children with dwarfism in other countries were most likely abandoned, and only a few would be willing to adopt them. However, Amber and Trent wanted them, and this earned them the nickname the “Brad and Angelina of Little People,” from their friends.

Amber was a district director of the LPA at the time when the Shepherd’s Crook adoption ministry reached out to them via email in March 2004, in search of a home for a Russian child with achondroplasia dwarfism. The more they knew about the 14-year-old orphan, the more they believed that she was meant to be their daughter. They went all the way to Siberia in June 2005 to meet Anna, and bring her to their home.

Alex from South Korea

By December 2005, the couple was hoping to adopt another boy to complete their family, especially since their eldest wanted a brother. It seemed fortuitous then, that an agency in Colorado called them to ask if they knew of anyone willing to adopt a nine-year-old South Korean boy with achondroplasia. This time, the adoption process was more difficult as they lacked the funds to pay the fees in full as was required. However, out of the goodness of their hearts, a couple wrote a check for the full amount that was needed. The Johnston family welcomed Alex into their home in May 2006, then later repaid the couple when they received an adoption aid grant from Show Hope.

Emma from China

Alex’s looks were different from the rest of the family, so Amber and Trent believed it was best for the child to have a sibling who was not only closer to his age, but also shared similar physical features. In October 2009, Amber learned that in an orphanage in Baoding, China, there was a Chinese girl who was only months older than Alex and had achondroplasia, and they couldn’t wait to make her part of their family. After a year, they flew to China and finally met their nine-year-old daughter, Emma, and brought her home to meet her siblings.

Amber’s parenting style

Amber and her husband felt very blessed to have a family of seven, and said that they couldn’t have asked for anything more. Raising five kids was not easy, more so in front of the camera, as there were people nitpicking on every little thing that was happening in their household. They sometimes found Amber to be controlling, overbearing, and unfair in how she treated her children. She wanted the viewers to keep in mind that several hours of footage were edited to make a storyline to fit an episode that was less than an hour-long, so they were not seeing the entire picture.

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There were no perfect parents and no perfect children, but some viewers could not help but criticize Amber’s parenting style. She grew up as the only one who had achondroplasia in her family, but her parents were very supportive and made sure that they brought her up in the same way as her average-sized siblings. Not being treated any differently gave her confidence, and taught her to become self-reliant, and Amber wanted to do the same thing for her kids.

Adjusting to the world

Most individuals with dwarfism had physical limitations due to their short stature and other deformities, so their homes had to be modified to make things comfortable and convenient for them. The LPA even set guidelines or offered ideas on their website, that would fit various needs and budgets. Homes were built for average-sized persons, so imagine the difficulties of a little person in doing things as simple as reaching a light switch, getting clothes from a closet, and preparing or cooking food in the kitchen.

Making things more accessible such as lowering countertops, sinks, and light switches to a comfortable height were viewed by Amber and her husband as a form of coddling the kids, and wouldn’t be beneficial to them in the long run. Trent had said, ‘We raise our kids to live in the world, not to live at home…in the world around us – when you walk out there…it’s not built for you.’ It was important for them that their kids learned how to adapt well to their surroundings, and figure things out on their own when faced with obstacles. Their size shouldn’t get in the way of achieving their goals, big or small.

Kids’ moving out

Amber’s goal of making her children self-reliant growing up was in preparation for the time when they became adults, and moved out of the house. As the eldest turned 21, Amber and Trent issued an ultimatum in that Jonah had three months to make the necessary arrangements in finding a new place; they considered it ample time to save money for that. Jonah’s parents tried to motivate him to become more responsible and handle his finances well, since he’d put college on hold and wanted to work. They’d had a lot of discussions about this in the past but it seemed that Jonah was quite stubborn.

Elizabeth was the first one to move out; she was a 19-year-old college student at a nursing school at that time, but had saved money from working hard to afford her new place. She and her boyfriend Brice made plans for him to move in with her, after being in a relationship for three years, but her parents balked at that, saying that they were still old-fashioned, and wanted them to marry first before living together. The young couple felt it was time to take things to the next level, and it didn’t help that they only saw each other on weekends, as he was also busy with work.

We survived the 1st week of school! pic.twitter.com/JJYrXPUzuJ

— 7 little Johnstons (@team7lj) August 22, 2020

With Anna, Amber was reluctant to give her permission to leave the house, since she was still a full-time student and only had a part-time job. Anna didn’t understand why her parents couldn’t be as excited for her as they were with Elizabeth. Her online business was doing well, but her parents wanted more financial stability for her before she started living on her own. They said that their home should not be considered as the kids’ fallback, as once they moved out, that was it. However, they would help in case of emergencies or if they had medical problems. She eventually moved out, and experienced adulthood as she became independent.

Some viewers didn’t agree with how the parents dealt with their kids, as they found it harsh, but Amber said that it was just tough love.

Filming was a family job

The family didn’t have a hard time adjusting to having cameras follow them around as they went about their day, but some were wondering if it had a negative impact on the kids. Amber said that she and Trent taught the kids to treat it as a job, as a family business, so they all had to work together. If one no longer wanted to be part of it, then it was not going to work; this was their mindset when they started filming. They remained true to themselves so they didn’t worry whether they were being filmed or not.

Admittedly, they were paid for it, and they gained a lot of attention, but as a parent, she didn’t let it change who they were at their core. Amber said, ‘Life still has to be everyday normal life for the kids.’ Trent jokingly said, ‘Our heads are already big enough. We don’t need them any bigger.’ He also reminded them that being different meant that people, both adults and kids, would stare at them and remember them, so they should present themselves in a way that would make them leave a positive impression. As they represented the community of dwarfs, it was important that they consider the reality TV show as an opportunity to educate people even if viewers considered it as a form of entertainment.

On marriage, rumors of divorce

Like any other couple, Amber and Trent had their ups and downs, but in season five which aired in the latter part of 2018, their loyal fan base began to worry that the tension between the two would culminate in a divorce. She said that the family dynamics had changed quite a bit, living with five teenagers at home, and it put a strain on their relationship. However, Amber said there was no reason to feel anxious about it, as she and Trent had already been through a lot in their two-decade-long marriage, and they overcame challenges as a team. She said, ‘We know that a relationship, parenting and marriage are a constant work in progress. With both of us feeling that, and knowing that we don’t give up.’

Aside from resolving issues that crop up, they also made efforts in spicing up their marriage, which included pole dancing, constructing a ‘love shack’ on their property, and consulting with an intimacy coach. They celebrated their 23^rd wedding anniversary in November 2021.

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Does Amber have skin cancer?

Amber’s weight loss was considered drastic by some, thinking that she underwent bariatric surgery, although there were also those who were worried that she was sick. However, she cleared things up, and said that she lost considerable weight, at least 50 pounds, by following a healthier lifestyle with proper diet and exercise. She never had weight issues until she started taking steroids for nearly two years, to counter her back injury. The decision to shed those extra pounds was actually caused by having a hard time keeping up with her family during one of their hiking trips.

Just when the viewers thought that everything was well with Amber, she opened up about seeing a dermatologist regarding the moles on her back, as Trent noticed that they had become bigger and wanted them checked. A biopsy was performed – although the doctor didn’t outright say that it was cancerous, he was concerned that it was changing and growing. He told her that they had to remove as much or as many they could, so that no further treatment would be required. She was reluctant to have the procedure done at that time, using the kids as an excuse and making it seem like there would be chaos in their house without her.

Naturally, Trent couldn’t understand why she couldn’t prioritize her health. He said that if it happened to him or one of the kids, Amber would put everything on hold and immediately set an appointment with the doctor. He didn’t want her to put it off, as he was worried that her condition could worsen, and would require a more complicated or lengthy treatment. He said that it would be best to deal with it sooner than later, so that there would be no regrets. She finally admitted to being scared of what the outcome would be, if it was something that could be treated or not. Her February 2021 Instagram post showed her at the dermatologist’s office with the caption, ‘My #skincancerisrealcancer,’ which essentially confirmed her medical condition.

As difficult as life had been for people with achondroplasia due to the myriad of health issues that came with it, Amber and Trent had always banded together and came out stronger for it. This was what they wanted to instill in their children and to not let anything stop them from living a full life.