Todd Beasley rose to prominence through his participation in TLC’s “My Big Fat Fabulous Life.” He was introduced into the series as the eternal dance partner and high school friend of the main star of the show, Whitney Way Thore. The dancer had been attracting more attention from the fans since the pandemic, especially since they all noticed and appreciated his new look. His friendship with Whitney survived their little fights through the years, as he would always have her back, but was never afraid to call her out if she did something unjust.

All about “My Big Fat Fabulous Life”

A viral video of a plus-sized woman dancing gracefully called “A Fat Girl Dancing: Talk Dirty to Me” was the reason why the TLC cable network created a reality television series for the star of the video.

The video that went viral

The video was uploaded on YouTube back on 29 January 2014 by the staff of the radio program, “Jared and Katie in the Morning,” aired at 107.5 KZL; at that time, Whitney Thore was an on-air producer for the radio station. She had been quite passionate about dancing since she was a young girl, and viewers found it fascinating to see someone of her size dance effortlessly to one of Jason Derulo’s songs, “Talk Dirty.” On the day the video was posted, it immediately went up the trending video list on YouTube, and collectively gained around eight million views,

The main star of the reality-TV series

Whitney Way Thore was a Greensboro, North Carolina native, who graduated from the Appalachian State University with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre. Her love for dancing made her join many school programs.

Her family had noticed her rapid weight gain when she was in her teens, and initially thought that it was normal. However, when she also lost clumps of hair and had an abnormal irregular menstruation cycle, they knew that something was wrong. She was already in college when she discovered the reasons behind her body issues, diagnosed with an hormonal disorder called polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. Her reality-TV show gave her the platform to talk about it, and she was grateful that through her story, many women went to see their doctors to check if they also had the same disorder. Apparently, this type of woman’s health issue was rarely talked about, even if in reality one out of every 10 women suffered from it.

Other original cast members

The reality-TV series chronicled the life of Whitney, and most of the people featured in it were her family, close friends, business associates, and the men she dated. Her parents, Glenn and Barbara Thore were regulars, since they initially appeared during the show’s premiere while her brother, Hunter, was credited as a recurring guest. The other original members of the show were her friends Buddy Bell, Ashley Baynes, Tal Fish and Todd Beasley.

Get to know Todd Beasley

Todd was born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, and also grew up interested in singing and dancing. He was part of the local church choir, and would participate in local musical plays. He met Whitney during their teens as they attended the same high school, Southeast Guilford High School, in Greensboro; they became friends, as they found themselves as dance partners in several school programs.

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However, they were separated when they went to college, as Todd chose to study at Elon University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Musical Theater in 2007. He moved to New York to try his luck in theatre, but returned to his hometown in 2014 when Whitney asked for his help, which was documented in “My Big Fat Fabulous Life.” He was Whitney’s dancing partner in the “Fat Girl Dancing” video that went viral. In the reality-TV show, it was revealed that back in high school, Todd dated Heather Sykes, who was another cast member who started to appear during the second season.

He was later revealed to be the first cousin of Whitney’s other bestie, Ashley Baynes – she was the one who gave birth to a son named August Daniel after the ninth season. Fans speculated that she served as a surrogate for Whitney, because the father of the baby never made an appearance in the show, and Todd helped in keeping it a secret. The pregnancy coincided with the time when Ashley was helping with Whitney’s IVF treatment.

Todd Beasley’s highlights in “My Big Fat Fabulous Life”

Todd was included in the hit reality series because he was part of Whitney Thore’s amazing support system, and also instrumental in her becoming a YouTube sensation.

Eternal dance partner

Todd and Whitney had known each other since they were 17 years old, and he witnessed how she suffered from her body weight issues over the years. They both shared a love for dancing and theatre, with Whitney saying, ‘If anyone can understand my insane passion for dance, it’s Todd.’ He was introduced in the show as her perpetual dance partner, and she claimed that it was her who taught him to dance. They initially bonded during their participation in the musical “Grease”, both landing great roles as Todd played Kenickie while Whitney was one of the antagonists named ChaCha.

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Todd helped Whitney get back to her dancing form

After Whitney’s stint as an English teacher in South Korea, she returned home to Greensboro and reached out to Todd to help her get back to her dancing form. She was already overweight at that time, and felt that the only thing that could help her regain shape, but not necessarily become thinner was dancing. The last time she was a regular at the gym was in 2011, which resulted in an eating disorder, so didn’t want to go that route again. Todd said that he didn’t have any second thoughts about supporting Whitney in achieving her goals, because she was worth the time and effort.

Big Girl Dance Class

After Todd and Whitney’s dance videos became popular online, the two friends opened up “Big Girl Dance Class” in Greensboro, which featured dance workouts and tutorials. They welcomed anyone to the classes, but the dance routines were highly geared towards big girls. The dance class aimed to help big women feel good and comfortable in their own skin, and to empower women to fully embrace their body type instead of being ashamed of it.

The Big Girl Dance Class Tour was almost ruined

Whitney organized a “Big Girl Dance Class Tour”, and Todd went along with it. Instead of just staying in Greensboro, they announced that they would visit several places, including Chicago, Pittsburg and Columbus, and offer classes to those interested; they traveled by land using an RV. However, Whitney wasn’t a great planner, and most of the time, it left Todd frazzled and confused. When they were in Pittsburg, there were around 500 people who bought tickets to participate in the class, but the venue that Whitney rented couldn’t fit everyone. They only had two options at that time, which were to have back-to-back classes or send some people home. Todd said that he knew that it would turn out that way, because Whitney had no tour management experience. ‘We are dance teachers. Like, can we just go back to Greensboro and what we know where we know it?’ They were lucky that despite the obstacles they encountered, things worked out in the end, and the tour was a success.

Big Girl Dance Class hits the road! ? ? Whitney’s empowering women all over the country on the BGDC tour, Tuesday at 8/7c on #MyBigFatFabLife. pic.twitter.com/Mx2tjmtMKO

— TLC Network (@TLC) January 20, 2019

Todd smashed a cake on Whitney’s face

Todd and Whitney might have been close friends since high school, but they had their little disagreements every now and then. It escalated one time during Ashley’s kid’s birthday party, and even with children around them, they bickered back and forth. Apparently, Whitney told everyone including their families, friends, and even clients that Todd had quit on her. However, Todd called her out for spreading lies, and corrected her that what he’d said was that he would just take a break, telling her that she was putting words into his mouth. A mutual friend told them to stop, because apparently they had different perceptions about what really happened. Todd said, ‘Whitney has just latched onto this idea and run amok.’ He was quite frustrated, and told her to stop lying, so when she repeated her claim that Todd had quit on her, he pushed a piece of the cake onto her face, particularly her mouth, and then stood up to go to the bathroom.

Todd and Whitney attended the Fitness Marshall class

In one of the earlier seasons, Todd and Whitney went to New York City to attend the dance class of Fitness Marshall, also known as Caleb, a popular YouTube fitness star, hoping to get into one of his dance workout videos. However, for some reason, Todd, had to excuse himself a couple of times during the dance class as he puked. Meeting Caleb was Todd’s idea, but in the end, Caleb talked to Whitney and asked her to join him in a video. She asked him if she could bring Todd along, but Caleb rejected the idea. When Todd learned about it, he was bitter and frustrated. Whitney tried to make him feel good but he acted like a jerk. The fans had mixed reactions – some of them empathized with Todd and understood his frustration, others said that Whitney should have recognized that it was a glaring red flag, and she should pick better friends.

Todd brought Whitney to his favorite NY bar

During their trip to NY for the Fitness Marshall class, Todd took Whitney to his favorite bar, where he usually hung out with his friends. He invited his NY friends over to meet Whitney, hHowever, it seemed that she wasn’t really into the NY bar scene, claiming that she was way past the drinking part of her life, and didn’t feel comfortable being surrounded by drunken people anymore. So, after taking a few sips and having a few conversations with Todd’s friends, she said her goodbyes. Todd was disappointed as he wanted his friend to enjoy the sights and sounds of the NY nightlife with him. Some thought that Whitney was some sort of a party pooper, and should have indulged Todd more as he was trying his best to show her around.

Todd injured his leg during a dance class

Fans of “My Big Fat Fabulous Life” argued again online when Todd experienced shooting pain in his upper right thigh. At that time, it was Whitney who was teaching the class when Todd went down holding his thigh, and had to step away from the class to massage it. Whitney was perhaps too engrossed in what she was doing that she didn’t notice what was going on. Some found it incredulous that Whitney acted that way, considering that Todd was in her line of sight, and that it was quite impossible for her not to notice him. It took her a while before she went over to where Todd was – some believed that Whitney intentionally ignored him, while others said that she probably thought it wasn’t a big deal. Fans speculated that it wouldn’t be long before the two unfriended each other.

Real or Scripted Reality-TV Series

As with other popular reality-TV shows on the TLC network, many criticized the authenticity of “My Big Fat Fabulous Life.” Some viewers alleged that it was probably as real as it could be in the first couple of seasons, but as the show progressed, they thought that most of the narratives were forced and looked incredibly unnatural. Here are some of the controversial speculations about the show:

Big Girl Dance Class wasn’t real

There were allegations that the dance classes that Whitney and Todd offered to people were bogus, and it was part of the reason why they ceased to exist in the later seasons. Some fans refuted this theory, and believed that it was all real, because at the time that these classes were offered, there was still an official website. They even charged $5 per student, and all ages were welcome to attend. Reportedly, if the participants chose a day that coincided with the filming of “My Big Fat Fabulous Life,” attending the class was free of charge. However, they were confused because it instructed those who were interested to check the calendar for upcoming classes, but on the said calendar, there were no classes. In online forums, it was posted that some people allegedly called the Greensboro Dance Theater for details of the Big Girl Dance Class, had been told that it was just for the TV series. Whether the dance class was created for the show or was real but was no longer operational because Whitney became busy, no one knew for sure.

The reason why dancing wasn’t part of the show’s main plot

For a time, the “My Big Fat Fabulous Life” narrative centered on Whitney’s loved ones and her insane passion for dancing. However, viewers noticed that the narrative changed in recent seasons, and speculated about it. It seemed that since the third season, Whitney had trouble following some of the dance steps that were taught in her class by other instructors; when she couldn’t do it, she asked Todd to step in for her, and would be annoyed with the instructors for teaching those moves that she found difficult to do.

It was pretty noticeable in the fifth season when Todd had the students do their thing, and explore other dance styles which included barefoot dancing. This outraged her, later confessing that she couldn’t dance barefoot. There were concerned fans who said that Whitney needed to lose weight, so that she could keep up with other dance styles, instead of just staying in her comfort zone. Most of the fans believed that it was the main reason why they removed dancing from the main plot of the series; producers couldn’t create more dance scenarios in the narrative, due to Whitney’s limitations.

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Fake boyfriends and relationships

The main star of the show kept falling in love, and it was quite normal, however, viewers continuously questioned the authenticity of Whitney’s relationships. The timeline was confusing, and a clear example was her relationship with Chase Severino. Some fans thought that Chase was just an actor, who was hired to play the role of Whitney’s adorable boyfriend, but when his girlfriend in real life became pregnant, the producers didn’t have any choice but to change the narrative and make Chase a cheating boyfriend. Another suspected fake relationship that Whitney had was with the French guy who remained anonymous up to the 10^th season.

What happened to Todd that made fans appreciate him more?

When the 10^th season of “My Big Fat Fabulous Life” premiered on TLC in August 2022, viewers were ecstatic to see Todd looking great. Everyone appreciated his new look, as he sported a different haircut and color. Fans went on social media and posted that he had his ‘glow up,’ which was internet slang for a highly noticeable and impressive physical transformation, but it could also refer to self-confidence or success in life. He remained friends with Whitney, and fans thought that this was an indication that he was loyal and sincere to her.

Jenelle Evans gained notoriety for her multiple arrests, heroin addiction, custody battle with her mom, and tumultuous relationships. The public had been privy to her complicated life from her unplanned pregnancy up to the present, via the reality television shows she had been part of, her book entitled “Read Between the Lines: From the Diary of a Teenage Mom,” and her social media posts. Considering that every move she made drummed up interest in “Teen Mom 2,” her exit from the hit series had people speculating on the reasons why.

Get to know Jenelle

Jenelle Evans was born on 19 December 1991, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She was only three when her mom, Barbara, kicked her dad Robert out of their house. He was a musician, and his work at a recording studio wasn’t enough to pay their bills. His family, it seemed, was not his priority, and he would rather hang out with his friends than be with his wife and kids during his free time. They were married in 1984, and went their separate ways after a decade with the divorce finalized by October 1994; they shared custody of the kids. Her mom had to work twice as hard to earn more money to provide for the family.

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The last time Jenelle saw her father was when he was supposed to pick her and her siblings, Ashleigh and Colin, up one weekend, but he just drove away after seeing them waiting on the porch with her mom’s boyfriend; she was 11 at that time. She never knew why he stopped coming after that. Jenelle hated living in Scranton, not that it wasn’t a nice town, but she never really had any friends, and didn’t fit in at school. The family moved to North Carolina in 2004 for a fresh start.

Her relationship with her mother was volatile too, as they argued all the time. Jenelle claimed to love Barbara, but they didn’t have a close bond. She considered herself a daddy’s girl even if he had been part of her life for only a short time. Some said that she romanticized her memories with her dad, and only remembered him as a cool and fun-loving guy.

Broken relationship with siblings

Her family was dysfunctional – she opened up about how every gathering they had ended in a shouting match, and in the rare moments they tolerated each other, it didn’t last long and they would go back to feeling either hatred or indifference. With what most people knew about Jenelle now, nobody would have guessed that her mom once said that out of her three children, she was the normal kid, as she didn’t need medication or therapy. Her siblings had their own demons, and Jenelle described her relationship with them as broken.

Growing up, they only got along when they were doing something that would get them into trouble. Ashleigh, the eldest, was a brat who had no time for her; they would fight over every little thing, and it often turned physical. In 2006, her sister was arrested for assaulting her and their mom – Barbara said that Ashleigh at that time was off the medication she was taking for her mental health problems.

Jenelle gravitated toward her older brother, who didn’t mind her tagging along with him and his friends. However, Colin had what she called ‘outbursts of rage’, and would lash out at others and even at his family. Usually, she could calm him down, but there were times when he was too out of control that she became frightened of him. He accidentally set their house on fire, and so their mother sent him to a ‘special group home’ that was better equipped to handle him, as he was reportedly diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In 2007, Colin was charged with injury to personal and real property, as he kicked and punched the truck of his mom’s boyfriend, as well as the front door during an altercation.

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“16 and Pregnant”

As it appeared that unplanned pregnancies among teens were prevalent in the US, MTV launched the reality TV show, “16 and Pregnant” on 11 June 2009, to feature their stories. Jenelle was introduced in its second season aired in February 2010. At 17, she had given birth to her son, Jace, with her boyfriend Andrew Lewis the father.

Andrew, her first baby daddy

They met online and went on their first date when she was 16. Andrew was several years older than her and had the propensity to drink, which she found really cool. Her fascination with him had got to a point in which she let him dictate what they would do, and basically became a doormat for him. She said, ‘He came and got what he wanted from me, when he wanted it…We had to talk when he wanted to talk, no matter the odd hours.’

In December 2007, her mom called the cops when she ran away after they had a confrontation, only to find her at Andrew’s house. Months later, Jenelle was arrested after Andrew’s mom reported her to the police, saying that she’d broken into their home and refused to leave. She wasn’t charged on condition that she wouldn’t come uninvited or stay past a reasonable hour.

Andrew wasn’t interested in becoming a dad, and he was gone soon after Jace was born in 2009. It seemed that over the years, there had been attempts to reconnect with his son, but he never really followed through.

“Teen Mom 2”

Since “16 and Pregnant” only covered stories of pregnant teens until their babies were a few months old, fans wanted to know how life had changed for these girls, as they became young mothers and struggled with the responsibilities that came with it. There was a time when people were ashamed to talk about such things in public for fear of being judged and ostracized. However, it seemed that many no longer shied away from delving into a highly sensitive topic, and had come to accept this as and often sad reality of life. The spin-off series attracted millions of viewers – some found it horrible, and criticized the show for turning these teens into celebrities and glamorizing their situation. Others said that it was a docuseries that served as a cautionary tale for young people.

Teen Mom 2 New Season SEE WHO MADE THE CUT! https://t.co/7UuiMZirMF pic.twitter.com/s371jLSeEp

— Jenelle Evans (@PBandJenelley_1) July 23, 2022

“Teen Mom” premiered in December 2009, and featured four girls from the first season of the original show. Jenelle and three others from the second season were the focus of “Teen Mom 2,” which started airing in January 2011. People had been witness to how Jenelle had evolved as a person and as a mother. Her life wasn’t easy, as she continued making bad choices. Being a mom didn’t stop her from doing whatever she wanted, and fans couldn’t decide whether trouble always followed her, or she was the one looking for trouble, as she ended up with bad guys, a substance abuse problem, and numerous arrests.

Almost overdosed on heroin

Much of her trouble began when she took heroin – it was Kieffer Delp who introduced her to this highly addictive drug. At that time, Jenelle was reportedly assaulted by her boyfriend Gary Head, and sought comfort and support from Kieffer. It turned out that his way of doing it was by having her take drugs. She said, ‘Before I knew it, I was shooting up four or five times a day. I was hooked.’ Within one month, she was hospitalized thrice, and came close to dying, as she once blacked out and woke up on the bathroom floor without remembering what happened. She called her mom to ask for help, then quit cold turkey, and struggled through withdrawal symptoms.

Nude photos of Janelle leaked online

Tired of having small breasts, Jenelle had her breast augmented to a full “C” cup in 2012. She was quite happy with her enhanced curves, as she said that it was a big boost to her confidence. When she was devastated when she learned that her topless photos, before and after the surgery, circulated online for the entire world to see, and couldn’t stop crying about it. She accused Kieffer as the one responsible for the leak, saying that he took those photos while she was still under the effects of anesthesia. Kieffer admitted on Twitter that he never would have done it if she didn’t break his heart, and then ‘talk shit’ about him. The two had a huge fight after her ex-boyfriend Gary sent her flowers while she was recovering from her surgery – after kicking Kieffer out of the house, Gary kept her company and they talked about getting back together. Of note, Jenelle had an on-off relationship with the two guys.

Jenelle had an abortion

It was not surprising that her relationship with her first husband, Courtland Rogers, ended considering that she married him on a whim in December 2012, after her split from Kieffer. She moved back to her mother’s house in an attempt to wean herself off heroin addiction, and get her life back on track. When she learned that she was pregnant with Courtland’s baby, she thought it best to have an abortion. Having another baby was unfair to her son, Jace, when she didn’t have custody of him. Her mother was supportive of her decision, accompanied her to the clinic, and even paid for the procedure.

Over a dozen arrests

Jenelle was often in the news for being on the wrong side of the law. Her history of arrests dated back to October 2010 when she was dating Kieffer Delp; the two were arrested for breaking and entering the home of a friend’s mother in Oak Island. She was also charged with drug possession and was sentenced to one-year probation, but violated its terms by testing positive for THC. Over the years, she was arrested for several reasons, which included cyberstalking her former boss, beating up a girl in a fit of jealousy, violating a domestic violence protective order, and possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.

Custody battle over her son, Jace

Barbara Evans had been granted full custody of her grandson, Jace, since 2010, but Jenelle had visitation rights. At that time, it was quite evident that Jenelle was not ready to become a mother, as she lived without a care in the world. However, it didn’t stop her from trying to get her son back, and she and her mom often ended up in court. Her relationship with Barbara was never good, but there were times when it was her mother whom she turned to when she needed help. When Jace seemed to be acting up and Barbara couldn’t handle him anymore, she and Janelle agreed to co-parenting.

Fired from the TV show

Jenelle’s wild and crazy antics made her one of the most controversial stars in “Teen Mom 2.” The production didn’t need to create drama or intrigue, as the story of her life was perhaps better than anything that a writer could have come up with.

In May 2019, it was reported that Jenelle was fired from the show because her husband, David Eason, whom she married in September 2017, killed their French bulldog named Nugget. David admitted to shooting Nugget after it bit their two-year-old daughter, Ensley, on the face. ‘You can hate me all you want, but this isn’t the first time the dog bit Ensley aggressively,’ he said as he defended his action. ‘The only person that can judge whether or not an animal is a danger to MY CHILD is ME.’ He uploaded a video of his daughter moving her face closer to Nugget and the dog snapped at her; a close-up photo of Ensley revealed a red mark on her cheek, but there was no clear indication that the skin was broken. Meanwhile, a heartbroken Jenelle shared a photo of her with Nugget on social media, and wrote about how much she loved her dog.

As a result of this scandal, the couple temporarily lost custody of four-year-old Kaiser, and Ensley. Several people testified against David and Jenelle about issues at home that put their kids at risk, and the Child Protective Services ordered that Ensley and nine-year-old Jace were to stay with their grandmother, Barbara, while Kaiser would stay with her father, Nathan Griffith. The parents could only visit the kids for an hour once a week, with supervision. The couple parted ways for a while, but reconciled and regained custody of Ensley and Kaiser after five weeks.

David has no longer been part of the show since February 2018, due to his homophobic statements on social media, while Jenelle continued to film for MTV. In April 2019, the network finally cut ties with Jenelle after a decade of working with her, and although she was shocked, she respected their decision. In a statement issued by her management team, Jenelle was said to be moving forward, and would focus on her family and business endeavors.

Later on, she said in interviews that she believed that the reason she was no longer part of the show was not entirely because their family dog was killed. It was hard for her to comprehend why she was let go over something that happened off-camera, but not when she was doing illegal things, buying and taking drugs that were even caught on film. Also, she claimed that she was told over the phone that she was ‘let go for this season’, but not ‘fired’, although MTV didn’t clarify matters regarding this issue.

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One theory she had about parting ways with the network was that she was butting heads with the production over how she was portrayed on the TV series. At times, she felt like a puppet that did whatever they wanted her to do; she wanted to have a say in what was being aired about her. She also had something to say about the money she earned from filming. Admittedly, she said that they were paid well to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars each season, but felt that she should have been given more. When negotiating for renewal of contracts, she was given a five percent increase whenever she asked for a raise. With each new season, the rate was supposed to go higher, so to avoid that, new episodes were added to the previous season, instead of making them part of a new one.

Despite her discontent, she was grateful for the opportunities that came her way because of the reality series.  She hoped to be back on TV even if it was just one season, for a chance to show that her life was not as horrible as the production made it to be. Jenelle wanted a redemption story, one that would show her in a positive light.

There were rumors going around that she would be part of the spin-off series, “Teen Mom: The Next Chapter,” but she was quick to deny it in a video she posted in September 2022 on her YouTube channel. She was invited to a reunion special, but declined for reasons that she didn’t want to share. Jenelle said that she would rather create her own show and do her own thing, rather than go back to “Teen Mom 2” and be part of a clique. For fans who wanted to know about what her life was like after the reality show, she said that they just had to watch her vlogs online, at least for now, as she hinted that she was filming something.