Eight years ago, Leah shared on Teen Mom 2 that she had suffered a miscarriage with her then-boyfriend Jeremy. But during tonight’s episode, she opted to “reveal the truth” about what happened in 2012 following the release of her brand-new memoir Hope, Grace, & Faith, in which she chronicles what actually unfolded.
“The miscarriage that played out on TV was an abortion,” Leah told her producer Brendan, just before footage rolled from Season 4. “I was not married to Jeremy; we were dating. But still, Corey was kind of really, really in my head around that time. I felt like I had f*cked up by getting pregnant.”
Leah then revealed this was before she was eight weeks along — and she made up the miscarriage because she felt “ashamed.”
“In West Virginia, abortion is a very controversial topic,” she continued about her home state. “So to me, it was like, ‘I don’t want anyone to know I did this.'” Including Jeremy, who at the time was told by Leah it was a miscarriage.
“I don’t think anyone understands the guilt. Like, I thought I was going to hell,” Leah added, wiping away tears. “I was also afraid he was going to be like, ‘You’re a murderer.'”
Still, Leah managed to find light at the end of the tunnel.
“What I’ve learned is that I get to love myself no matter what, even beyond the mistakes that I’ve made in my life,” she stated. “And I get to forgive myself because we’re all perfectly imperfect.”
She then tried to discuss this topic with Jeremy, but he “didn’t want to talk about it.” His take: Leah could have left out this part of her past. Her immediate response: “That’s not owning my sh*t.”
Jeremy then reflected on their history — and how she told him right in front of his parents’ house.
“I remember a lot of the time in my life, and I just never brought it back up to you,” he explained. “I never talked about it. We got back together and I just kind of left it alone.”
But now, they aren’t leaving it alone: The two addressed this difficult chapter in their relationship on camera and opted to move forward, all while remembering an unforgettable on-screen moment.
“You said, ‘Leah, if you can’t love yourself, you can’t love anyone else,'” Leah said, as the scene replayed. “I was like, ‘Damn.'”
Then they swapped “I love yous” — and a high-five. Be sure to keep watching Leah and her loved ones every Tuesday on Teen Mom 2 at 8/7c.
If you’re pregnant and considering an abortion, what matters most is how you feel about it. Bedsider can help inform you about your options and decide what’s right for you.
