Case of the Ex: 'Teen Mom' Star Leah's Protection Order Against Jeremy Calvert Explained

MTV's Teen Mom franchise has undoubtedly come a long way. Since the reality TV spinoff of MTV's 16 and Pregnant aired in 2009, the show has followed the cast's stories, allowing fans to see them go from teen moms to 30-something moms. Seeing them and their kids grow is something devoted fans have come to admire. The love for Teen Mom has birthed several spinoffs within the franchise, including Teen Mom 2, Teen Mom OG and Teen Mom: The Next Chapter.

The latter spinoff focuses on some Teen Mom fan favorites fans have watched over the years. Leah Messer, who has been with the franchise since Season 2 of 16 and Pregnant, returned to the show for Season 4 of Next Chapter in 2024.

In one episode from the season, Leah discussed her ongoing protection order from her ex-husband, Jeremy Calvert. She shared what led to the order and how she plans to move forward for their daughter, Adalyn "Addie's" sake.

The Sun reported in December 2023 that Leah and Jeremy were involved in an altercation in late November 2023.

The incident occurred at the restaurant where Leah works as a server. Jeremy and his girlfriend, who a friend at the restaurant called his "new wife," allegedly "harassed" her at her workplace. At one point, the girlfriend, reportedly Brooke, threatened to "clock" Leah.

“Ms. Messer was visibly upset regarding the incident and stated she was in fear of how aggressive the suspect was being,” a source reportedly told reality TV fan account The Ashley’s Reality Roundup. “They stormed in, and [he] was intimidating Leah. He had a group of guys with him, as well as his girlfriend, backing him up. The big group made a huge commotion inside the restaurant.”

Leah's manager reportedly called the police on Jeremy and his girlfriend. On Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, she said the police advised her to go to a Magistrate Court to file a DVP (Domestic Violence Protection Order), which she did soon after the altercation. No criminal charges were filed against Leah or Jeremy "due to lack of suspect information."

Leah discussed her and Jeremy's case on Teen Mom: The Next Chapter. In a confessional, Leah shared that she filed a protection order against Jeremy and that their daughter, Addie, was with him when he was served with court papers.

"Right after I filed against Jeremy, he got served for the court hearing," she said. "And unfortunately, Addie was with him.

A scene from the episode showed Leah asking Addie if she was "mad" at her for serving her dad in front of her. Addie said she was initially mad at her mom and thought it was her fault that her dad was in trouble. In her interview, Leah admitted that hearing her daughter blame her for her dad being in legal trouble "hurt." However, she said she "had to do what I needed to do" to protect her family and herself, though she wishes it didn't happen in front of their daughter.

"It's really challenging to try and have a relationship with a toxic ex when you have a child that definitely loves them," Leah explained in her confessional. "I mean, it definitely hurts that Addie would think that I would do something that would hurt her dad, but I know that I did what I needed to do."

"I believe in being honest with Addie," she added. "I think she's very smart. But even though she's very smart, she's still a kid and really should not be experiencing any of this."

As of this writing, Leah and Jeremy's court proceedings are ongoing. The exes married in October 2011 and only had their daughter Addie during their marriage. Leah is also a mom to twins Ali and Aleeah, with whom she shares with her first husband, Corey Simms.