“Stop Saying That It Was Illegal” — TLC ‘Unexpected’ Couple Features a 13-Year-Old Dad

If you couldn't get enough of seeing minors getting pregnant and dealing with the aftermath of their choices on Teen Mom, now TLC has you covered with Unexpected. Like the MTV series, Unexpected chronicles the lives of pregnant teenagers who have to navigate their academic, social, and family lives.

There's one Unexpected couple in particular that is uncomfortable to discuss, even by reality TV teen pregnancy standards.

That's Bella and Hunter, who were 14 and 12 years old, respectively, when they found out they were going to be parents.

While Hunter was 13 years old during filming of the TLC series, he and Bella conceived their child when he was just 12. The Arkansas couple welcomed their son Wesley into the world in March of 2025.

The Mirror reports that Bella commended her parents for being supportive of her throughout her pregnancy, even stating that they were "better than other" mothers and fathers for their reaction to the news.

Hunter's mom and dad had different opinions. According to reports from Unilad, they supported her getting an abortion, seeing as she's still not old enough to apply for a credit card.

Bella's life choices and reality TV infamy have apparently blossomed into a sizable social media following for the very young mother.

In a TikTok video, she confirmed that she discovered she was pregnant on the eve of Hunter's 13th birthday. Additionally, she went on to state that just because she was in high school and he was in middle school, her relationship with him wasn't predatory or illegal.

She says in her clip, "You can all stop saying that it was illegal. It was consensual on both sides. People have already said that. We've already talked to the cops about it."

According to the legal team Norwood & Norwood, the age of consent in Arkansas is 16 years old. And anyone who has sex with a minor under the age of 14 has to carry out a minimum jail sentence of 25 years.

However, the law firm also goes on to state that there are certain "Romeo and Juliet" exceptions, where minors who are closer in age may be protected from the aforementioned ramifications. As Norwood & Norwood writes in its blog post, "The purpose of this exception is to avoid prosecuting young individuals for engaging in normal, age-appropriate relationships."

So it appears that Bella was referencing this particular exemption in her TikTok video. And in the same clip, she clapped back at assertions that she ruined Hunter's life by getting pregnant. The teen made it very clear in her video that she told Hunter she was completely fine with having a child on her own.

"When I found out that I was pregnant, I gave him the option," she said. "I said, ‘If you can’t do this or you don’t want to be here, that is fine. I understand we’re both very young, but I can do this on my own or with you. It’s your decision. Whatever you choose, I’m fine with. He chose to stay with me. He chose to take care of our baby," she said in the video.

Bella also had something to say about folks who believe her mother and father, Falen and Kris Vaughn, are glorifying teen pregnancies by posting about their daughter on TikTok. Bella argued that her mother had a TikTok account before her daughter even became pregnant.

So while they definitely were able to get their follower counts up as a result of Bella's pregnancy, the young mom maintained that her parents have been rock solid: "They support me, they take care of me, they help me take care of my kid because I am a teen, so I can't do everything right now."

Unexpected airs on TLC Monday nights at 9 p.m. EST/8 p.m. CST.