15-year-old reality star admits boyfriend was only 12 when she fell pregnant

A teenager whose maternity story is set to become the focus of a new series of reality TV has admitted that her boyfriend was just 12 when she became pregnant.

15-year-old Bella Vaughn, who was 14 when she got pregnant, has hit back at criticism that has come in from some sections of the internet ahead of her debut on the latest series of TLC's Unexpected, which follows the ups and downs of teen pregnancies.

The young mom shocked the show's fans when the trailer for the new season dropped, in part due to the age-gap with her boyfriend Hunter, who is now 13.

With shade coming at her from all directions, Vaughn decided to respond to her critics in a video shared with her 60,000 TikTok followers.

One of the main points that the teen mom had to address in her response was that the father of her child - a boy named Wes - was not even a teenager when their baby was conceived.

“I understand it doesn’t make it any better. I understand he was sexually ready faster than I was, and that’s OK, but I was ready when we had sex,” she said.

Many online had questions for the reality TV star about the dubious ethics of her falling pregnant by a 12-year-old boy, questions that Vaughn revealed had also been asked by the police.

With the new mom facing harsh words before Unexpected has even aired, she shot back: “You can all stop saying that it was illegal and that I raped him because I didn’t.

"It was both intentional. On both sides, people have already said that. We’ve already talked to the cops about it. It was consensual.”

And although she is still a good six years away from being able to drink, Vaughn was adamant that she deserved the same treatment as any other mom, arguing: "Just because I am a teen does not make me any less of a mother.

"I am a mother. I did have that baby. I did grow that baby for nine, almost 10 months. Hunter is a father."

But that is not to say that her journey through teenage pregnancy has been straightforward or without contention, as at the very outset her parents and boyfriend Hunter's parents were at loggerheads.

Vaughn's family wanted to keep the baby, while Hunter's supported her getting a termination.

This led to some of her critics arguing that she had baby trapped the young boy, a claim that Vaughn forcefully pushed back on.

She said: “I did not ruin Hunter’s life. I gave, when I found that I was pregnant, I gave him the option. 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'."

And once Hunter had been given this choice, Vaughn revealed that 'he chose to stay with me. He chose to take care of our baby.'

Season 7 of TLC's Unexpected premieres February 16 at 9pm CET.