When we talk about the most chaotic seasons of MTV’s 16 and Pregnant, Season 5 usually takes the crown. It was the year of the "one-night stand" drama and the infamous cockroach-infested crib. But tucked in the middle of all that noise was Karley 16 and Pregnant—specifically Karley Deatherage (then Shipley)—a girl from Tooele, Utah, who wasn't just dealing with a teenage pregnancy, but a high-risk twin pregnancy and a "bad boy" husband who probably should have spent more time reading parenting books and less time looking at used trucks.
Honestly, Karley's story is one of those that sticks with you because it felt so... suburban middle-class messy. It wasn't just about the babies; it was about the collision of Mormon culture, teenage impulsivity, and a mother-in-law dynamic that was destined to explode.
The Twin Factor: Why Karley's Episode Stood Out
Most girls on the show were terrified of one baby. Karley was 17 and staring down a double stroller.
Her daughters, Amariah Dawn and Amayah Lynn, were born prematurely on November 14, 2013. If you remember the episode, the names themselves became a bit of a meme in the Teen Mom fandom—people either loved the matching "Am" vibe or thought it was a recipe for confusion. But the medical reality was no joke. Amariah weighed 4 lbs, 14 oz, and Amayah was 5 lbs, 9 oz. Having twins in a small Utah town while living under your parents' roof is a pressure cooker.
And then there was Tony.
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Tony Shipley was the "reformed bad boy" who, frankly, didn't seem all that reformed. The tension in that house was thick enough to cut with a knife. You had a young couple trying to play house in a bedroom while Karley’s mom was hovering, likely because she saw the writing on the wall before the ink was even dry.
The Truck Fight: A 16 and Pregnant Hall of Fame Moment
You can't talk about Karley 16 and Pregnant without mentioning the truck. It is the definitive moment of Season 5, Episode 6.
Tony decided that what a family of four—including two infants—needed was a second-hand truck. The problem? It was a two-seater.
- He spent their limited savings on it.
- It didn't work properly.
- You literally couldn't fit two car seats in it.
The resulting screaming match between Tony and Karley’s mother is legendary. It wasn't just about a vehicle; it was about a young man's desperate, misplaced attempt to "feel like a man" and "provide," even if his version of providing was completely impractical. Tony ended up storming out and going back to his parents' place, leaving Karley stuck in the middle. While they eventually made up and sold the truck, the cracks in the foundation were massive.
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Where is Karley Deatherage Now?
If you're looking for a fairy tale ending where they beat the odds, I’ve got some bad news. Life happened.
Karley and Tony split up about six months after their episode aired. They did the "teen marriage" thing, realized it was a disaster, and moved on. As of 2026, Karley has stayed relatively low-profile compared to the stars of Teen Mom OG or Teen Mom 2, but she’s been open about a few things on social media over the years.
- The Divorce: It was finalized years ago. They are definitely not together.
- The Church: Karley has indicated she is no longer active in the LDS church, which was a big part of her initial storyline.
- The Kids: Amayah and Amariah are pre-teens now. Let that sink in. The "16 and Pregnant" babies are nearly the age Karley was when she filmed the show.
- Controversy: There was a weird moment on Twitter (X) a few years back where Karley joked about losing her "dealer's number," which sparked a feud with fellow alum Sarah Rice. Sarah called her "trashy," and the two went back and forth for a bit before the drama fizzled out.
The Reality of the "Twin" Statistics
People often wonder why Karley wasn't picked for the main Teen Mom cast. Usually, MTV looks for the highest level of sustainable drama or a specific "type." Karley was almost too relatable in her struggle. She worked a full-time job, she stayed single for a long stretch to focus on her girls, and she didn't have the constant legal run-ins that fueled the careers of people like Jenelle Evans.
Actually, research into the 16 and Pregnant cohort shows that mothers of twins face significantly higher rates of postpartum depression and financial instability. Karley actually admitted to struggling with PPD after the girls were born, which adds a lot of context to her "flat" or "tired" demeanor during the later parts of her episode.
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What You Can Learn from Karley’s Story
If you're watching Karley 16 and Pregnant today, it serves as a bit of a time capsule. It reminds us that teen marriage is rarely the "solution" to a teen pregnancy—it often just adds another layer of legal and emotional stress to an already impossible situation.
Next Steps for Fans and Researchers:
If you're following the lives of the Season 5 cast, your best bet is to look for Karley under her maiden/current name, Karley Deatherage, on Instagram. She doesn't post often, but when she does, it’s usually updates on the twins. For those looking into the broader impact of the show, the National Bureau of Economic Research actually did a study suggesting that 16 and Pregnant led to a 5.7% reduction in teen births in the 18 months following its introduction. Karley's episode, with its raw look at the exhaustion of twins and the failure of a "save-the-baby" marriage, is a perfect example of why that show worked as a deterrent.
Check out the MTV archives or Paramount+ if you want to re-watch the "Truck Saga"—it's still as cringey today as it was in 2014.