Chelsea DeBoer is reflecting on her time in the spotlight and how her perspective has changed since leaving MTV’s “Teen Mom 2.” The longtime reality star, who first appeared on “16 and Pregnant,” recently shared that she now feels more protective of her children’s privacy after years of filming.
Speaking with PauseRewind, DeBoer explained that while she is grateful for her experience on MTV, she would approach things differently today.
Chelsea DeBoer Reflects on ‘Teen Mom 2’ and Protecting Her Kids
DeBoer said her biggest takeaway from her years on “Teen Mom 2” was learning how much of her children’s lives to share publicly.
“Looking back, I don’t know if I would choose that again at this point. I’m so grateful for [the show] and everything, I’m just saying, like, for our kids now,” DeBoer said.
She added that her priorities shifted as her family grew. “I think the biggest thing that we learned as we’ve gotten older and the kids have gotten older, is we really want to be selective on how we show the kids, how much we show the kids, and just really trying to protect them.”
DeBoer shares daughter Aubree with her ex-boyfriend Adam Lind, and children Watson, Layne, and Walker with her husband, Cole DeBoer.
She also previously spoke about how filming became more difficult toward the end of her time on the show. In an interview with Glamour in October 2025, DeBoer said, “It wasn’t about the camera crew… It was my body rejecting it because I felt like I was ready to move on.”
The Former MTV Star Says HGTV Show ‘Down Home Fab’ Feels Different
After leaving “Teen Mom 2” in 2020, DeBoer returned to television with HGTV’s “Down Home Fab,” which recently completed its third season.
“I was kind of nervous going into it… it was such a different dynamic,” DeBoer said. She compared the tone of her previous show to her current project. “Reality TV such as ‘Teen Mom’ was very chaotic, you know, a little negative from time to time. It was a totally different feeling when we started [at] HGTV.”
DeBoer said she quickly became comfortable with the new format. “They want us to look good. They want people to love us, and they want to show our true personality… I trust these people 100% and I’m not nervous about anything. I can say whatever.”
She also explained how she and Cole set boundaries for their children on the HGTV series. “I went into this saying I will be open and honest about everything, but off-limits is deep diving into my kids,” DeBoer said. “And HGTV was wonderful and has respected that since the beginning.”
DeBoer also revealed that her opportunity with HGTV began with a message she later deleted. “I just sent a little DM… and I remember, I deleted it right after I sent it, because I was like, ‘I’m so embarrassing,’” she said.
After landing the show, she said she wished she had kept it. “So then after we got the show, I was like, ‘Oh, I wish I could see that message.’”
