After teen mom finale, Catelynn and Tyler Baltierra reflect on their adoption journey and next steps

After a difficult season on MTV’s Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, Catelynn and Tyler Baltierra share the emotional toll of their ongoing adoption journey. Following the season finale’s revelation about their biological daughter Carly, the couple explains why they are choosing to step back from public conversations about the adoption.

A painful season finale for the Baltierra family

The latest season of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter has focused heavily on the complex relationship between Catelynn and Tyler Baltierra and Brandon and Teresa — the couple who adopted their biological daughter, Carly, in 2009. Throughout the season, viewers witnessed growing tensions and a lack of communication between the two families.

The emotional season finale, which aired May 22, brought new developments when Dr. Drew Pinsky reached out to Brandon and Teresa in an attempt to mend ties. Dr. Drew shared an update that Carly was “thriving,” and brought some hope for renewed communication. Despite this, Catelynn expressed feeling shut out. “It feels like they’re keeping this beautiful girl from me,” she said, though Dr. Drew reassured her it wasn’t intentional. Tyler added, “We can’t ever say we’re not grateful for them raising her,” acknowledging the complicated feelings involved.

Dr. Drew suggested a “reset” was needed to let negativity settle before communication could improve. Tyler admitted frustration at hearing this from Dr. Drew rather than directly from Brandon and Teresa.

A heartbreaking moment that reopened old wounds

In a surprising twist, Dr. Drew revealed that Brandon and Teresa had shared a recording of Carly singing in church — something she was proud of and wanted to share. The Baltierra couple requested to listen to the song privately, but their request was denied.

Tyler said, “The intention feels manipulative, I’m sorry.” He also expressed deep regret about placing Carly for adoption, admitting, “We didn’t know that we were going to get financially stable, we didn’t know that we would get resources to work on our mental health.”

Catelynn shared that she often has those same thoughts, and the couple supported each other emotionally. Tyler broke down in tears and apologized for how things had unfolded, to which Catelynn responded with compassion, reminding him they were young and didn’t know better at the time.

In their closing statements, Tyler said, “If I had to say anything to Carly … I’m so proud of you and I’m sorry. I love you and I miss you.” Catelynn added, “We would love to hear Carly’s song and I hope we get the chance someday. It would mean the world to listen to that.”

Clarifying their decision to step back

Ahead of the episode, the couple shared a heartfelt Instagram post addressing their reactions and explaining their decision to stop discussing Carly’s adoption publicly. They emphasized that they never refused to listen to Carly’s song but were overwhelmed by MTV’s surprise setup.

Tyler wrote, “We never pursued Dr. Drew’s help on our own; this was MTV’s idea because Brandon and Teresa were only willing to speak to their producers.” They requested time to process the song privately before sharing it on camera, but were told they could only hear it if it aired on television — and that they couldn’t keep a personal copy. “It was truly heartbreaking to have something so special dangled in front of us, only to have it ripped away,” Tyler said.

The couple also highlighted the ongoing challenges birthparents face in open adoptions, describing an “imbalanced power dynamic” where birthparents are vulnerable and often at the mercy of adopters. Tyler concluded, “As I’ve stated before, we won’t be mentioning our biological daughter or her parents anymore, and that’s why we’re actually relieved this episode is airing — so we can finally all move forward.”