Whitney Purvis, who was on MTV’s 16 and Pregnant, was taken into custody in Georgia a few months ago. What happened? Let’s get to the bottom of this.
Whitney was taken into custody in Floyd County, Georgia on July 7, 2025. She’s 33. She’s charged with involuntary manslaughter. Even if she didn’t mean to, that means she’s responsible for someone’s death. And two other drug related charges.
John Mark Harris was the victim in this case. He was 37. According to the police, Whitney gave him Tranq. Xylazine and fentanyl. He overdosed on this on February 16, 2025 and died. Whitney is being held without bond in Floyd County Jail.
Whitney has had run ins with the law before. She’s gotten in trouble before. She was arrested in 2010 for stealing a pregnancy test. She was held in contempt of court in 2014 for not providing child support. This is a much bigger deal than those.
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Whitney had another big blow just a month prior to this arrest. On June 2, 2025 her 16 year old son Weston Jr. died. At the time Weston Jr. was living with his father Weston Gosa Sr. According to Whitney’s Facebook post her son had been sick with diabetes, Addison’s disease and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. She said he didn’t get proper treatment but the son’s father denied those claims.
Whitney posted on social media after Weston Jr. passed away. She said her life has come to a standstill. Her grandmother who was on 16 and Pregnant had also passed away six months prior. That was like losing a mother to Whitney because she was raised by her grandmother.
One thing after another has been going wrong for Whitney her whole life. She lost custody of her two boys in 2024. Things got worse after that because they didn’t pay child support. Now the responsibility for John Mark Harris’s death is on him. His life is getting more complicated because of all this.
Whitney gave John Mark Harris a very dangerous drug called Tranq according to the police. Xylazine is an animal tranquilizer, fentanyl is a powerful opioid. Together they can be deadly. The DEA is looking into this. They say Fentanyl deaths are now very common.
Also Whitney wrote a piece for John Mark Harris. She said John was one of a kind to her. They both loved to cook and helped each other. John got props from Whitney and she mentioned cherishing their memories. But that connection has gotten them into trouble now.
Whitney’s life was turned upside down and so were the viewers of Sixteen and Pregnant. The show premiered in 2009 and Whitney was 17 when she first appeared on TV. Her life has had its ups and downs since then but nobody could have predicted this.
The dangers of drugs and mental health are highlighted through Whitney’s story. She may have been led down the wrong path by a string of bad luck in her life. But their choices weren’t right. The court will now decide what their punishment will be.
That’s the latest on Whitney Purvis, guys. Her sad life story teaches us a lot. In tough situations make the right decisions, take care of your mental health and stay away from drugs.
Mark Phury is a dynamic sports enthusiast with a knack for capturing the thrill of the game. With 3 years at Hindustan Times, he delivers sharp, engaging stories that resonate with fans. Reach him at markphury@gmail.com for insights that score every time.