The cause of death for Valerie Fairman, the former star of 16 & Pregnant on MTV, has been revealed, and it is both tragic and familiar.
As reported earlier today, the 23-year-old Valerie Fairman died this week following a string of legal and apparent personal problems.
It appears that her tragic demise was consistent with those issues.
Valerie’s mom tells TMZ she was at a friend’s home in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, yesterday when the friend repeatedly called for Valerie.
The reality star was in the bathroom, but she did not come out.
After not getting a response, the friend broke down the door and found her unresponsive; Valerie Fairman would not regain consciousness.
Officials suspect that a drug overdose was likely to blame.
The coroner is conducting toxicology tests to determine the official cause of death, but all signs point to an overdose, according to TMZ.
Valerie’s child, 7-year-old Nevaeh, is currently with her mom.
Nevaeh lived with Valerie’s parents for a long period during the series; Nevaeh’s father, Matt, struggled to accept that he was the dad.
For her part, the troubled Fairman had struggled for years.
Last year, she was arrested on prostitution charges and, just last week, she for resisting arrest and providing false ID to law enforcement.
It’s not clear what she was initially being arrested for in that situation, but she reportedly attempted to run from police, who subdued her.
News of Fairman’s death hit the MTV world hard today.
Her fellow reality stars and alumni turned to social media in droves to share memories and send their prayers to her grieving family.
“How incredibly sad. My heart goes out to her daughter and family,” Teen Mom 2’s Chelsea Houska, her co-star on 16 & Pregnant, wrote.
Jenelle Evans added, “Oh my god. I just spoke to her a couple months ago and told her I’m proud of her and looks like she’s doing good.”
“Don’t take life for granted,” Evans added.
“Hold your children and love them close.”
A spokesperson for MTV said in a statement:
“We are saddened by the news of Valerie Fairman’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time.”
David Pryce, a man purported to be her ex, posted a message on Twitter that seemed to confirm Valerie’s drug problem:
“I will always miss you Valerie,” Pryce said.
“I am want to tell anyone who is selling shit to people to stop. We have lost too many loved ones to what you are doing.”
“I am going to start taking care of it.”
Fairman and her then-boyfriend Matt were featured on Season 2 of 16 & Pregnant, the forerunner to MTV’s popular Teen Mom series.
They welcomed Neveah (which is HEAVEN spelled backwards) and the show followed her (sans Matt, mostly) through early motherhood.
16 and Pregnant spawned three spin-off series: Teen Mom (now Teen Mom: OG), Teen Mom 2 and Teen Mom 3 (3 quickly went off the air).
Amber Portwood, Farrah Abraham, Maci Bookout and Catelynn Lowell of Teen Mom: OG all appeared on Season 1 of 16 & Pregnant.
Chelsea Houska, Leah Messer, Jenelle Evans and Kailyn Lowry were on 16 & Pregnant Season 2 with Fairman before Teen Mom 2.
The popular shows have won praise for showing the hardships of teen parenting, with teen pregnancy rates on the decline since 2009.
At the same time, the programs have been criticized for glamorizing / making celebrities out of the young, often troubled women featured.
