MTV has put up with a lot from its Teen Mom cast members over the years.
But while the network has not taken issue with drug use, poor parenting or feuds that would make even the Real Housewives blush, producers have finally found a reason to cut ties with a series regular.
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, David Eason.
A day after the husband of Jenelle Evans got into scalding hot water for anti-LGBT messages he wrote on Twtter, MTV has announced that Eason will not appear on future Teen Mom 2 episodes.
Said a network spokesperson via statement:
“David Eason’s personal comments do not reflect the views of MT.
“With six weeks left of production on Teen Mom 2, effective immediately, we are ending our relationship with him.”
It’s unclear how this new could impact Jenelle’s storyline on the show and it’s also unclear whether Eason will be edited out of installments that have already been filmed.
But the bigot needed to go.
The controversy surrounding Eason started last week, after Evans shared a photo of herself holding a gun for target practice…
… just hours after 17 people were killed at a high school in Florida.
This led to a back-and-forth over gun control legislation and gun safety between Eason and a few critics on social media, one of whom suggested that parents could help the situation by educating their kids at home on the topic.
This prompted an angry reply from Eason, along with some harsh words (randomly) directed at gay and transgender individuals.
“And just what makes you think you have the right to tell me how to be a parent? Because you think you know me?” he asked in reply, adding:
“Lmao why don’t you go tell the homo and transgender parents to start teaching their kids better morals? Oh I forgot that’s supposed to be normal.”
Eason also called members of the LGBT community “abominations” at one point.
And in another since-deleted tweet, Eason – who has two kids from previous relationships – said he will teach his children “not to associate” with gay and transgender people because “if you lay down with dogs you get up with fleas.”
(For the record, Evans also has two children from previous sexual encounters: eight-year-old Jace and three-year-old Kaiser.)
Reaction to Eason’s cruel rant was swift and straightforward:
Most fans wanted to see him fired from Teen Mom 2.
And the same could be said for his co-stars.
“I’m absolutely disturbed by the comments David made regarding gay & transgender parents,” Tweeted Kailyn Lowry on Monday, while Chelsea Houska retweeted Lowry’s message.
“People are removed from shows for comments like that,” Lowry added in a series of tweets. “I just do not understand how the network is allowing them to get away with this.’
Well, it is not any longer.
Leah Messe, meanwhile, echoed her colleague’s statements, writing online:
“They need HELP! Something needs to happen! This is all disturbing to say they least, but not surprising!”
In a statement to TMZ, Jenelle spoke out on her husband’s behalf, saying the following to the celebrity gossip website:
“David didn’t understand how offensive people would get or how Twitter even works. Now that he realizes his voice is very strong within media/tabloids he has deactivated his account.
“He agrees he will keep his comments to himself from now on.
In other words: yes, Eason feels this way about gay people… but he won’t say it out loud again!
She continued:
“David doesn’t hate people from the LGBT community. My old manager was gay and used to be one of me and Davids close friends.
“We attended Farrah [Abraham]’s birthday in Miami with a lot of LGBT people there and he didn’t act in any type of way.
“We went had a good time and left … We are sorry for the comments that were made.”
LOL, what an amazing statement.
She actually used the we’re friends with a gay person defense!, along with the brand new hey, he hung out with some gay people and didn’t cause a major scene one time! defense.
Eason’s firing is not dissimilar from TLC letting Derick Dillard go from the Counting On franchise in the wake of his homophobic statements.
As you can see above, the question now turns to whether Evans will hit the road along with her terrible husband.
It’s clearly what some people want.
Do you think MTV ought to give it to them?
Should Jenelle stay or should she go?