Teen Mom 2 star Kailyn Lowry and Jo Rivera were in high school when they dated and became pregnant with their son Isaac. Navigating parenthood at such a young age was a challenge for both of them but became even harder when they decided to end their relationship.
The couple eventually went to court to determine custody of Isaac. Kail ended up with primary custody and now, 10 years later, Jo reflected on the initial custody agreement.
Kail co-hosts the Baby Mamas No Drama podcast with Jo’s wife Vee Rivera. During a recent episode, Jo joined the ladies and opened up about his regrets early on and the things he wished he knew so he could have handled everything differently.
Jo wishes he fought harder
Jo admitted that he was young at the time of the initial custody battle and he wasn’t aware of his rights as a father. He recognized that there was no reason the custody shouldn’t have always been 50-50.
He said, “I don’t feel like there was ever any reason for him not to be with me. I was young, I was naive, I didn’t know my rights, what I deserved to have, what my son deserve[d] to have. I was just trying to get what I could.”
He continued, “I didn’t fight hard enough. Like, I settled many times outside of court…I never actually let a judge or anyone hear what I had to say,”
Jo brought up finances and the role money plays in custody battles. He knew he was fortunate to be able to afford a good lawyer and that if he wasn’t able to, Kail would have been able to “outspend” him and gain the custody she desired.
Jo said, “I couldn’t imagine someone who didn’t have the resources that I had because I was blessed enough to be financially stable at that time when I really had to start getting into these fights…If you don’t have the representation or the knowledge, someone can just really just fight harder than you because they have more money and it’s true.”
Kail apologizes to Jo
During a recent episode of Teen Mom 2, Isaac, who is now 10-years-old, asked Kail if he could spend more time with her and their brothers instead of going to Jo and Vee’s.
Kail stood up for Isaac’s request and asked Jo if it was okay. Jo declined the request and didn’t think it was appropriate for Isaac to make those decisions.
Kail admitted on her podcast that she was wrong to allow Isaac to try to make that type of decision and apologized to Jo for suggesting it to him. Kail said she realized she was wrong after seeing her therapist.
Kail, Jo, and Vee continue to co-parent successfully with minimal drama. Jo may have some regrets regarding the early days but his ability to support Isaac and raise him together with Kail is admirable.
Fans can watch as they continue to navigate co-parenting on Teen Mom 2.
Teen Mom 2 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on MTV.
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