Teen Mom’s Catelynn & Tyler Baltierra Say It’s ‘Not Fair’ Carly’s Adoptive Parents ‘Blocked’ Them

Brandon and Teresa Davis adopted the couple’s daughter when she was just a baby, as shown on MTV’s 16 and Pregnant. Though they opted for an open adoption and allowed the Baltierras to have contact with Carly over the years, those visits have dramatically reduced in recent years — according to Catelynn and Tyler.

Thursday’s episode of Teen Mom showed the fallout from Catelynn venting on social media about allegedly being left on read by the Davises, with Cate sharing that Teresa supposedly texted her, “The way that you speak about us online was very hurtful, so we’re not going to be responding.”

Tyler defended their online behavior, however, saying they will “always express how we feel about not getting visits.” He added, “I’m gonna share my story and that’s all I’m doing. If you’re not gonna talk to us no more, respect it. But I’m still going to keeping my promise that we made to Carly to send updates and pictures. That’s what we said.”

Catelynn went on to claim that she would sometimes send things to the Davis’ home, including flowers, cookies and even a blanket covered in photos of them from one of their visits. Those gifts were also apparently problematic, with Catelynn saying Teresa texted their adoption counselor, Dawn, saying, “We do not want them sending anything more to the house. It is so out of control and inappropriate.”

After Catelynn said she continued to send updates on their lives and photos of their other children — “so that Carly can see I was continuously sending updates” — she noted she wasn’t getting responses. That’s when Tyler said they could tell the messages weren’t even delivered, which they took to mean they had been “blocked.”

“You are closing the adoption. You are closing an open adoption with no explanation why!” exclaimed Tyler.

The pair later met up with Dawn to vent their frustrations about the Davises, with Catelynn saying adoption now “does feel very closed,” something which she said was giving her PTSD. “Now that contact has been blocked and I’m cut off; that does feel like you are putting a fine line in the sand of no more,” she said, as Tyler said, “Blocking is something children do.”

“If their opinion is different than yours and they’ve asked for space and they’ve asked for things to chill and it hasn’t happened, then is it the only alternative they can see?” Dawn then asked the couple, pointing out that the two “have a lot of power” thanks to their status as reality stars.

“When you put it out in public platform on social media, I read the comments, you know people make up their own narrative. A lot of hurt happens when we live our life out on social media,” she continued.

Catelynn explained that she would “100% step back” if she felt it was something Carly wanted, as Dawn asked whether it was “fair” to “put that kind of pressure on a young teenager.”

“If it’s coming from Brandon and Teresa’s fear or insecurity or she’s getting older and they’re not wanting contact, I will not stop reaching out,” Catelynn insisted. “I will not stop sending her gifts. I will not do it, Dawn. I will not.”

Dawn suggested that Carly was being put “in a very difficult position,” comparing it to a game of tug of war, before saying, “Sometimes we have to take a step back.”

“That’s not fair, Dawn,” Cate replied, breaking down in tears as she said, “I chose wanting to know information … when it comes to something I gave them, that is overly hurtful. I don’t think they understand what it does. You never had to give a child to somebody and live with that for the rest of your life. It’s just not fair.”

As Tyler asked what “an appropriate” amount of time would be to step back from contacting Carly, Dawn suggested they take a “pause.” She added, “We don’t know what tomorrow brings, we don’t know what three months from now is going to be.”

“I’m taking a pause until initiation happens not from me,” Tyler responded, as the group all noted that their journey isn’t over.

While this episode was filmed months ago, Catelynn told TooFab ahead of the season premiere that they remain blocked.

“There hasn’t been any improvement. We’re still blocked. I still have no way of communicating with them, even if I wanted to. So no, it’s still the same,” she told TooFab.

“Now I’ve kind of turned it to where I’m just trying to do adoption, adoptee advocation, so having adoptees use their voices and speak their situations and what would’ve helped them, you know?” she added. “So yeah, it’s been hard, but we’ll get through it.”

Catelynn and Tyler received some criticism from fans after they took to social media in real-time to share their frustrations with Brandon and Teresa while last season was airing. Despite this, Catelynn said she believes being on the MTV reality show hasn’t hurt the situation, but rather held Carly’s adoptive parents “accountable.”

“Honestly, part of me says that I think that if we weren’t on the show, I think they would’ve cut off contact a long time ago,” she told TooFab. “I think the show has kind of maybe had to hold them a little bit accountable for what they promised.”

“I truly believe that,” she continued. “I mean, usually, when a birth parent decides on an open adoption, most open adoptions close within the first five years, and that’s not because the birth parents want it to happen, it’s because the adoptive parents just do it. So I do think, you know, it is maybe– I think that they would’ve cut it off a long time ago, honestly, and not for Carly’s sake, I think, [but] for their own. But that’s just my personal opinion.”

Teen Mom: The Next Chapter airs Thursdays on MTV.