'16 & Pregnant' Whitney Purvis Arrested For Involuntary Manslaughter A Month After Son's Death

Whitney Purvis lands in severe hot water while mourning the death of her 16-year-old son.

The "16 & Pregnant" star is reportedly in police custody for causing the death of one victim who overdosed on a drug she sold.

Whitney Purvis' latest controversy came over a month after she suffered the personal tragedy of losing her teenage son to death by natural causes.

The former "16 & Pregnant" star was reportedly picked up on Monday, 7 July 2025, in Floyd County for involuntary manslaughter. Purvis was charged with intentionally supplying her now-dead victim with a drug identified as Tranq.

Tranq is a combination of Fentanyl and Xylazine. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, "Tranq" is a sedative approved by the FDA for veterinary use. Xylazine can reportedly slow down the heart rate, breathing levels, and blood pressure to dangerously low levels when consumed.

The combination reportedly led Purvis's victim, John Mark Harris, to suffer a toxic overdose, which ultimately led to his passing. According to TMZ, the former reality star was also arrested on two other charges, including possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

The present arrest for involuntary manslaughter is not the reality star's first rodeo in police custody. In 2019, she was arrested in Georgia for shoplifting and using a pregnancy test kit at a local Walmart store.

She reportedly tried exiting the store through the side door, but that escape was prevented by the store security, who called for local police after putting her under citizen's arrest. Purvis was then transported to the local police station, where she was booked for misdemeanor theft by shoplifting.

The same year, the star and her baby daddy were picked up for allegedly destroying some electronics. Purvis and her boyfriend were taken into custody after a complaint came in that they smashed a phone and a laptop.

They were arrested for criminal trespassing following a warrant to pick them up at home and eventually released on a $1,300 bond. In 2024, Purvis found herself embroiled in another police drama when she was arrested for failing to make her child support payments.

Following her arrest, the judge ordered her to spend 48 hours in jail and pay an additional $20 monthly fee in addition to her current $353 monthly child support payment.

Purvis's son, whom she welcomed with Weston Gasa Sr. in 2009, passed on early last month, according to the details in her Facebook post. She described her son, Weston Gosa Jr.'s death, as her "worst nightmare come true."

"He was only 16 years old. Life is so cruel and unfair. I just dont understand. Oh my baby is gone and I don't know what to do with myself," the former TV personality declared.

She expressed her grief and disbelief over accepting a reality where he beloved son does not exist. "I don't want it to be real. I would do anything just to hold him.Words just can't describe the pain I am feeling," Purvis continued.

While the former reality star did not inform the public about the cause of his death, Gosa Jr.'s stepmom confirmed that the family had ordered an autopsy.

She noted that the 16-year-old Gosa Jr. was not breathing when they tried waking him up around 7 a.m. that morning. He was eventually pronounced dead at the hospital in Gordon County.

"He had several health issues as well as diabetes. We are completely heartbroken and in shock. It was so unexpected. Losing a child is the most painful thing I have ever experienced, and I hope I never experience it again," his stepmom shared.

PEOPLE reported that Purvis had lost custody of both sons she welcomed with Gosa Sr., since their split after welcoming their second son, River, in 2014.

A few weeks after she shared the news of her son's death, the media personality took to Facebook to update fans on the state of things. Purvis alleged that her ex-boyfriend denied her and her family entry into the funeral service for their late son.

She declared that her baby's father and his new wife have spun a false narrative about her for years, but she would stand up in her defense this time. Purvis alleged that her ex gave her the wrong time for the ceremony in an attempt to exclude her from the arrangement.

"You would think with little Weston dying that we could put our differences aside right? Nope. It always has to be drama," the star noted. She continued that her signature was required to cremate him, but he would not let her say her goodbyes to the late teenager.

"This is truly just a sad and hopeless situation altogether. Little Weston didn't deserve to be put in the middle of us. He deserved better parents, myself included," Purvis concluded.

Gosa Sr. came forward with his account, noting that he had informed everyone that a viewing ceremony would take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

He noted that he relayed the information to his former partner, who reportedly arrived 15 minutes late to the event. Gosa Sr. explained that by the time she arrived at the ceremony, the chapel doors had been locked.

Purvis had once touched on their co-parenting relationship over the years. She accused her ex of withholding access to her kids, a situation she felt helpless addressing, as she could not afford legal fees.

The former reality star and her ex both appeared on MTV’s “16 & Pregnant” during its first season in 2009.

Will Whitney Purvis get a jail term for her latest run-in with the law?