Cate & Ty Break It Down

Episode: Q&A: Abortion, Leaked Photos and Being Soul Mates
Date: December 10, 2025
Hosts: Catelynn and Tyler Baltierra

Main Theme and Purpose

In this candid and emotionally honest Q&A episode, Teen Mom OG couple Catelynn and Tyler Baltierra take questions from their audience on Instagram—and attempt, with mixed results, to involve listeners live via TikTok. They reflect on their evolving views about adoption, open up about abortion and the very real complexities around teen pregnancy, address leaked photos of their biological daughter Carly, and share how they've managed to stay strong as a couple throughout the tumult of fame, parenthood, and personal growth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trying Out TikTok Live Q&A (00:10–06:13)

• Experiment with Fan Interaction: Cate and Ty try to pull questions from TikTok Live, hoping for fans to hop on and engage directly. The plan quickly proves technically challenging and distracting, so they revert to the traditional Instagram format.
• Behind the Scenes Vibe: They highlight how including live questions would give fans more "behind the scenes" accessibility.
• Memorable Hotel Anecdotes: Brief stories about chaotic hotel stays with kids set a candid, everyday tone.

2. Adoption, Dawn, and Their Evolving Perspective (07:21–09:49)

• Current Relationship with Dawn: Both Cate and Ty share appreciation for Dawn (their adoption counselor), noting they still have a good relationship and feel she truly advocated for their best interests and Carly's, even as their views on adoption have nuanced over years.

• Quote:
  “I have never, like, gotten an evil, not good, no feeling from Dawn. I've always felt very warm. She's always been very warm and welcoming and comforting and compassionate.”
  —Tyler (08:00)

• Reflection on Past Choices: Cate expresses some wishes for greater education at the time, but notes all parties were learning as they went.

3. Abortion: Personal History, Anxiety, and Openness (09:53–22:44)

• Did They Consider Abortion? Cate shares frankly that she did consider abortion at 16 when first learning she was pregnant, describing her immediate panic and her mother's direct question.

  • Cate's reaction was “yes” at first, prompted by fear (10:00–11:09).
  • Tyler recalls being asked if he’d accompany her, with no pressure either way—his role was supportive and information-based (10:45–11:09).
  • Tyler printed information about the abortion process for Cate so she could make an informed decision (13:23–14:16).
  • Cate talks about her underlying pro-choice beliefs, but, through researching and reflection, decided abortion wasn't the right path for her, feeling she would live with “the what-ifs” (16:18–17:06).

• Empathy for All Choices: Both stress respect for women's right to choose, regardless of their own path.

  • Tyler: “If any of our daughters ever came to us and said, ‘I’m experiencing a crisis unplanned pregnancy,’ the first thing I’m going to ask them is, ‘What do you want to do?’...If they want to get an abortion, I will be driving them to that clinic and we'll figure it out.” (18:54–19:11)

• Intergenerational Perspective:

  • Both Cate and Tyler share that their mothers also had abortions and that feelings of regret are not universal—Tyler’s mom, now a devout Christian, “has never regretted her abortion.” (20:32–21:22)

• Trauma and Crisis Pregnancy: Cate and Ty underscore that there is no “pain-free” path in crisis pregnancy—all choices come with their own forms of trauma.

  • “There is not really any good—there’s not really any good route to take… no matter what you do, you’re gonna experience trauma.” (17:06–17:28)

4. Privacy and Leaked Photos of Carly (24:47–31:20)

• Addressing Leaked Photos: Cate and Ty are upset by fan and “tea” pages finding and posting recent photos of Carly (their biological daughter, adopted at birth), especially with watermarks for clout.

  • “It’s violating. I think—it’s not right.” (25:09–25:25)
  • They defend their own record, explaining that after one early mistake with posting baby photos, they have honored boundaries set by Carly's adoptive parents and have never posted recent images showing her face.
  • “For some reason, people had this timeline of that we just kept repeatedly posting pictures of her or something after we got in trouble… That was filmed, the conversation. So it’s weird how people come up with their own [stories].” (25:51–26:22)

• Contrast with ‘Tea’ Pages: They point out the hypocrisy of those who criticize them for invasions of privacy but themselves share current, private images of Carly, with neither Cate nor Carly’s adoptive parents’ permission. (30:14–31:10)

5. Family Relationships: Healing and Boundaries (31:22–33:30)

• Cate’s Relationship with Her Mom: Describes it as “in a good place” but with clear, self-protective boundaries (e.g., no drinking around her or the kids) for safety and emotional health (31:22–32:23).
• Tyler & His Dad: More distant, mostly texts for big occasions; ongoing attempts to foster visits (33:00–33:15).

6. Open Adoption Update & Contact with Carly (33:15–43:01)

• Will Carly Live With Them as a Teen? Both agree she will not, and emphasize how happy they are that Carly is living a normal teen life.

  • “I love that she’s being a teenager, as she should.” – Cate (33:30–34:34)

• Current Status: The relationship with Carly’s adoptive parents (Brandon & Teresa) is distant—Cate realized about six months ago she was unblocked by Teresa but still gets no responses to her texts.

• Last Contact: Cate discusses her decision to stop reaching out to Teresa, and instead to write to a dedicated email address for Carly, to serve as a record and as a means to connect for Carly if she ever wants it.

  • “This is the last text message you’re ever going to receive from me ever again. I will continue to just...write to Carly's email when I have the urge...and that’s it. I'm not reaching out to you anymore. Like, I'm done.” (37:11–38:01)

• Philosophy: Tyler expresses peace with the idea that writing to the email is about him and Carly, “even if Carly wants it or not. Because if she doesn't want to see that email...that's also fine because this email was something really healing for me.” (42:06–42:54)

7. Kids and Public Recognition (43:01–47:45)

• Children & Fame: Nova (the eldest living daughter) is getting noticed in public as she enters middle school. Cate and Ty are proactively teaching her about boundaries, the differences in their family’s life, and personal safety.
  • “Nova made her first boundary probably, what, a year ago…where we asked her…do you care if we take pictures if people stop us?...and she said, yeah, you know what? No, I don’t want anyone to get pictures with us today, because I just want it to be me and you.” (44:58–45:34)
  • They always ask Nova before agreeing to fan photos and respect her wishes.

8. Marriage, Soulmates, and Keeping the Love Alive (48:19–58:14)

• On Being Together Forever: The couple take a lighthearted, confident tone (“You better be!” – Tyler, 48:22).

• Soulmates: Cate and Ty both believe deeply in soul mates, and describe a persistent, easy affection and commitment since they were young preteens.

  • “I feel like I just fall in love with you more every day, every year.” – Tyler (50:03–50:27)
  • Cate reflects on knowing “from day one” that she would marry Tyler: “I hung out once, and that night I knew I'd marry you.” (52:28–52:33)

• Hard Work vs. Right Fit: Both emphasize that while relationships take work, it shouldn’t feel like “debilitating hard labor.” They attribute their longevity to honesty, working on themselves individually, and naturally re-connecting (“We never go a day without hugging or kissing or touching or… connecting”). (50:28–50:53)

• Challenging Each Other Positively: Their strong communication and ability to “banter back and forth” about any issue is key.

• Never Considered Breaking Up: Both confirm they’ve never seriously considered ending their relationship—even during the hardest struggles.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Adoption and Dawn:
  “She’s a warm…such a sweet soul. Beautiful, beautiful person.” —Tyler, 08:13

• On Abortion and Personal Autonomy:
  “You might have certain views and then you find yourself in a situation…My first thought was like, yeah, maybe I would want to get abortion.” —Catelynn, 11:38

• On Parenting and Supporting Choices:
  “If any of our daughters ever came to us and said, ‘I’m experiencing a crisis, unplanned pregnancy,’ the first thing I’m going to ask them is, ‘What do you want to do?’” —Tyler, 18:54

• On Privacy and Leaked Photos:
  “It’s violating. I think…it’s not right.” —Tyler, 25:09

• On Relationship Longevity:
  “I feel like I just fall in love with you more every day, every year…” —Tyler, 50:03

• On Soulmates:
  “Soulmated so hard that we hung out once. And that night I knew I’d marry you.” —Catelynn (reading a TikTok), 52:28

• On Relationship Struggles:
  “Even the hard parts, I’m always like, ‘Alright, listen, we’re in a hard part,’ but I never saw the end…being not together.” —Tyler, 56:08

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:10–06:13: Attempted TikTok Q&A, behind-the-scenes and hotel anecdotes
• 07:21–09:49: Adoption, evolving perspective, and relationship with Dawn
• 09:53–22:44: Abortion — decision process, support, and generational views
• 24:47–31:20: Leaked Carly photos, privacy, and online boundaries
• 31:22–33:15: Cate’s relationship with her mom and Tyler’s with his dad
• 33:15–43:01: Update on adoption situation/contact with Carly
• 43:01–47:45: Nova and handling public recognition/kids and privacy
• 48:19–58:14: Relationship, soulmates, and sustaining love over the years

Tone and Style

Cate and Ty keep the conversation deeply personal, honest, humorous at times, and remarkably open about hardship, growth, and love. They oscillate between serious self-reflection and playful banter, maintaining a welcoming, non-judgmental attitude throughout, especially on sensitive topics such as abortion, privacy, and marriage.

For New & Longtime Fans

Tune in to hear Cate & Ty break down issues that have shaped their lives on and off TV, offering insights into not just parenting and relationships but growth, regret, boundary-setting, and the ongoing journey of healing. Whether you’re a fan from the MTV years or new to their podcast, this episode is a heartfelt, approachable look at their real lives.