If you were watching MTV back in 2010, you probably remember a very quiet, almost stoic girl named Nikkole Paulun. She was just 15 when she got pregnant. Her boyfriend, Josh Drummonds, was—to put it lightly—a nightmare on screen. Watching that episode now feels like a fever dream of red flags.
Josh spent most of the delivery room scenes complaining about being bored or trying to shove Nikkole over so he could nap in her hospital bed. He was 16 and already behaving like a person who didn't understand the concept of anyone else’s needs.
But the TV show was just the prologue. What happened with nikkole and josh 16 and pregnant after the cameras stopped rolling is actually way more chaotic than anything MTV aired. It involves prison sentences, a faked pregnancy that nearly broke the internet, and a messy life that most fans haven't fully kept up with.
The Hospital Room Fight Everyone Remembers
In the episode, Nikkole’s mom, Robyn, was the only one standing between Josh and total chaos. Josh was constantly "plucking" at Nikkole while she was in active labor. He even told her to "shut up" minutes before she started pushing. Honestly, it was hard to watch.
Most people think they just broke up and moved on. They didn't.
They stayed in this toxic, on-and-off loop for years. Nikkole later admitted that Josh struggled with severe, undiagnosed mental health issues and was self-medicating with drugs. She once described a terrifying night where he allegedly threw a rock through her window and climbed into her house after she tried to lock him out.
The Controversy That Changed Everything: Fakebabygate
By 2013, Nikkole was no longer on the show, but she was trying desperately to stay relevant in the "Teen Mom" world. She announced she was pregnant again. For months, she posted sonogram photos and belly shots.
Then, she claimed she had a stillbirth.
She told a heartbreaking story about her son, Ashton, being born sleeping. She even sold the story to Radar Online for a few thousand dollars. She told her young son, Lyle, that his brother had gone to heaven and gave him a teddy bear she claimed contained the baby's ashes.
But the internet sleuths were faster than her.
People noticed she was at a music festival in a tiny white bikini just days after this supposed full-term stillbirth. No swelling. No "post-baby" body. Just a flat stomach. Then, fans realized the "hospital documents" she posted to prove the birth were actually photoshopped records from her first son’s birth in 2009.
It came out that she had used a "Moonbump" and stolen sonogram photos from random blogs. Her own best friend eventually confirmed the whole thing was a lie. The rumor—which Nikkole has basically leaned into at times—is that she used the tabloid money to pay for a boob job.
Where is Josh Drummonds Now?
Josh didn't exactly find a "happily ever after" either. While Nikkole was building a life as a TikTok influencer, Josh was in and out of the legal system.
He’s had a string of arrests for things like:
- Check forgery (stealing from his own mother)
- Larceny
- Meth possession
- Aggravated robbery
As of the last few years, Josh has spent significant time behind bars. In 2021, reports circulated that he was serving a sentence in Michigan that could keep him incarcerated until 2026. Nikkole has often posted on social media about being "terrified" of him getting out, claiming he had threatened her and her family in the past.
It's a dark cycle. Even though she’s moved on, the shadow of nikkole and josh 16 and pregnant seems to haunt her content. She still posts "throwback" clips of him being mean to her in the hospital, which some fans find weird since she’s now a married woman with several other children.
Life in 2026: The New Reality
Nikkole is now Nikkole Ledda. She’s married to a man named Kyle, and they have a much more stable-looking life. She has three biological children: Lyle (from the show), Ellie, and her youngest, Bodhi.
Interestingly, for a long time, there were rumors that Nikkole didn't even have full custody of Lyle. Many fans pointed out that Lyle seemed to live primarily with Nikkole’s mother, Robyn, similar to the Jenelle Evans and Barbara situation. Nikkole has always fought back against these claims, but the "Teen Mom" fandom is nothing if not persistent with receipts.
Why Do We Still Care?
There’s something about the nikkole and josh 16 and pregnant story that serves as a cautionary tale. It wasn't just "teen drama." It was a glimpse into a very real cycle of domestic instability and the desperate lengths people go to for attention once the spotlight fades.
Nikkole eventually apologized—sort of—for some of her past behavior, but the fake pregnancy remains one of the biggest scandals in reality TV history.
What You Can Take Away From This
If you're following these creators for "mom-spo," keep a skeptical eye. Reality TV rarely shows the full wreckage left behind.
If you are looking for more updates, you should:
- Check the Michigan Department of Corrections database if you're looking for Josh's specific release status, as dates change with parole hearings.
- Watch Nikkole’s TikTok with a grain of salt; she is an expert at "rage baiting" or using her past trauma for views.
- Look into the actual resources for teen parents that 16 and Pregnant was originally supposed to highlight, rather than just the influencer drama.
The story of Nikkole and Josh didn't end when the credits rolled in Season 2. It just got a lot more complicated.
Next Steps: You can search the Michigan Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) using Josh's name to see his current status. Additionally, Nikkole's public social media profiles often contain "Story Time" videos where she addresses these old rumors, though her narrative tends to shift depending on the year.