For the first time since her surprising split from former fiance Jaylan Mobley, Teen Mom: The Next Chapter star Leah Messer is getting candid about how she feels and what her futures plans hold. Leah told PEOPLE she’s currently “doing great”, but “[at] the beginning of my breakup, it was difficult” because of the heartbreak she endured and how long it takes to recover from emotional turmoil like that.
“But there’s a healing process, there’s a grieving process after any breakup,” Leah said. “You form an attachment with someone and a connection, and you get to grieve that if that relationship doesn’t align.”
Leah and Jaylan got engaged in August after less than one year of dating, and just two months after that, they called off their engagement in October. It was pretty shocking to say the least, but Leah is now focusing on her future with her 13-year-old twins Aleeah and Ali, who she shares with with ex Corey Simms, and 9-year-old daughter Adalynn, who she shares with ex-husband Jeremy Calvert. Leah said she’s “excited to spend the holidays with my daughters and continue to do what we do as a family.”
To announce their split, Leah and Jaylan released a joint statement, saying, “While the last year has been tremendously exciting for both of us, we’ve realized that it’s best we walk separate paths.” It was shared alongside a black-and-white photo of themselves holding hands. They further said they’s “grateful” for the time they spent together, and wanted to “move forward as friends”. We will “forever have love and respect for each other”, they added.
While they seemed happy together, the cracks in their relationship started to show around the time they got engaged. On Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, Leah made it clear that she didn’t like Jaylan seeking her stepdad’s blessing before proposing. It led to an argument that basically ruined their engagement evening. Jaylan also didn’t initially put Leah on the deed to their house, which raised red flags amongst fans of the show.