Whitney Purvis, who appeared in the first season of MTV’s 16 and Pregnant, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with a fatal overdose that occurred a month after her 16-year-old son died naturally.
According to arrest documents obtained by Today.com, Purvis, 33, was brought into jail on Monday, July 7. She is currently being held at Georgia’s Floyd County Jail without bond.
The reality TV personality, who participated in an episode of 16 and Pregnant’s first season in 2009, is accused of involuntary manslaughter as well as the manufacture and trafficking of dangerous narcotics.
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Purvis has also been charged with using a communication device to aid in a drug-related offense.
Purvis was arrested after being accused of providing a man a lethal combination of xylazine and fentanyl, known as ‘Tranq’, on February 16, 2025.
Purvis, according to the complaint, administered the medications to the victim, an adult man named John Mark Harris, ‘without intent to cause his death’.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, authorities discovered Harris unresponsive after responding to a call at his home earlier this year. Officers also observed evidence of suspected drug use at the location.
Harris, who was subsequently confirmed dead by authorities, was characterized in his obituary as a man with a ‘willingness to serve others’, according to The Mirror.
“Whether it was bandaging a wound, taking them to the airport, or providing a place to sleep for a while, he was prepared to help. “He loved fiercely and would do anything for one of his friends,” the obituary added.
The woman’s arrest occurs less than a month after the death of her son, Weston Owen Gosa Jr., with whom she was pregnant throughout the MTV series.
Deadline reported that Gosa died of natural causes while living with his father, Weston Gosa.
Following her son’s death, Purvis rushed to social media to mourn his passing and to disclose that her grandmother, who appeared on 16 and Pregnant, had also died.
“Losing you both within 6 months of each other feels like torture,” she said, according to the outlet.
“After my memaw died, I felt like something was missing. She raised me, so it was like losing my mother. I ultimately came to terms with it, knowing that she is no longer suffering. When my kid died, it felt like time stood still.
“I still have two more sons that need me. As much as I feel like life has no meaning anymore, I need to find the courage to get out of bed and face another day for them, which is difficult.
“I hope with time it gets easier but for now I’m just existing for them and not for myself.”
UNILAD has contacted the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office for further information.
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