Rachel Beaver became familiar to reality-TV audiences through MTV’s Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant, where cameras followed her as she transitioned into motherhood as a teenager. Her life was notable for its focus on teen motherhood, complicated relationships and family disputes and the uncertainty that came with raising a child and finding her own future.
Beaver is from Madisonville, Tennessee, and joined Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant in its second season in 2019. She was 17 at the time and already a mother to her daughter, Hazelee, who had been born that year.
Unlike other reality personalities who became famous through carefully orchestrated appearances on TV, Beaver’s life was centered around relatable but complex elements of young adulthood. Her relationships, co-parenting issues and experiences as a young mother were the core of the show. Years later, she continues to enjoy social media and occasional entertainment coverage.
Take a closer look at Rachel Beaver’s career, relationships, children and life after reality TV.
Early Life & Background
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Rachel Beaver was born on April 8, 2002, and grew up in Madisonville, Tennessee. She became a mother at a fairly young age, and it became the defining element of her public story.
Before appearing on MTV, Beaver’s life was centered around non-entertainment areas. She was not an established actress or TV personality.
Her introduction to television came through her experiences as a young mother and the difficulties that came with the birth of her first child.
When she joined Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant, she described herself as a fairly average teenager who was surprised that her life had become something that millions of people would follow on TV. She also believed that other young mothers could relate to her experiences. That became an important part of her identity on the show, as its format did not celebrate motherhood but focused on the difficulties that came with raising a child as a teenager.
Becoming a Mother as a Teenager
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Rachel’s first pregnancy was the start of her Teen Mom story.
She became pregnant while juggling a complicated relationship with Drew Brooks and his friend Jacob Russell. There had been initial uncertainty as to who the biological father of her child, Hazelee, would be. A paternity test later established that Drew Brooks was the one.
Rachel gave birth to her daughter, Hazelee Rae Beaver, on February 22, 2019.
Her becoming a mother at 16 became one of the core aspects of the story that viewers followed when she eventually joined Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant. She was forced to deal with motherhood at an age when many people are still learning what they want to do with their lives.
Therefore, the show’s series became less about teenage celebrities and more about the difficulties of raising a child and finding one’s own path in life.
Rachel Beaver & Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant
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Rachel joined Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant in its second season, which premiered in October 2019. She was one of the new mothers that joined the franchise, along with Kiaya Elliott.
Her storyline included her relationship with Drew, questions surrounding co-parenting and the involvement of her family. Her mother, Stephanie, was another part of the show, and viewers saw disagreements between Rachel and her family over relationships and parenting.
Rachel’s story was representative of the difficulties that one could face in balancing a relationship and parenting a child.
At one point, she described being a single mother as being particularly challenging. In a 2022 interview, she stated that she wished that she had known how difficult it could be to raise a child without having emotionally settled into a romantic partner.
Her Relationship With Drew Brooks
Drew Brooks was one of the most important figures in Rachel’s early Teen Mom story, as he was Hazelee’s father.
She and Drew had an on-and-off relationship. Their story was complicated by Drew’s legal troubles and his inconsistent presence in Hazelee’s life.
During the show’s third season, Rachel balanced Drew’s attempts at reconnecting with his daughter. She did not want to keep Hazelee from a relationship with her father but was also concerned about the uncertainty that had surrounded Drew’s life.
The relationship eventually evolved toward a co-parenting focus. In 2020, Rachel publicly stated that she and Drew were not together but were trying to be friends and co-parent their daughter.
Their relationship became representative of one of the recurring themes of Teen Mom: separating romantic issues from the responsibilities of parenting.
Jacob Russell & the Early Love Triangle
Jacob Russell was another of Rachel’s significant figures in her early story.
She had been involved with Drew while still having a connection with Jacob, who was Drew’s friend. This situation created uncertainty around the paternity of her first child, and it became a major story when her pregnancy was documented.
The paternity issue was eventually resolved through a test, which confirmed that Drew Brooks was Hazelee’s father.
Rachel eventually moved on from both relationships.
Other Relationships
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Rachel’s romantic life continued to attract attention during and after her MTV tenure.
She became linked to Koty Monroe after her relationship with Drew and Jacob ended. She also later dated Noah, whose relationship with Rachel became a part of the show’s third season. His and Rachel’s relationship eventually ended, however. During the final period of her tenure in the series, viewers saw Rachel grappling with the idea of whether their relationship was still functioning and what she wanted from her life. Paramount+’s episode listings document several parts of this storyline, including Rachel and Noah moving into a house together before their eventual breakup.
Rachel’s experiences with her relationships became associated with her experiences as a mother. Over time, she appeared to be increasingly focused on creating stability in her life and her children’s lives rather than simply living in a romantic relationship.
Her Second Child
Rachel became a mother for the second time in 2024.
She welcomed a son, River Elliott Valentine Houp, on January 12, 2024.
River’s arrival marked yet another significant part of Rachel’s life. Unlike her first pregnancy, which occurred partly in front of MTV cameras, her second child was born after Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant had ended.
That meant that Rachel was able to experience this new stage of motherhood away from the production of a television series.
Her two children, Hazelee and River, are now an important part of her life outside the original MTV story.
Leaving Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant
Rachel’s relationship with MTV eventually came to an end.
In August 2022, she announced that she planned to leave Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant after the season. At the time, she stated that she appreciated the opportunity and planned to spend more time going live and creating a new YouTube channel where she could share a more authentic version of her life.
The decision came after two seasons as a regular cast member.
The series itself was later canceled after three seasons, with the final episodes airing in 2022.
Leaving the show changed the ways in which people could follow Rachel. Rather than having her life edited into weekly episodes, her public presence became more connected to social media and occasional entertainment coverage.
Life Beyond Television
Life beyond MTV has been considerably different from the period when Rachel’s personal life was routinely filmed for television.
She had stated that she wanted to use YouTube and social media to share her life with followers directly. Her goal was to share more of her everyday life, rather than relying on a television production. Before and during her television career, she also spoke about everyday responsibilities such as working, parenting and managing her household.
A previous interview described her spending time outdoors and working at a campground while raising Hazelee. Today, her public life is closely connected to social media, motherhood and the wider Teen Mom fan community.
Rachel Beaver in 2026
Although Rachel has been away from Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant for several years, she has not wholly disappeared from the pages of entertainment coverage.
In 2026, she received renewed attention after reports concerning an alleged exchange with rapper Lil Wayne. TMZ reported in August 2026 that Rachel discussed alleged messages between the two and said that she had contacted him through social media. The reports also stated that Rachel described herself as a single mother and discussed the possibility of being flown out to meet him.
The story became popular largely because Rachel was already well-known to reality-TV audiences. It also demonstrated that her life continues to generate entertainment coverage even when she is not in an active Teen Mom television role.
Importantly, reports about private messages should be taken as the accounts from the people and publications involved, rather than as independently verified details of a relationship. There is no indication from the reporting that the two actually met.
Motherhood After MTV
Motherhood remains one of the most important parts of Rachel’s public identity.
Her first experience of parenting was filmed extensively for television, while her second experience has taken place largely outside the Teen Mom production environment.
That distinction is important, as with Hazelee, viewers watched Rachel learn about parenting while also dealing with relationships, family disputes and the challenges of being a teenager. With River, Rachel re-enters motherhood as an older and more experienced parent.
Her children also represent a major difference between Rachel’s life today and the life that viewers first came to know in 2019. She is no longer the teenager trying to adapt to a first pregnancy but is a young mother of two who has spent several years balancing parenting with the attention that comes with reality-TV fame.
Social Media & Public Image
Social media has played an important role for Rachel’s life after television.
Rather than disappearing altogether when she left MTV, she continues to communicate with her followers online. That means that she has more control over what parts of her life she wants to share.
At the same time, social media also means that Rachel can become part of entertainment coverage even when she does not appear on television. Her 2026 coverage involving Lil Wayne is one example of how quickly one’s social-media activity can become a bigger story.
For Rachel, that has meant an alternative public career. She is no longer dependent on a television show to remain present.
What Makes Rachel Beaver’s Story Stand Out?
Rachel Beaver’s story is different from the traditional reality-TV celebrity path.
She did not enter the entertainment industry as an actress, singer or professional influencer. Rather, her public profile began when she was a young mother.
Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant gave audiences access to a complicated part of her life, including her relationships, parenting and family disputes, and the challenges of becoming an adult while raising a child.
Her story has also evolved over time. The teenager that viewers met on MTV has grown into a mother of two and has spent several years away from television.
That transition is perhaps the most interesting part of her story. Reality television captured one chapter of Rachel’s life, but it did not define her subsequent experiences.
Conclusion
Rachel Beaver became familiar to Teen Mom viewers after joining Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant in 2019. Her story revolved around becoming a mother at a young age, navigating complicated relationships and striving to create a stable life for her daughter, Hazelee.
Her relationship with Drew Brooks and the early uncertainties surrounding Hazelee’s paternity became major storylines, while other relationships introduced their own challenges. Eventually, Rachel moved on from MTV and focused more on her own life outside reality television.
Her family has since grown. Rachel has welcomed her second child, son River, in January 2024.
In 2026, she again appears in entertainment headlines after reports about alleged messages with Lil Wayne, showing that her connection to pop-culture news has continued even after leaving MTV.
Rachel Beaver’s Story Today
Rachel Beaver’s story is one beyond the Teen Mom episodes that first made her famous. Her journey includes teenage motherhood, relationships, co-parenting, raising two children and building a life away from regular reality-TV production.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Rachel Beaver?
Rachel Beaver is an American reality-TV personality best known for appearing on MTV’s Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant. She joined the series in its second season in 2019.
2. Where is Rachel Beaver from?
Rachel Beaver is from Madisonville, Tennessee.
3. How old was Rachel Beaver when she became a mother?
Rachel was 16 when she became pregnant with her first child, Hazelee. She gave birth on February 22, 2019.
4. Who is Hazelee’s father?
Drew Brooks is Hazelee’s biological father. A paternity test confirmed this after there had been initial uncertainty involving Drew and his friend Jacob Russell.
5. How many children does Rachel Beaver have?
Rachel Beaver has two children: daughter Hazelee and son River. River was born on January 12, 2024.
6. Is Rachel Beaver still on Teen Mom?
No. Rachel left Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant after appearing for two seasons. She announced her departure in 2022.
7. Why did Rachel Beaver leave Teen Mom?
Rachel announced that she would leave the show after its third season. She stated that she appreciated the opportunity and planned to spend more time on social media and create a YouTube channel.
8. Who is Rachel Beaver dating?
Rachel’s current relationship status should be taken cautiously because her personal life changes and public reports do not always provide complete confirmation. In August 2026, TMZ described her as a single mother while covering alleged messages involving Lil Wayne.
9. When was Rachel Beaver’s second child born?
Rachel’s son River Elliott Valentine Houp was born on January 12, 2024.
10. What is Rachel Beaver doing now?
Rachel is primarily known publicly for her social-media presence and life as a mother after leaving reality television. She has continued to attract occasional entertainment-media coverage, including stories published in 2026.
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