In a reality TV franchise famous for shining a spotlight on some atrociously unfit fathers, Tyler Baltierra has been a welcome change of pace for over a decade.
Catelynn Lowell’s husband has long been a favorite of Teen Mom OG fans, particularly after they witnessed the way he supported his wife during her struggles with PTSD.
And Tyler’s strength in the face of such difficulties is all the more impressive due to the considerable traumas he’s suffered himself — traumas that he opened up about in a surprisingly candid interview.
Take a look:
The Face of Courage
Throughout his time on Teen Mom OG, Tyler has been admirably forthcoming about his painful past.
Tough Times
While Tyler has never blamed his parents for his present difficulties, he’s been open about the fact that he grew up in an unstable household and has carried his childhood scars into adulthood.
A Supporting Role
Of course, Tyler’s struggles often receive less attention from TMOG fans and producers than those of his wife, Catelynn Lowell.
The Strong, Silent Type
And that’s probably quite alright by Tyler, who generally seems to put his family ahead of himself.
Opening Up
But while he doesn’t thirst for attention like so many reality stars, Tyler also doesn’t shy away from sharing the most intimate and painful details of his life.
Moral Duty
“I feel, with my platform, I have a moral obligation to help people,” Tyler once remarked, and in talking about the pain of his childhood sexual traumas, he’s attempting to do exactly that.
A Difficult Conversation
Speaking with media personality River Zain Ceballos, Tyler revealed that he was sexually assaulted on multiple occasions when he was a child.
The First Time
“The first time I was sexually abused was by my sister’s friend, who is four years older than I am. I was only about nine,” Baltierra told Ceballos.
Violent, Rough, and Forceful
“She forced me to do things my innocent young brain had no clue about up until that point,” Tyler added. “It went on for an entire day straight; it was violent, rough, and very forceful.”
A Second Incident
“The other time was also with one of my older sister’s friends, but at this point, I was about 12 and she was about 16,” Baltierra continued.
Left Unattended
“We went over to her friend’s house where they were having a party,” Tyler said. “The younger kids had to stay in the bedroom and watch movies.”
A Horrifying Situation
“As time went on and the teens partied, my sister’s friend came into the room,” Baltierra added.
Pretending
“She made me do things to her and she did things to me and I just pretended to be asleep. It only lasted for about an hour.”
The Lasting Effects
Those events shaped my idea of sex and made me very hypersexual at an age when being hypersexual was inappropriate.
Cries For Help
“I spoke up randomly trying to gauge people’s responses to what had happened and was surprised that all the boys I told didn’t think it was a big deal.”
Alone, Different
“They thought it was ‘cool,'” Tyler revealed. “I think harboring this and getting the impression that it wasn’t that big of a deal made me feel very alone and different.”
Reaching Out
“I wanted someone to acknowledge that it was wrong and help justify why I felt so guilty.”
A Common Misconception
“I thought at that age that sexual abuse when it comes to boys just wasn’t that big of a deal,” Tyler says. Sadly, many victims share that mentality.
Facing the Pain
The pain of his childhood traumas will likely remain with Tyler for the rest of his days, but fortunately, he has the tools to manage his depression and anxiety, and by sharing his story, he’s hoping countless others to do the same.