Why Was Whitney Purvis Arrested? 16 And Pregnant Star In Legal Trouble One Month After Son’s Death

Whitney Purvis, known from 16 and Pregnant, has landed in serious legal trouble. This comes barely a month after the heartbreaking loss of her son, Weston.

Why Was Whitney Purvis Arrested?

According to TMZ, the 33-year-old was arrested in Floyd County, Georgia, on July 7, facing some heavy charges: felony involuntary manslaughter, distribution of a controlled substance, and using a communication device to commit a felony tied to controlled substances.

As per the court records, it’s all connected to the death of John M. Harris, who, according to the affidavit, died from a toxic overdose after Purvis allegedly supplied him with a substance described as “Tranq”—a mix of Xylazine and Fentanyl.

Whitney Purvis Arrested One Month After Son’s Death

Purvis’s arrest comes just weeks after she shared the devastating news that her son Weston had died at just 16.

In a painful Facebook post on June 2, she poured her heart out saying, “This is so hard to write. My beautiful son, Weston, has passed away. He was only 16 years old. Life is so cruel and unfair. I just don’t understand. Oh my baby is gone and I don’t know what to do with myself.” 

She went on, “He was so perfect. This is really my worst nightmare come true. How do you go on in life after losing a child? I’m in disbelief, this cannot be happening. I don’t want it to be real. I would do anything just to hold him. Words just can’t describe the pain I am feeling.”

She concluded, “I love you so much, Weston Owen Gosa. God, I love you so much. You are my heart. I was so proud of the young man you were becoming. I just can’t go on without you. Rest in Peace, my angel. You are gone too soon. April 2, 2009 – June 2, 2025.”

Whitney Purvis: I can’t distract myself

Talking to PEOPLE magazine not long after, Purvis admitted to struggling every minute. “I can’t distract myself. It’s going through my mind constantly. I hate to even pick up my phone,” she said.

“When I’m not crying, I’m just staring at the ceiling. I never wanted to go through something like this. I mean, I know no one does, but you never think it’ll happen to you, and I just can’t even imagine a future now. I can’t imagine going on after this.”

Purvis also revealed that Weston had been through more health struggles than most adults, let alone a kid. “He had a lot of medical problems, more than what a kid should go through,” she said, explaining he was born with Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, then later diagnosed with Addison’s disease, which eventually led to diabetes.

“He hated having diabetes, and he hated the needles. He would cry and ask, ‘Why did that have to happen to him? Why did he have to have diabetes?’ It was just something hard for him to accept. 

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