'16 & Pregnant' star charged with involuntary manslaughter in Georgia

'16 & Pregnant' star charged with involuntary manslaughter | FOX 5 Atlanta

Police accused the reality star of providing a combination of drugs known as "Tranq" that killed a man earlier this year in Rome, Georgia.

FLOYD COUNTY, Ga. - A former MTV reality star is in police custody charged with involuntary manslaughter involving a fatal drug overdose.

Whitney Blake Purvis, who was featured on the first season of "16 & Pregnant," faces a felony charge in connection with the death.

What we know:

Police records obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta say the charges stem from an incident on the night of Feb. 16, 2025.

Whitney Purvis (Rome Police Department)

According to the police, officers arrived at a home on 8th Street in Rome and found John Mark Harris dead from an overdose. At the scene, officers reported seeing possible drug paraphernalia.

A warrant for Purvis's arrest accuses her of supplying Harris with a substance known as "Tranq," a combination of Xylazine and Fentanyl, which authorities said led to the overdose.

Dig deeper:

TMZ reports that Purvis' arrest comes just a little more than a month after her 16-year-old son died. While the family said the teen's death was due to illness, they were waiting on an autopsy for the full cause of death.

Purvis had reportedly been arrested before on lesser charges including shoplifting and contempt of court of child support payments.