What happened to Nikkole and Josh from 16 and Pregnant took a much darker turn than fans remember
Nikkole Paulun and Josh Drummonds' story from 16 and Pregnant became much more difficult after the show ended. Josh struggled with crime, drug use, and several arrests, while Nikkole focused on raising her children and building a career as a social media influencer.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Profile summary
- What happened to Nikkole and Josh from 16 and Pregnant?
- What happened to Josh and Nikkole on 16 and Pregnant?
- What are Nikkole and Josh’s ages in 16 and Pregnant?
- Is Nikkole Ledda still married?
- In which episode of 16 and Pregnant do Nikkole and Josh meet?
- Who are Nikkole Paulun's kids?
Key takeaways
- Nikkole Paulun and Josh Drummonds welcomed their son on 16 and Pregnant, but their relationship ended after repeated conflicts and abuse allegations.
- After 16 and Pregnant, Josh faced several legal problems, including arrests and domestic violence allegations.
- Nikkole later married Kyle Ledda in 2020, and she has three children, Lyle, Ellie and Bodhi.
- She now works as a digital content creator and influencer.
- Josh Drummonds has largely stayed out of the public eye and resides in Monroe County, Michigan, under legal supervision.
Profile summary
Full name | Nikkole Paulun/Nikkole Ledda | Joshua Thomas Drummonds |
Gender | Female | Male |
Date of birth | 30 September 1993 | 1991–1992 |
Age | 32 years old (as of 2026) | 34 years old (as of 2026) |
Zodiac | Libra | – |
Place of birth | Monroe, Michigan, United States | United States |
Current residence | Michigan, United States | Michigan, United States |
Nationality | American | American |
Ethnicity | White | White |
Sexuality | Straight | Straight |
Hair color | Blonde | Brown |
Eye color | Brown | Brown |
Mother | Rikki | – |
Siblings | Brett | – |
Relationship status | Married | Single |
Wife/Husband | Kyle Ledda | – |
Children | Lyle, Ellie and Bodhi | Lyle |
Education | Jefferson High School, Monroe High School | – |
Profession | Reality TV personality, digital creator, influencer | Reality TV personality |
Social media | – |
What happened to Nikkole and Josh from 16 and Pregnant?
Nikkole Paulun and Josh Drummonds appeared on Season 2 of 16 and Pregnant in 2010. The episode followed the teenage couple as they prepared to welcome their son, Lyle. Nikkole was a 15-year-old cheerleader from Monroe, Michigan, and Josh was her on-again, off-again boyfriend.
Disagreements and instability marked their relationship, and they eventually split up shortly after their son, Lyle Thomas Drummonds, was born on 5 November 2009. Here's a closer look at Nikkole and Josh's timeline of post-show events.
Source: UGC
Josh Drummonds' legal troubles
Following the TV show, Josh Drummonds began facing serious legal problems that continued for many years. He was arrested several times on charges that included substance abuse, larceny, forgery, trespassing, and domestic violence.
2011 – 2012: Josh's initial arrests
As reported by TMZ, Drummonds was arrested after his mother reported to the police that he had stolen checks from her chequebook. He forged her signature to write himself checks totalling $270.
In July 2011, Josh pleaded guilty to one count of larceny and two counts of forgery. As documented by Starcasm, he was sentenced to roughly 12 months in jail for these charges.
After the show, Nikkole briefly stayed with Josh. He was soon arrested for stealing money from his own mother. In 2012, after his release, Drummonds was involved in a felony home invasion. He broke into Nikkole's mother's house, believing Nikkole was there.
When the police arrived, he resisted arrest by fleeing and eluding law enforcement. This incident resulted in a four-year prison sentence.
2016 – 2017: Abuse and protective orders
After serving four years in prison, Josh was released and briefly reunited with Nikkole. The relationship turned highly abusive. Nikkole went public with allegations of severe physical violence and harassment, sharing that Josh had sent her graphic self-harm photos to manipulate her. She successfully obtained a protection order against him.
In early 2017, after breaking up with Nikkole, Josh moved to Texas. While living there, he was arrested for allegedly choking his stepsister, whom he was staying with at the time.
September 2018: Josh arrested after hospital incident
In September 2018, Josh Drummonds was arrested following an incident at a Texas hospital. He was accused of attempting to take a police officer’s weapon and assaulting an officer during the encounter. He was later sentenced to more than eight months in jail in connection with the incident.
According to Galveston County’s Daily News, Josh was in the hospital after allegedly attempting to end his life and was waiting to be transferred to a Houston psychiatric hospital for an evaluation when the incident with the security guard reportedly happened.
2019: Armed robbery crime spree
In 2019, Josh became involved in more serious crimes due to methamphetamine addiction. He went on a violent crime spree in Houston, terrorising and robbing both an IBC Bank and a CVS pharmacy on the same day. Josh was convicted in federal court and sentenced to eight years in prison.
In addition to his eight-year prison sentence, Josh was ordered to repay the $4,690 stolen from IBC Bank and $176 taken from CVS At the time of Josh’s 2019 crime spree, he was also arrested for meth possession with intent to deliver and charged with violating his parole, according to The Ashley.
May 2026: Federal release and immediate re-arrest
On 12 May 2026, Josh was released from federal prison after serving over six years. He was also ordered to undergo mental health and drug treatment and participate in vocational training. In a statement to The Sun, upon Josh's release from prison in 2026, Nikkole said:
Josh and I have no contact, and there are currently no plans for him to see Lyle. I consider him a danger to my family and to society as a whole. The reality is that he has missed the majority of our son’s life, and a prison release doesn’t magically undo years of absence or suddenly make him a father now.
She added:
I’ve spent those years raising my son and building a stable, happy life for our family. Moving forward, my focus remains on our safety and protecting my son as much as possible.
Just two weeks after his prison release in mid-2026, Josh was arrested again in Monroe County on older outstanding felony warrants, including home invasion and vehicle theft, but was released on bond. He currently resides in Monroe County, Michigan, under legal supervision.
Nikkole's public controversies and life today
After 16 and Pregnant, Nikkole Paulun faced a major controversy in 2013 after announcing that she had lost her second child in a stillbirth. Rumours quickly spread online that she had faked the pregnancy and stillbirth, with her former best friend Samantha-Jo Diggs publicly making allegations that Nikkole had used a fake baby bump and altered photos.
Nikkole denied the allegations and maintained that the pregnancy and stillbirth were real. She released what she said were medical records to support her account, while RadarOnline reported that the documents confirmed a stillborn son. The MTV star told the outlet:
I’ve cried all day about it... it hurts. Everything that I have said is completely true and the rumors are just, mean.
While Josh was behind bars, Nikkole welcomed daughter Ellie with ex-boyfriend Ryan Rice. She later married Kyle Ledda in 2020 and welcomed another child, Bodhi, in 2021. In early 2026, she went viral after watching her 16 and Pregnant episode with her son, Lyle. While reacting to the episode, Lyle described his father's behaviour as "wilding" and "a hard watch."
Nikkole currently lives in Michigan with her family. She works as a digital creator and influencer, regularly sharing family updates and videos of herself interacting with fans on social media, particularly Instagram and TikTok.
What happened to Josh and Nikkole on 16 and Pregnant?
When they appeared on 16 and Pregnant, Nikkole and Josh struggled with their relationship as they prepared for their son Lyle’s birth, with Josh cheating on Nikkole and eventually ending their relationship after Lyle was born.
What are Nikkole and Josh’s ages in 16 and Pregnant?
During their appearance on MTV’s 16 and Pregnant, Nikkole Paulun (now Ledda) was 15 years old when filming began and turned 16 around the time she gave birth. Her then-boyfriend and the baby’s father, Josh Drummonds, was approximately 16 to 17 years old during the filming of their Season 2 episode.
Is Nikkole Ledda still married?
Nikkole Ledda is still married to her husband, Kyle Ledda.
In which episode of 16 and Pregnant do Nikkole and Josh meet?
Nikkole Ledda and Josh Drummonds do not meet on camera during 16 and Pregnant. They are already dating at the start of Nikkole's featured episode, which is Season 2, Episode 2, titled Nikkole.
Who are Nikkole Paulun's kids?
The TV personality has three children: Lyle, Ellie, and Bodhi.
Nikkole and Josh’s story on 16 and Pregnant began with the challenges of becoming parents as teenagers, but their lives took very different paths after the show. While Nikkole moved on, built a new family and remained active in the public eye, Josh faced a series of legal problems and spent years in prison.
Legit.ng recently published an article on how DrumPants are faring after Shark Tank. DrumPants, a company specialising in wearable audio technology, has gone out of business following its appearance on Shark Tank Season 6, Episode 3, which aired on 3 October 2014.
DrumPants was founded by Lei Yu and Tyler Freeman in 2013. DrumPants left the reality TV show without securing a deal, despite the founders receiving two offers from Robert Herjavec and Daymond John before exiting the Tank.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
