’16 And Pregnant’ Star Tragically Found Dead at Just 26

The name Jordan Cashmyer may sound familiar to you if you are a fan of MTV’s 16 and Pregnant series. Cashmyer was one of the cast members of the fifth season of the hit television series. 

Sadly, recent reports revealed that Cashmyer died on January 15. She was just 26 years old and her cause of death has not yet been reported.

As Entertainment Tonight reports, Cashmyer’s original storyline on 16 and Pregnant followed her and her then-boyfriend Derek Taylor through the journey of becoming teen parents. However, at the time, Cashmyer and Taylor were also dealing with homelessness and unemployment. 

Jordan Cashmyer: ’16 And Pregnant’ Star Tragically Found Dead at Just 26

Because they did not approve of her relationship with Taylor, Cashmyer’s family had disowned her. The show was able to document the birth of Cashmyer’s child, a daughter she named Genevieve Shae Taylor, or “Evie” for short.

According to ET, due to her unfortunate circumstances, the show also documented the difficult decision Cashmyer made to sign over temporary custody rights to Derek’s mom in 2015. Sadly, that is far from the end of Cashmyer’s difficult journey. 

In 2017, Cashmyer was arrested for drug possession. However, according to Variety, Cashmyer celebrated a year of sobriety in 2021. 

It’s unclear if she was still sober at the time of her passing. And it is also unclear if Cashmyer ever assumed custody of her daughter once she got sober.

A rep for Cashmyer beloved the 26-year-old was turning her life around. “This is an incredibly sad day,” the rep told E! News. “Jordan was a sweet and caring person. Las we spoke she was doing well and seemed to be in a good place mentally and physically.”

Although Cashmyer was at one point active on social media, she stopped updating her various accounts back in 2018. And while it is also unclear if Cashmyer ever made amends with the family who disowned her, her father issued a statement following her death through his Facebook account and tagged Cashmyer’s stepmother in the post.

“Last night I received a call no parent ever wants. My oldest beloved daughter, Jordan has passed away, she was only 26 years old. Our hearts are truly broken. No parent should ever have to go through losing a child, EVER,” the mom wrote.

“Please keep my family in your thoughts prayers as we navigate through this terrible tragedy. Please understand and respect our privacy at this time. We are surrounded by the love and support of our children, granddaughter Lyla, and family members.”

MTV also issued a statement, offering their condolences to Cashmyer’s family and friends. At some point in 2021, Cashmyer got engaged and welcomed a second child into the world with her fiancé.

Sadly, her fiancé, Micheal Frank Schaffer, passed away in September, Yahoo! reports. It appears the Lyla Cashmyer’s father talked about in his statement is the name of her second child. Heartbreaking.