A recent scuffle among the cast of Teen Mom Family Reunion has halted production for Season 2 while the crew members strike.
As Monsters and Critics reported, Briana DeJesus and Ashley Jones were sent home from filming for Season 2 of Family Reunion, along with their moms’ Tea and Roxanne, after they were involved in a tiff that turned physical.
Ashley accused Roxanne of threatening to throw a chair at Tea, then “bumping” her in the kitchen, which she says set off the argument after she wouldn’t apologize. Briana accused Ashley of spitting in her face.
A source confirmed the extra-curricular activity, noting, “Ashley spit on Briana, and then someone started throwing stuff. It got more physical before it was finally broken up. But all four of the women were fighting each other.”
The spinoff was greenlit for a second season, which was reportedly filming in Oregon. The cast hasn’t officially been revealed, although Teen Mom fans know now that Briana and Ashley were asked to sign on, given the recent news.
Now, it’s reported that the crew of Teen Mom Family Reunion (TMFR) is on strike, per the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees’ tweet dated September 5.
Teen Mom Family Reunion crew on strike following cast brawl
Their tweet reads, “LABOR DAY STRIKE: The Crew of ‘@TeenMom Reunion’ is on strike for recognition of their union in Oregon!”
According to a report from The Ashley’s Reality Roundup, the crew consists mainly of unionized camera operators and audio and sound technicians. The outlet said that MTV used a different crew than the one they used to film Teen Mom OG and Teen Mom 2.
One of The Ashley’s sources stated, “They’ve used the company for [Family Reunion], both seasons. We’ve heard that it’s because the network felt that the [regular company that does Teen Mom show production] didn’t have enough control of the set, but not sure if that’s true. So there are different producers, tech guys, etc. on this set than the cast is used to.”
MTV will shut down production without a replacement crew
Because, according to the IATSE’s tweet, “IATSE members should be advised not to cross the picket line or provide services to the production company ‘Onsite Productions’ while the strike continues,” TMFR executives are scrambling to find replacements.
The network’s hope is they can get someone to take over and quickly: “They are frantically looking for [crew members] who are willing to fly up to Oregon immediately so they can finish the filming and don’t have to shut down.”
The insider noted that MTV is practically “begging” employees to take on the job, adding, “Between the fights, some COVID[-19] issues and now the crew strike, this filming has been plagued with issues. It’s kind of a disaster!”
Stay tuned as more information becomes available on this story.
Teen Mom: The Next Chapter premieres tonight, Tuesday, September 6 at 8/7c on MTV.
