After being arrested for alleged involuntary manslaughter, 16 and Pregnant‘s Whitney Purvis was able to avoid another booking in an ongoing child support case.
A judge ordered Purvis, 33, to be taken into custody after falling behind on child support for her kids — Weston Jr. and River — with ex Weston Gosa. She owed more than $23,000 and was nearly arrested until she paid a lump sum of $4,000, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly.
Purvis ultimately paid the full amount and the arrest order was rescinded. The reality star is still expecting to continue paying $353 per month in current child support, plus $20 per month toward the arrears, in addition to processing fees.
The near-arrest comes amid Purvis’ ongoing legal issues after she was taken into custody in July in connection to the death of John Mark Harris. She was charged with involuntary manslaughter, distribution of a controlled substance and use of a communication device to commit a felony involving controlled substances. Authorities alleged that Purvis supplied Harris with a sedative often used in veterinary medicine.
“Today, DEA Atlanta and local law enforcement arrested Whitney Purvis in Floyd County, GA on charges of involuntary manslaughter due to fentanyl poisoning. This investigation is ongoing,” Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Atlanta Field Division, said in a statement. “DEA reminds the public that nearly 70 percent of all drug-related deaths involve synthetic opioids, like fentanyl. Two milligrams of fentanyl is a potentially deadly dose.”
Harris died in February at age 37 following an overdose. Purvis posted a tribute in Harris’ honor after his death, which resurfaced after her arrest made headlines.
“Thank you for being such a great friend to me and always making me feel beautiful and cared for,” Purvis wrote via his obituary website. “You’ve came to my rescue on many occasions and saved me over the years. We bonded over being chefs, our love of cooking and our struggles. I could tell you anything and you always knew what to say or give me your honest opinion and advice.”
She continued: “I don’t want it to be true. I’ll miss sitting outside, smoking camel crush cigs w/ you … Most of all, I’ll miss you, a truly good hearted & one of a kind man, John Mark. I’ll never forget you. Rest in peace and my condolences to your family and friends. I pray they are able to find some kind of comfort during this tragic time. I love you forever, John Mark. Love, Whitney.”
Purvis was granted a $15,000 bond in July and she returned home that same month. A judge ordered Purvis’ bond to be modified to allow her to return to her house after 14 days in custody, with conditions including Purvis continuing treatment, not using drugs or alcohol, submitting monthly drug screenings, not contacting the victim’s family directly or indirectly and adhering to a curfew from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
The July arrest subsequently triggered a probation violation in a past terroristic threats case and resulted in her being back in jail one month later.
Purvis’ legal woes come after the June death of her son Weston Jr., who was 16 years old.
“He had a lot of medical problems, more than what a kid should go through,” Purvis told People of her late son in July. “He was born with Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency when he was a baby, but then when he got older, he was diagnosed with Addison’s disease, and then that’s what brought out the diabetes.”
She added, “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.”
