Hailey Tilford – or Hailey 2 – became one of the most talked-about cast members in the reality television series entitled “Unexpected.” Her stint in the TV show gained her a bit of fame, and some hate from the viewers, as she became romantically involved with Matthew Blevins, the man who impregnated her best friend. During the 2019 reunion special, she told everyone that she was eight weeks pregnant with the man she swore she never flirted with.
Who is Hailey Tilford, also known as Hailey 2?
Hailey wasn’t one of the main cast of the reality-TV show, “Unexpected.” She was a 16-year-old girl from Louisville, Kentucky, the best friend of Hailey Tomlinson whose pregnancy was one of those being documented in the show. She gained the nickname, Hailey 2, so that viewers could easily differentiate her from her best friend with whom she shared the same first name.
A brief background on “Unexpected”
The reality-television series, “Unexpected” featured the journeys of unplanned pregnancies between teenage parents. It also explored the roles played by their parents, as the teen couples go through this life-changing and sometimes traumatic period in their lives. The TV show premiered in November 2017, and documented several teenage pregnancies over six years. It’s been aired over the TLC network and gained a sizable chunk of viewers, as the show has been renewed every year since its inception.
Hailey Tilford’s Journey in “Unexpected”
Her first appearance in the show
It was in the third episode of the third season of “Unexpected” when Hailey 2 was first introduced to the viewing public. She went to the house of her best friend Hailey Tomlinson, or Hailey 1, and told her that Matthew was texting her all the time. From the way it went down, Hailey 1 believed that Hailey 2 was flirting with Matthew as well, because she was entertaining his text messages; she even sent a photo of her new tattoo between her breasts. It was funny that she told her best friend that she didn’t want to tell those things to her, because it might upset her. However, her face was clearly more amused even when her best friend was already in tears. Hailey 1 was afraid that since her body blew up due to the pregnancy, Matthew didn’t find her attractive anymore.
The Haileys set Matthew up
From the get-go, “Unexpected” fans were confused about Hailey 2’s agenda, and were curious to see if she had a genuine concern for her best friend. After Hailey 1 learned about the text messages between Hailey 2 and her boyfriend, she set Matthew up by confronting him with Hailey 2 present. When she arranged the meeting, Hailey 1 was upset that Matthew was quickly responding to Hailey 2’s messages, and informing her of what was to take place. To Hailey 2’s credit, she didn’t keep this exchange of tweets from Hailey 1.
During the confrontation, he denied any wrongdoing, making the mother of his baby feel that she was making a big deal out of nothing; he even had the gall to be angry with her. However, sending text messages to Hailey 2 the whole day instead of focusing on his girlfriend contradicted his denials. Hailey 2 could have given more support to her best friend, but it was as if she was waiting for the two to break up. Despite the denial, Matthew believed that Hailey 2 was flirting with him, because he said that he specifically told her not to send him the tattoo photo, but she still did.
Hailey 2 was absent from her best friend’s baby shower
During the baby shower, people were expecting Hailey 2 to show up, because everybody knew that she was the best friend. It was then that Hailey 1 told her other friends what had happened to them. Matthew was glad that Hailey 2 wasn’t in attendance, because he thought that the girls needed space from each other. Hailey 1 suspected that Hailey 2 was hiding something from her at that time, since there was no reason why her friend couldn’t show her face at the party. She was afraid that if Hailey 2 secretly did something she shouldn’t have, then it would mean Matthew also did something. She continued hoping that Matthew was telling the truth when he said that there wasn’t anything going on between him and Hailey 2.
Matthew broke it off with Hailey 1
In the 12th episode of the third season of “Unexpected,” Matthew broke up with Hailey 1, saying that he was fed up with her suspecting him whenever Hailey 2 was around. She accused him of flirting with her best friend, which he completely denied, and was tired of her lack of trust in him. This happened when they were all hanging out, and Hailey 2 was present. When the latter felt uncomfortable with the situation, she left the gathering early, after which Matthew immediately confronted the mother of his baby, and told her that he didn’t like her attitude when Hailey 2 was around. He said he needed to go home that night to cool off, but that they would be okay the next day. However, when they next spoke over the phone, he broke-off with her. Initially, she didn’t take it seriously, because they would often break-up, but would immediately reconcile.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNtSbVrLt3f/
Hailey 2 and Matthew became a couple
As everyone around Hailey 1’s life, her family and friends suspected, Matthew and Hailey 2 became a couple, confirmed when Hailey 2 proudly posted a photo of her and Matthew together on her Instagram account. While Hailey 1 suspected that there was some kind of flirting between the two, she never thought they would hurt her this way. She was quite shocked that it happened when her baby girl, Kinsley, was just one week old. Clearly, Hailey 2 wanted her best friend’s boyfriend, and didn’t have any qualms about taking him from her. Her justification was that Matthew didn’t want her best friend anymore, and so it was just fair to pursue whatever feelings she had for him, saying that it wasn’t her fault that they broke up.
Hailey 1’s mom said she wasn’t surprised about Hailey 2 hooking up with Matthew
Hailey 1’s mother said that she didn’t trust Hailey 2, after she learned about the text messages. She had a gut feeling that Hailey 2 was planning something, because her daughter’s best friend came to their home more often whenever Matthew was around; during those times, she wondered why Hailey 2 was getting too close for comfort to him. She wasn’t surprised about her betrayal, but was quite disappointed with Matthew for hurting her daughter that way, especially when she opened their home to him without hesitation, and treated him like her own son. She knew that being a young father would be tough on him, since he was also only a 16-year-old boy, but she never thought that he would do this to them; she really believed that he was madly in love with her daughter. Based on social media comments, most fans of “Unexpected” felt that they were just too kind to Matthew.
Hailey 2 and Matthew’s side of the story
At this point, “Unexpected” fans were leaving hate comments on Hailey 2’s social media account, even if the episodes were filmed way before they were aired, and it wasn’t in real-time. The couple knew of the possible consequences of their actions. She was specifically getting into the narrative that when she came into the picture and started hanging out with him, Matthew no longer wanted to be with her best friend. It was as if the relationship had ended before she considered pursuing her feelings for Matthew. They both tried to assure each other that there wasn’t any cheating involved, and that Hailey 2 wasn’t the reason why Matthew broke up with the mother of his baby. Fans commented that while it might be true, the timing was questionable. Many believed that if Hailey 2 hadn’t presented herself as someone willing and available, Matthew would still be with Hailey 1.
#Unexpected couple Matthew & Hailey 2 continue to feud online as they both accuse each other of cheating & she gets a protective order. Get a full recap from the past 2 weeks, including a baby name reveal! (Will it be Matthew 2?) https://t.co/AUKBQ3aByZ pic.twitter.com/LqydUoavs5
— Starcasm (@starcasm) January 11, 2020
Hailey 2 crazy antics on her former best friend
“Unexpected” viewers couldn’t believe how Hailey 2 could stoop so low and be so cruel by making sure that her former best friend was aware that Matthew already belonged to her. When Matthew went to see his daughter, she made sure that she dropped him off in front of Hailey 1’s house; she didn’t have an ounce of regret in her body with the way things turned out. She even warned him not to see Hailey 1, because she was afraid of them getting back together. People wondered why she was worried, when she claimed that she entered Matthew’s life when his relationship with Hailey 1 was already over.
The “Unexpected” reunion episode bombshell
Before the third season of “Unexpected” ended, a reunion episode was aired; all the cast members were invited to give updates on their current situations in a sit-down interview. They were also asked hard questions about why they did certain things during that season. In one segment of the show, Matthew, the Haileys, and Hailey 1’s mother were interviewed, and there was intense drama and shocking revelations. They hadn’t seen each other for a while, because Matthew never showed up again to visit his daughter. Matthew disrespected the host, perhaps feeling cornered, and not liking the line of questioning, or couldn’t answer the question properly. There was a time when Hailey 2 was quite confident in justifying her actions, but at the same time showed a certain vulnerability, knowing that she’d behaved badly in the eyes of many people, including her own family, particularly her father who, at that time, was battling cancer. Despite the unfortunate and pitiful situation of her father, “Unexpected” fans and other cast members couldn’t rally behind her, especially after she dropped a bombshell that she was eight weeks pregnant. All were shocked that she let herself be in that situation, knowing that Matthew was already an absentee father to his first kid. She couldn’t take the heat in the studio, so walked out, telling Matthew that she wanted to go home.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4A-c4Sn9je/
Hailey Tilford Update: her kid, her dating
After the “Unexpected” reunion episode, it was all rosy with Hailey 2 and Matthew, as he continued to give her all the reassurance that she needed. However, to the surprise of no-one, months later they separated, as things didn’t work out the way they’d planned, if indeed they’d actually ‘planned’ anything.
Hailey 2 and Matthew had a huge falling out with cheating allegations
During Hailey 2’s pregnancy, so much drama happened between the couple. They hurled cheating allegations at each other, and posted about it on their Instagram accounts. In December 2020, Matthew wrote, ‘Been talking to your ex for 4 days straight? what a thot, just broke up a day ago? but you ‘love’ me…?’ Hailey 2, on the other hand, confirmed that she’s single with the post, ‘Me and Matthew aren’t together, we broke up. We are nothing but toxic, we don’t treat each other good at all.’
https://www.facebook.com/TeenMomConfidential/photos/a.658344727528744/3663562240340296/?type=3
Fans questioned Hailey 2’s mental state
When nasty comments from fans and not-so-good exchanges of tweets between the former couple continued on Instagram, Hailey 2 couldn’t handle it anymore, and announced that she would be leaving social media for a while, saying that she needed to focus on the arrival of her son. However, she couldn’t follow through with her declaration, and continued to post about her emotional state; it was quite obvious to many “Unexpected” fans that she was longing for Matthew’s attention, but the father of her baby couldn’t care less about her antics. Later on, she filed an Emergency Protection Order against him, claiming that she was afraid of the things he was saying, but later on in court, she realized that it wasn’t the right thing to do for her baby, so changed her mind.
Levi Carter Tilford Blevins was born
In April 2021, Hailey 2 gave birth after being induced and in labor for hours. She named her son Levi Carter, and later on posted a photo on her social media account of her newborn baby in her arms, and captioned it with ‘The best day of her life.’ Matthew was nowhere to be found, as they weren’t on good terms by the time she delivered the baby. Apparently, he wanted a paternity test done because he doubted that he was the father, but Hailey confidently told everyone that she was quite sure that Matthew was Levi’s dad.
Dated and moved in with a new boyfriend Cole Smith
For a while, it seemed that Hailey 2 had found a perfect partner in Cole Smith, declaring to the world that Cole was helping her take care of Levi. The two moved in together, and apparently formed a little happy family. She was so proud of how great Cole was in taking on the role of a father figure to her baby boy. However, despite all of that, they broke up; fans were sad that it ended so quickly because they believed that he was a steady and reliable person.
Keeping it in the family
When Cole and Hailey split up, she moved out of Cole’s home and lived with Katie, the half-sister of Matthew. There were many accusations about her hooking up quickly with many people, with fans confused about the timeline and her dating history. Cole made some shocking revelations about Hailey’s lovelife, claiming that she’d hooked up with Matthew again, right after he left. Most fans believed it was some sort of “friends with benefits” thing. He also revealed that when things didn’t work out with Matthew, she moved on and dated Matthew’s uncle, Jacob Perdue. Some said that Cole was on point when he said that she loved to keep it in the family; fans had a field day blasting Hailey on social media. She then posted a photo of her with Mathew’s uncle on Instagram with the caption, ‘They can judge us all they want, but the truth is, they don’t know a single thing about us. We saved each other from depression.’ She might have fallen in love too fast with him, but she believed that her new boyfriend wasn’t going anywhere. Hailey said that the most important thing was that they were happy.
However, as predicted by many, this relationship ended as well. Sometime in 2021, she took a three-week sabbatical from social media, and when she returned, her Instagram was cleaned out. There were only four posts on it, mostly about her son Levi, and how she loved being a mom. It seemed that she wanted a quieter life, and had gained it by not sharing too much information on social media. There were reports that she’d mended her relationship with Hailey 1 and made sure that Levi has a close relationship with his sibling Kinsley.
Can you hardly wait for the next installment of “Unexpected”, whether actually on your screen or not?
