On Season 2 of Love After Lockup, show star Caitlin’s hopes of a happily ever after with her convicted felon beau Matt were dashed when their brief time apart after an argument resulted in Matt reverting to his old ways and being arrested for felony possession of a stolen vehicle. The couple has since split up, and Matt is reportedly living with his new girlfriend as he awaits trial.
Caitlin’s misplaced hope that Matt would be able to change after a lifetime of drug abuse and breaking the law is just the latest difficulty faced by the 32-year-old reality star. She has been married twice before — once in 2006, and again in 2008. As we previously reported, she is actually still married to her second husband more than ten years later, despite their relationship lasting only weeks after the wedding. We also reported on the fact that Caitlin has a son that she no longer has custody of.
Not only was Caitlin’s past not brought up on the show, it is also something she doesn’t talk about on social media — until recently. On Thursday, Caitlin took to her @courageously_caitlin Instagram account and addressed a lot of things about her past, as well as her continuing struggles with anxiety and depression.
“Yes, I’ve had failed relationships/marriages,” Caitlin writes. “Yes, I do have an INCREDIBLE child, that I DO NOT have custody of, he is however in the VERY BEST place he could possibly be.”
She then reveals that Matt wasn’t the only one in their relationship with addiction issues. “Yes, I have had many struggles in life with many things including a major struggle with an addiction to alcohol,” she reveals, before continuing:
I also battle a pretty good case of anxiety/depression on the the daily. I’ve been through some shit y’all, we all have… but I’m sitting here today, not drunk, doing the best that I can to clean up whatever messes have been made and get my feet on a more stable ground. Trying to learn and grow from what I’ve been through, and become stronger because of it. Better. One day at a time. Checking one thing at a time off my list. Life is hard y’all, but I’m trying. I’m not here to be perfect, just real. Anyone salty can just go find themselves a cookie, or two. ?❤️?❤️?♀️?♀️?♀️
Caitlin’s post was made on the day before the finale episode in which it was confirmed that she and Matt are no longer together. She returned the day after the finale aired to address a question numerous fans were curious about. “I’ve had a lot of people asking me if I still talk to ‘Matt’s mom’,” Caitlin begins. “As a matter of fact, I sure do! KATHY has been a SAINT from the beginning of all of this. None of any of this has been easy for any of us involved, this wonderful woman has done nothing but offer unconditional love and support, asking for nothing in return… she genuinely just wants to see everyone be alright and happy. ❤️ this woman so flippin much! ??? If y’all ask me, she’s the real MVP of the season! ☺️??”
When I was first researching the cast of Love After Lockup Season 2, before the first episode had even aired, I was really taken by Kathy’s struggles over the years dealing with Matt’s issues. In addition to be a loving mother to Matt’s siblings, Kathy put a lot of time and effort into raising awareness of drug addiction and how it impacts the addicts as well as the families. She also became a spokesperson for insuring convicts were treated with dignity while incarcerated, and that they were given some sort of chance at a life once they were released.
I think anyone who watched the show could feel Kathy’s pain, especially in how she continually tried to temper Caitlin’s expectations based on her own experiences with Matt over the years. Kathy obviously loved her son, but she was also very obviously aware of the reality of the situation. In the finale episode, Kathy and Caitlin are discussing whether or not Caitlin will be posting Matt’s bail after his most recent arrest. After Kathy explains what Caitlin can expect at the bail hearing (which she has experienced many times with Matt already), Kathy reveals that she has never posted her son’s bail before. Knowing how much she loved Matt, when she said that, it felt like a punch to my chest.
Caitlin reminds me a lot of Season 1 star Johnna. Both of these young ladies had previous relationship struggles (and issues with alcohol), and both of them became smitten with a #hotfelon that they imagined a fairy tale romance with. Through the course of their unfortunate relationships, both Johnna and Caitlin revealed themselves to be funny and relatable women to a lot of viewers. And, given Caitlin’s humble admission above, it seems that there is the potential that she will follow in Johnna’s footsteps in allowing the perspective gained from seeing herself on the show (and from reading comments — both the haters and the supporters) to motivate her to adjust her expectations and better her life.
I’m excited an optimistic about what Caitlin’s next chapter will be, and I assume she is too. Who knows, perhaps she will pack up her bags and move to Austin, Texas with Johnna!
Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm. You can contact Asa via Twitter, Facebook, or email at starcasmtips(at)yahoo.com
