Times HGTV Star Chelsea DeBoer Was Brutally Called Out By Fans

The following article includes mention sof sexual assault. 

Chelsea DeBoer has been a public figure since she featured on MTV's "16 and Pregnant" and its hit spinoff "Teen Mom 2" and in that time, she's earned a ton of fans. However, not everyone is all that enamored. Chelsea has plenty of critics, too — and they're not afraid to call her out. As some may remember, back in 2016 Radar Online discovered that one of the friends that Chelsea's ex-boyfriend, Adam Lind filmed with on "Teen Mom 2" — while with their daughter, Aubree Lind-DeBoer, no less — had a history of indecent exposure. Of course, Chelsea can't be held responsible for who her ex spends time with while she's not around and given that she's previously called him out for posting pictures of Lind-DeBoer in a bathtub, it's likely she would have objected to Crawford's presence if she'd known. 

That said, some "Teen Mom 2" fans pointed out that Chelsea has associated with unsavory characters herself too. For starters, there was Slade Callaway Hindrichs, who was convicted for the third-degree rape of a 15-year-old girl in 2007. Hindrichs was married to one of Chelsea's friends, and somewhat gut-wrenchingly, appeared to share a close bond with Aubree. In fact, as seen in a screenshot uploaded to X, formerly known as Twitter, the MTV alum once posted a pic of her daughter kissing Hindrichs, along with the caption, "She has the biggest crush! Aubree loves her Uncle Slade so much!" 

Then, in 2017 it emerged that Chelsea's friend Brittnee Bawek's husband, Alex Bawek, had been charged with the attempted assault of a 14-year-old girl. Taking to Reddit, one user complained, "Frightening beyond belief. What is wrong with her?" Others mused that Chelsea may even have known about it and not cared. However, it's worth noting that the "Teen Mom 2" star never said whether that's true. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

On to something considerably less serious, Chelsea DeBoer faced some heat in 2019 when it came to her daughter's outfit for the first day of fourth grade. For the big day, Aubree Lind-DeBoer wore big hoop earrings, and as her proud mama shared in a photo posted to Instagram, she also sported a bit of lipstick. Unfortunately for the "Teen Mom 2" alum, though, some followers were less than impressed. One detractor didn't mince their words, opting to take things from zero to 100 immediately. "Why are you allowing this CHILD, not young lady, to wear lipstick and adult hoop earrings bc they are definitely inappropriate for her age and you are the parent who should have said no but when she comes through that door pregnant then you're gonna want to know where you went wrong," they wrote in response.

Not to cast any judgments, but insinuating that a 9-year-old is destined for teen pregnancy because of her earrings seems a lot more inappropriate than the earrings themselves. Though there were a few similar sentiments, it bears mentioning that the vast majority of comments were all for Chelsea's super-cute lewk. In fact, a number of fellow moms noted that their daughters were the same age and loved experimenting with lipstick and earrings, too. Many also made a point of calling out the people who had a problem with the jewelry. As one Instagram user argued, "If anyone has an issue with what your beautiful little girl wore to school, they have issues." We're not going to disagree there. 

Sticking with bizarre things Chelsea DeBoer's critics have called her out for, in 2020, several people were deeply troubled by the prospect of the "Teen Mom 2" star getting her daughter braces. Yes, you read that correctly. As with the contentious first day of fourth grade pic, when Chelsea shared a snap of her eldest child sporting braces, the post was deluged with negative comments. However, unlike the situation with the earrings and lipstick, the HGTV star issued a response to one commenter who felt she'd done the wrong thing. For reference, the user complained, "I had my braces on in 6th grade until 8th grade, got them put back on in 12th grade and now my top teeth have moved, I refuse to get my 10-year-old braces yet," (via InTouch Weekly). 

True as that may have been for the commenter, Chelsea made it clear that it was, well, not her problem. "OK! You don't have to!" she retorted. Short, sweet, and to the point. It's possible the "16 and Pregnant" breakout felt compelled to respond because the comments were ultimately linked to Aubree Lind-DeBoer's appearance. As longtime followers no doubt recall, Chelsea had strong words for fans who commented on her daughter's body in the past, so there's a chance it struck a nerve. That said, what she said was also, very simply, factual. No one has to get braces if they don't want to, just as the parents of tweens like Aubree can decide to take their kids to the orthodontist if they do. 

Elsewhere in 2020, Chelsea DeBoer was heavily criticized for her approach to social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The first wave (no pun intended) came when Chelsea shared a pic of herself and Aubree Lind-DeBoer in a group hug with friends on Instagram, none of whom were wearing a mask. It was captioned: "I suuuuure love these people." As one respondent quipped, "Looks like not enough to social distance or wear a mask," while another chimed in, "So how many of you have covid now?" Chelsea faced further backlash when she shared another maskless pic to Instagram in 2022. This time, it was of the reality star and her husband Cole DeBoer at a concert. Suffice it to say, followers were unimpressed. "During a pandemic with unvaccinated babies at home? lol nahhhhh," one wrote.

Another went more into detail, ranting, "This is so gross and disappointing. Such a slap in the face to everyone that [is] sick and dying around this country. Imagine being so irresponsible that you willingly expose yourselves to a potentially deadly virus, and in kind exposing your kids. Shame on you." That Chelsea was comfortable not wearing a mask during the pandemic was a little surprising. After all, the working mom shared in an episode of "Teen Mom 2" that she was relieved that she could self-film, for the sake of everyone's safety. Either way, Chelsea evidently wasn't too bothered, as the pics are still up at the time of writing. 

While most people were shocked when Chelsea DeBoer quit "Teen Mom 2," not everyone was heartbroken to learn she was leaving the hit show. First up was the infamously outspoken Jenelle Evans, who wasted no time shading Chelsea after her exit. Speaking to E! News about the matter, Evans shadily reasoned, "Good for her. I feel her story wasn't honest to begin with so maybe TV isn't meant for her." A few months later, the former reality star made another dig at Chelsea on her Instagram Story, hinting that she wasn't entirely truthful on the show. "Some girls act like they're a Stepford wife," Evans complained (via The U.S. Sun).  

"Teen Mom 2" fans also questioned her authenticity. Taking to Reddit following Chelsea's exit announcement, one commenter penned, "Chelsea forgot where she [came] from. Ever since she got money and got with fake fairytale Cole, she became uppety [sic] and snobby." It wasn't exactly a new criticism, either. Back in 2018, when she hinted at spending less time on the show because it had become more about drama than motherhood, one X user admitted, "I find Chelsea so fake. Like she wasn't pumping out high drama for [five] seasons before she met Cole," (via InTouch Weekly). It's probably for the best that DeBoer moved to HGTV.

Chelsea DeBoer may have traded "Teen Mom 2" for "Down Home Fab," but she hasn't escaped the haters in the process. The difference is, instead of criticizing her personal life, they're calling out the HGTV star's professional abilities. In response to a video of Chelsea and Cole DeBoer filling a fireplace with disco balls, one Redditor confessed that they thought it was a joke: "How does she even think this looks semi acceptable?!" Another questioned the network's choice in bringing the "Teen Mom 2" alum on in the first place, asserting, "Can't believe she even landed a show with HGTV. There are so many people actually qualified who deserve that type of opportunity lmao."

Of course, not everyone is opposed to Chelsea's HGTV show, or the design choices she makes on it. In fact, when the MTV alum shared an Instagram post to commemorate the end of "Down Home Fab's" sophomore season, several fans acknowledged that they were desperate for a third season to drop ASAP. "Please say you are coming back your season was wayyyyyy too quick. I just LOVE your show and your energy together," one Instagram follower wrote. Another was in agreement, lamenting, "What am I to do on my Thursday nights now? Ready for Season 3 already." Chelsea may have a ton of very loud critics, but it's clear that when it comes to her fans, they back her all the way.