Whitney Purvis and John Harris. Photos courtesy of Floyd County Sheriff’s Office and Henderson & Sons Funeral Home
ROME, Ga. – New details are emerging in the case of Whitney Blake Purvis, a former star of MTV’s 16 & Pregnant, who is now facing felony involuntary manslaughter charges in connection to a man’s fatal overdose.
According to investigators in Floyd County, Purvis is accused of supplying 37-year-old John Mark Harris with a deadly mixture of Xylazine and Fentanyl—commonly referred to as “Tranq”—that led to his death on Feb. 17, 2025. Officers found Harris unresponsive inside a home on 8th Street in Rome, where they reported seeing signs of possible drug use at the scene.
Court documents allege that Purvis provided Harris with the drugs that ultimately caused the overdose. She was taken into custody on Monday.
ORIGINAL STORY: ’16 & Pregnant’ star charged with involuntary manslaughter in Georgia
In a twist reported by People magazine, Purvis reportedly left a heartfelt comment on Harris’s online obituary five months before she was formally charged. She wrote about their shared love of cooking, saying the two bonded over being chefs, their culinary creativity, and personal struggles.
Comment on online obituary
The arrest comes amid other personal tragedies for Purvis. TMZ reports that she recently lost her 16-year-old son. While the family said his death was due to illness, the final cause of death is pending an autopsy.
Purvis, now 33, was featured in the first season of 16 & Pregnant, which chronicled her life as a teen mother in Georgia. She has had previous arrests for shoplifting and contempt of court involving unpaid child support.
Big picture view:
The State of Georgia passed a new law in 2024 that allows for anyone who gives another person a fatal amount of drugs to be charged with aggravated involuntary manslaughter or murder, depending on the circumstances. If convicted of involuntary manslaughter, the penalty is 10 to 30 years in prison up to life. If convicted of murder, the potential penalties are death, life imprisonment without parole, or life in prison.
Since then, there have been multiple cases of individuals arrested and charged after an overdose death,
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