Mugshots, Feuds & Second Chances: Ranking the Grandmas of Unexpected

Every season of Unexpected is really about the same thing — and it’s not the babies. It’s the grandmas. The moms are teenagers. The grandmas steal scenes, hold families together, and occasionally land in a police booking photo. From mugshots to a grandmother who gave birth to twins while already a grandma, these matriarchs have bigger storylines than most reality stars’ entire careers. Here are the five that define the franchise — ranked from steady to scandalous.

1. Falen Vaughn — The Grandma With a Mugshot

Season 7 turned Bella Vaughn’s mother into the most talked-about grandma in franchise history — and not for heartwarming reasons. In April 2026, Falen was booked in Arkansas (her booking photo lists “VAUGHN, FALEN MARIE,” jacket 2026-00977), with reports citing disorderly conduct and obstructing governmental operations. The arrest landed the same month TV Shows Ace reported her controversial on-screen “plan” involving Bella and 13-year-old Hunter — and weeks before The Ashley’s Reality Roundup reported the young couple’s split, which Falen herself hinted at on social media.

Fans are split down the middle: one camp says Falen was shielding her daughter from an exploitative edit; the other says she chased the cameras. Nobody is neutral on Falen.

Bella Vaughn — the Season 7 star whose storyline put her mother Falen at the center of the fandom’s fiercest debate. (TLC via TV Shows Ace)

2. Liliana Cantu — The One Fans Love to Hate

Long before Falen, there was Liliana. Myrka Cantu’s mother has been the fandom’s favorite villain since Season 5 — a churchgoing mom who, according to MEAWW’s reporting, wanted her pregnant teen daughter to terminate the pregnancy, then kicked her out, sparking the viral fan question: “Is Liliana wrong to kick pregnant daughter Myrka out?” (Fans answered: “it’s not the baby’s fault.”) Starcasm later dug up her 2013 Texas court-scandal arrest for alleged bribery.

And yet — Myrka is now 22, married to Juan, a mom of four, and says she’s done having kids. Did Liliana’s tough love secretly work? Fans will fight you over that question.

Liliana Cantu’s booking photo from the 2013 Texas court scandal — Myrka’s mom has been controversial long before reality TV. (Starcasm)

3. Shannon — The Steady One Nobody Argues About

Every fandom needs its quiet hero. Shannon, McKayla Adkins’ mother, has been there since Season 1 — and unlike most TV grandmas, she never became the storyline. When TV Season & Spoilers caught up with her in January 2026, her update was simply: “We’re still happy.” She has confirmed that McKayla keeps her children’s faces off social media — a grandmother protecting the next generation’s privacy instead of monetizing it.

No mugshots. No feuds. Just loyalty. Boring? Fans call it the gold standard.

Shannon, McKayla Adkins’ mother — the steady grandma who never became the storyline. (TLC via TV Season & Spoilers)

4. Kelsey Scheller — Grandma AND New Mom at the Same Time

In July 2023, Kelsey Scheller — mother of Season 1–2 star Lexus, grandmother of Scarlett — gave birth to twins of her own, as Starcasm reported with her hospital photos. A grandma with newborns. The generational math of Unexpected has never been more on-the-nose: Kelsey went from teen mom to grandma to new mom again. Fans adore her for it — proof that this show’s family trees grow in every direction.

Kelsey Scheller with her newborn twins in July 2023 — a grandma who became a new mom all over again. (Instagram via Starcasm)

5. Erica — The Tough-Love Grandma

Emersyn Potter’s mother Erica clashed with her daughter on camera in Season 2 — and Emersyn answered by moving in with Mason Ramirez’s welcoming family instead. Years later, Emersyn is still with Mason, raising son Mateo far from the cameras. Fans still debate it: was Erica’s tough love the push Emersyn needed — or the reason she walked out?

So… Hero or Villain?

Five grandmas. Five completely different playbooks. The mugshot (Falen). The villain edit (Liliana). The quiet loyalist (Shannon). The double-duty mom (Kelsey). The tough love (Erica).

Who gets your HERO vote — and who gets your VILLAIN vote? TEAM HERO vs TEAM VILLAIN — drop your ranking in the comments.