Former 16 and Pregnant cast member Whitney Blake Purvis, 33, of Rome, pleaded guilty this week to multiple charges connected to the overdose death of a Rome man.
Purvis was originally arrested in July 2025 after investigators alleged she supplied a drug mixture containing fentanyl and xylazine, commonly known as “Tranq,” to John Mark Harris, 37. Authorities said Harris later died from an overdose at his East Rome residence, where he was discovered by his father.
Court records show that Purvis entered guilty pleas to involuntary manslaughter, sale of a controlled substance (fentanyl) and illegal use of a communication facility. By pleading guilty to three of the seven charges she faced, Purvis entered an Alford plea, a legal arrangement in which a defendant formally accepts a conviction while maintaining innocence regarding the underlying conduct.
Records also indicate that Purvis waived her right to withdraw the guilty plea as part of the court proceedings.
She has not been sentenced and could face up to 44 years in prison under the plea agreement.
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A former reality star from “16 and Pregnant” Whitney Blake Purvis, 33 of Rome, was arrested this week after reports said she supplied drugs to a Rome Man that resulted in him overdosing and dying.
Police said Pervis distributed a substance presented as “Tranq,” commonly known as Xylazine and Fentanyl, to John Mark Harris, 37, at his home on East Eighth Street in East Rome. Harris later died of an overdose and was discovered by his father at the home.
Purvis’s 16-year-old son, Weston Owen Gosa, with whom she was pregnant during the show also died earlier this year from unknown causes.
Since her appearance on the reality show Purvis has been arrested numerous times on charges such as shoplifting and failure to make child-support payments.
