We suppose such outcomes are bound to happen on a show about ex-cons and their troubled relationships, but it still pains us to report that several Love After Lockup stars have gone back to prison in recent years.
But before we get into the full list of cast members who have been re-incarcerated, we have the sad duty to report that a pair of fan favorites are no longer with us:
First, Tracie Wagaman passed away following a lifelong battle against addiction.
Shortly thereafter, LAL Season 1 star Alla Subbotina lost her life to an overdose.
Perhaps it was inevitable that a show focusing on some of the most troubled and marginalized members of American society would feature so many tragic outcomes.
There’s an argument to be made about whether the fame and influx of cash that comes from reality TV money is a good or bad thing in the lives of these extremely vulnerable men and women.
And obviously, the answer to that question depends largely on the individual parolee and their situation.
It’s worth noting, however, that there’s a remarkably low recidivism rate among the Love After Lockup cast.
The list of cast members who have wound up back behind bars is relatively short — but unfortunately, it gets longer by the year.
Which Love After Lockup Stars Have Gone Back to Prison?
Tony Wood
First on the list is Tony Wood, who is likely one of the least sympathetic figures in the show’s history.
He repeatedly exploited and cheated on Angela, whose willingness to forgive and trust her pathologically disloyal partner earned a good deal of criticism from fans.
As you may recall, Tony’s first — and, remarkably, only! — post-prison arrest was documented on the show.
He was picked up for breaking his parole during his time on LAL, but somehow, he hasn’t been arrested since!
Of course, Angela says he later skipped town with her car and $4,000 in cash, and if he continues to engage in that sort of behavior, he may not be a free man for much longer.
Lizzie Kommes
Next is Lizzie Kommes, who was open about exploiting Scott and other men that she “met” behind bars.
But Lizzie eventually decided to leave her army of sugar daddies behind, and she landed a stable factory job shortly thereafter.
Fans were overjoyed when Kommes revealed that she had managed to beat the substance abuse issues that had caused the majority of her legal woes.
Unfortunately, that period of stability didn’t last very long.
Though she’s not in jail at the moment, Lizzie was arrested several more times as a result of a tumultuous relationship.
She also admitted that she had lied to fans about getting sober.
Here’s hoping she can get back on the right path soon.
Other than Alla, who was unfortunately arrested numerous times as a result of her fatal battle with substance abuse, the rest of the Season 1 cast have all managed to stay out of jail!
So congratulations are in order for Garrett Tanner, Lamar Jackson (the Los Angeles resident, not the Baltimore Ravens quarterback), and Dominic Dalla Nora, who is still married to wife Mary.
In fact, the Noras recently announced that Mary is pregnant with the couple’s second child!
Michael Simmons
Somehow, despite all the time he devoted to impregnating every woman east of the Mississippi, Michael was also able to find a place in his busy life for his greatest love — petty crime.
Simmons was arrested for felony drug possession in 2018, and as Starcasm notes, that brush with the law was side-stepped by producers, even though it happened while he was filming the show.
Simmons was later picked up in Florida for felony child neglect.
He was arrested again in Miami in 2023 for a felony count of battery of a police officer and a felony count of resisting an officer but was allowed to enter a “deferred prosecution” program that essentially amounts to probation.
So, against all odds, Simmons is currently a free man! Progress!
Clint Brady
Clint — whose divorce from Trace Wagaman was finalized just weeks before her death — wasn’t even one of the convicts on the show, but he’s still got quite a rap sheet.
He’s been picked up for DWI several times, including one incident in which he crashed into a bunch of storage units and a freakin’ boat while hauling a trailer of Little Debby snack cakes!
Brady has been arrested several times since he began appearing on the show, but most of them were marijuana busts that did not result in any jail time.
Matt Frasier
And now we come to the man who has managed to rack up more arrests than anyone else in the illustrious history of Love After Lockup!
Matt Frasier’s relationship with the eternally optimistic Caitlin didn’t last very long, and she probably wasn’t surprised to learn that her ex is currently serving 37 years behind bars on a number of charges, several of which are related to violent crime.
Frasier was recently arrested following a home invasion in which he pointed a gun at a mother and son while his partners ransacked the place.
We don’t think he’ll be appearing on future seasons anytime soon.
So yeah, the Season 2 cast has seen some dark times, but it’s also the season that brought us the show’s greatest success story:
Brittany and Marcelino have welcomed two children together, and they currently reside in a $425,000 2,791 square-foot house near Las Vegas!
That fairy tale ending is particularly impressive given Brittany’s horrific childhood and early adulthood!
We look forward to seeing more of these two on future seasons of Life After Lockup!
Lindsey Downs
The downfall of Lindsey Downs won’t come as a surprise to viewers, as she started spiraling pretty much as soon as she got out of prison.
Lindsey was arrested after trashing boyfriend Scott’s place, and the next time the show offered an update, she was back behind bars.
She was later released, and in a twist that no one saw coming, Lindsey began dating fellow Lockup alum Daonte Sierra.
She then found herself in a love triangle with Sierra and a longtime friend named Blaine Bailey.
Between that messy situation and Lindsey’s plan to reach out to her former drug contacts to raise money for lawyer fees, it seemed that she wouldn’t be on the outside for very long.
But amazingly, she’s currently a free woman, and she offered an exciting update on her Instagram page in December of 2023.
“When I was in prison, the only thing that wasn’t taken from me was my education,” she wrote.
“I vowed to go back to Ole Miss and finish my degree when I came home, and I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!” Lindsey continued.
“I’m happy and excited for my last year at Ole Miss as an undergrad!”
Dylan Smith
Dylan Smith is another LAL star whom viewers were rooting for.
After getting mixed up selling drugs at a young age, Smith served several years in federal prison.
During that time, he made the acquaintance of Heather Gillespie, but the relationship imploded within days of Dylan’s release.
He was arrested in 2021 for a probation violation but released shortly thereafter.
More recently, Smith was hauled in on the very first day of 2024, this time on domestic assault charges.
He was released the following day, but needless to say, it seems that Dylan is having trouble keeping his nose clean.
Destinie Folsom
Speaking of folks who have a tough time sticking to the straight-and-narrow, Destinie Folsom is one of the most notorious stars in the long history of LAL.
Destinie got engaged to Shawn Osborne, but to say she wasn’t that into him would be putting it very mildly.
Shawn awoke one day to find that Destinie had stolen his car and credit cards, and she wound up back behind bars shortly thereafter.
She was released but has since been taken back into custody.
Maurice Gipson
That brings us to Maurice Gipson, who also turned out to be a less-than-ideal partner.
Maurice married Jessica Gipson shortly after his release, and they eventually welcomed a child together.
But the relationship deteriorated rapidly, and Maurice cheated on Jessica with a woman named Mandy, whom he eventually left her for.
The breakup was a messy one, but it seems that Jessica is enjoying the last laugh.
In January of 2021, Mandy posted that Maurice had been arrested and held on $315,000 bail.
The nature of the charges remains unknown, and it’s not clear if Maurice is currently behind bars.
Either way, we’re guessing Jessica wishes she’d listened to her parents when they cautioned her against getting involved with this guy!
Quaylon Adams
Next, we have Quaylon Adams.
Quaylon was never the greatest partner to Shavel, but he outdid himself on November 16, 2023, when he got arrested with another woman in a hotel room.
It was his birthday, so Adams and his unidentified companion decided to party with some MDMA and weed.
But when the woman called the cops and alleged that Quaylon had threatened her, the celebration came to an abrupt end.
Considering Quaylon was still on parole at the time of his latest arrest, he’ll probably be locked up for a very long time — and that might be the best thing that could happen to Shavel.
Michelle “Puppy” Deaton
Puppy was a fan favorite thanks to her winning personality and (often unintentional) humor, but few will be surprised to learn that she’s back behind bars.
After her relationship with Amber Eggers came to an end, Puppy got engaged to a man named Eric.
Her life appeared to be on the upswing, but alas, TV Shows Ace reports that she was arrested for possession of methamphetamine in December of 2023.
And since she was on parole at the time, Puppy might be in the doghouse for quite some time.
Shane Whitlow and John Slater
In other “non-surprising arrests” news, both of Lacy Whitlow’s eager suitors have been taken back into custody.
Shane was arrested in August of 2024 on animal cruelty charges. In 2021, Lacey accused him of killing one of her pets, and it’s unclear if the charges stem from that incident, or if he’s a serial animal abuser.
John, who has long struggled with addiction, has been arrested multiple times for probation violations. He last apprehended in September of 2024.
It’s unclear if he’s currently behind bars.
Ray Ford and Chance Pitt
We’re lumping these two-time losers together because they were both arrested over the summer on domestic violence charges, according to TV Shows Ace.
Chance allegedly threw his partner, Tayler George, from a moving vehicle, but she later dropped the charges.
Details of Ray’s case have been hard to come by, but given the recency of his arrest, it’s possible tht he has yet to stand trial.
We’ll keep you posted.
Douglas Howard
Finally, we have Douglas Howard, who has the dubious honor of being arguably the worst offender on this list.
According to Starcasm, in 2021, Howard kidnapped a man and beat and tortured him for several days.
The victim was eventually rescued by a friend, and Howard was sentenced to 40 years behind bars.
Thankfully, his ex-wife, Rachel, adopted Howard’s long-suffering son during their brief marriage. She and Dougie Jr. really dodged a bullet.
So there you have it. The list of Love After Lockup stars who have gone back to prison is not exactly short, but considering how many ex-cons have appeared on this long-running series, the situation could be a lot worse!