Former Unexpected star Rilah Ferrer’s ex and baby daddy, Anthony Vanelli, is in a lot of legal hot water. Now, his prison sentence has been handed down and revealed, but how much time will he have to serve? Keep reading for more details on what will happen to the Season 3 alum.
Anthony Vanelli Sent To Prison
When Unexpected viewers met Rilah Ferrer and Anthony Vanelli in Season 3, their relationship was already chaotic. The two struggled with paternity questions, and there was a lot of aggression. Yet, they welcomed a daughter, Malayah, only to part ways as time went on. No one who saw the show was surprised that they broke up and felt that it was for the best. Ultimately, Anthony would go on to get into a lot of legal trouble, but Rilah found love with a man named Eddie. In January 2026, they announced they were expecting a baby together.
However, she has made it clear that Anthony has not been allowed around Malayah for years now due to his behavior:
“His family was pressing me about not letting him be around Malayah and I rest my case, He’s a nut job and I haven’t had my daughter around him in years.”
In 2023, he had stabbed his mother’s boyfriend and had first been sentenced in November 2025. Anthony was supposed to head to treatment and then be on probation, but things took a twist. Just twenty-four hours after he entered treatment, he was forced out “due to displaying aggressive behavior towards staff and other clients.” Due to this, the Unexpected alum had to be resentenced, and he will now serve 51 months and 11 days in prison.
Anthony Vanelli will eventually be transferred to a Florida State Prison, but for now, he is in Seminole County Jail. In 2019, Anthony was arrested for a DV incident with Rilah, and it just continued to spiral. He stole his grandmother’s car, pulled a knife on a random lady for disliking her partner, and the stabbing. Hopefully, this sentence will help to rehabilitate him and set him on a far better path.
Was Anyone Shocked?
After Unexpected fans learned what had happened to Anthony Vanelli, was anyone all that shocked? Not really, and some stated that the TLC series is nothing but toxic:
- Can we please cancel this show! Absolutely nothing good comes from it , and stop highlighting teen pregnancy
- I swear I kinda had a feeling he would go down that path bc of how he was in the show.
- There was a reason her mom tried keeping her away .
- Anger management would have helped this guy
Rilah Ferrer has not spoken out on this situation, but again, she is actively trying to keep her daughter protected.
Do you remember Anthony from Unexpected, and are you surprised that this is the road he went down? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Amanda has been a professional freelance writer for over a decade, holding both a BA and an MA. Her passions include animals, iced coffee, gnomes, summer, music, and ‘Vanderpump Rules’.