Mackenzie Edwards’ ex-husband Zachary Stephens, with whom she shares six-year-old son Hudson, is apparently not a fan of Teen Mom OG.
According to court documents obtained by The Sun, Zach is requesting 50/50 custody of Hudson, as Mackenzie –- wife of ‘Teen Mom OG’ dad Ryan Edwards –- currently has Hudson for 209 days of the year. While the exes have had a custody agreement for years, Zach claims a revision is needed because “material and substantial change” has occurred that “affects” Hudson… with the majority of that “change” being related to ‘Teen Mom OG.’
Filed on January 15, the court papers explain that Mackenzie “remarried” and welcomed two children (Jagger, 2, and Stella, 1). Zach alleges he “has the minor child for the majority of the parenting time,” whereas it is believed that during Mackenzie’s parenting time, Hudson “spends the majority of the parenting time with the child’s maternal grandparents.”
Zach went on to mention Mackenzie’s “prominent role” on ‘Teen Mom OG’ and the fact that Hudson is “regularly featured.”
“Father believes that the minor child’s involvement with the television program may be detrimental to the welfare and well-being of the minor child.”
He continued to claim that, while Mackenzie has “decision-authority” for Hudson and is required to consult with her ex-husband, she “has made many decisions” without Zach’s input.
In Zach’s proposed parenting plan, he and Mackenzie would each have Hudson for 182.5 days of the year, take turns having Hudson for holidays (except Mother’s and Father’s Day) and share major decisions for Hudson regarding education, religion, extracurricular activities and non-emergency health care.
Court documents request that Zach and Mackenzie agree to communicate in writing –- something Mackenzie is known to be a big fan of –- and have “meaningful contact with one another” to reach agreements.
Mackenzie has yet to respond to the proposed parenting plan; however, she reportedly filed a petition for contempt in July, claiming her ex-husband owed her more than $3,000 in back child support.
Based on their 2017 agreement, Zach is to pay Mackenzie $245 a month in child support -– significantly less than the $503 he was ordered to pay before Mackenzie joined ‘Teen Mom OG.’ Despite the smaller monthly payment, Mackenzie alleges Zach has “intentionally and willfully refused to meet his court-ordered obligation” to pay the child support.
As a result, the mom of three demanded her ex-husband be found guilty on 13 counts of criminal contempt and 13 counts of civil contempt, with fines to be paid for each. She also requested that Zach be jailed until the back child support has been paid.
Zach is currently employed as a car salesman. In fact, in 2018, Ryan and Mackenzie purchased a custom truck from the dealership that Zach works at.
A court hearing for the case was held in December and Zach told The Sun at the time that the petition had been “withdrawn.”
While Mackenzie remains at odds with her ex, things aren’t much better between Ryan and his ex, Maci Bookout.
Last month, Mackenzie’s father-in-law Larry Edwards revealed Ryan and Maci were still at odds with one another and earlier in 2020, he claimed the strained relationship between the co-parents had prevented the Edwards family from seeing Bentley at times – something ‘Teen Mom OG’ viewers saw on this week’s season premiere.
Mackenzie has yet to publicly respond to Zach’s claims.
(Photos: Instagram; MTV)
31 Responses
I think Mackenzie is not great mom she jealous that Maci better mom than her. And Maci put her kids first and ryN does nothing with Bentley
One thing to note: one reason for the low child support is that the child is with him for a sizable percentage of the year and the assumption is that the child is being provided for during that time by in the case the father.
Hudson being around Ryan is detrimental to his welfare!!
She looks so much younger and prettier in that top photo where she’s not wearing a ton of makeup. When she packs the makeup on, like in the pictures of her with Ryan and the kids and the ones of her from the reunion show, she looks like she’s at least 35 years old. I don’t get why people in their young twenties with clear skin wear so much badly color-matched makeup when it makes them look 15 years older.
Also, if she’s just sending her son to her parents’ house, then yeah, give some of that time back to the dad. Grandparents should have some time and a sleepover now and then is great, but when you’re sending your child to the grandparents’ all the time when the child’s dad would love to have more time with him, then that’s a sh*tty thing to do. And to the dad: pay your child support! But it sounds like the petition to have him fined and jailed and charged a bunch of times was dropped? So did he pay?
@IMO That’s very lovely of you, Thankyou xxx I’m not religious but I am great friends with the hospital Chaplin who comes to visit me whenever I’m in hospital ? Life is quite stressful at the moment, but I’d rather it was happening to me than someone else
In Denmark were I am from the state pay the child support and the parent will be in debt, but either way the child gets the payment every month.
When I read shit like this I am extra happy for the system we have here ..
$245 per month? I spend more money on spilt liquor per month then that. F this guy.
stay lit
$245 a month? I’m a married man, and I pay more than that in *dog* support.
$245 a month to raise a child is a joke. So is $500. Makenzie strikes me as someone who sinks all of her energy into a man and minimally works on her relationship with her children. Her first born is probably the one she casts off more often in favor of Ryan because he is not Ryan’s child.
Either way, the father needs to pay the child support he owes. I hope he has done that. The father may have a point, though. If she is sending her child to his grandparents to film or to solely focus on Ryan, the father should be awarded more time. I generally don’t believe the things some of these parents say to discredit their ex in custody disputes, but I’m inclined to believe this one knowing what her ex friends said about her wanting Teen Mom fame and being obsessed with Ryan before she met him.
I completely agree- She absolutely strikes me as one of those women that have children and they become the background when a man is around so like you said- all focus on the man, none on the children. It wouldn’t surprise me to hear he was at his grandparents most of the time. Maybe they need the child support? It’s pretty sad honestly. For the kids and hell, for her. Can you imagine being that desperate over Ryan? Like, really?!
He has a nerve even asking for custody period. He is a drug addict and has been since the beginning. Also he is only hurting that child by separating him from the rest of his siblings. The parents need to stay out of.
My child father hasn’t paid any child support in over 4 years! It’s a VERY lengthy process to get the case to court and baliffs- around 8 months. He conveniently “lost his job” after failing to pay any of the amount he agreed in court, and refused to cooperate with baliffs. He owes over ten thousand. He doesn’t see my son anymore, didnt even send him a birthday card. As he’s currently job hopping and doing anything he can to avoid any payment, it’s extremely difficult to set a court date. Just to add, I was a nurse for 18 years, but am unable to work as I’m having chemotherapy, therefore paying bills is difficult. When school uniform in the UK costs £250 at the start of the school year, and his father refuses to contribute, it’s extremely challenging. What happened in the US if someone doesn’t contribute please? X
@MRSC You’re dealing with some really hard things;I know it’s not en vogue to say I’ll pray for you, so I’ll send lots of positive thoughts (and some prayers!) in your direction.
People who have not been through it have no idea how difficult it can be to get *any* child support from an unwilling parent, much less fight for a reasonable amount of child support. The court system is hell, and favors those who are willing to ignore rules, lie under oath, and waste time and money. It’s often hard for people who haven’t experienced legal injustice (child support and beyond) to appreciate that the law doesn’t always ensure the ‘right’ thing happens in real life. My heart is with the many of you out there who have experienced the frustration and powerlessness of legal injustice in all its forms. Hang in there!
My ex-husband has never paid a cent on our three ($897 a month) and now owes over $20,000. He just got out of jail after ten months and is on probation for the next four years with a GPS for the first year, which is like $12 a day. I’m sure his mama will pay that since he won’t work, but I’ll never see a penny of that child support.
How it works in my state (Florida), they can have their driver’s license suspended for not paying or go to jail and have to be purged out (like a bond, but it goes towards back child support). If he ever does work a legit job, they’ll take it directly from his check and if he gets an income tax return that gets seized.
Sorry you have a deadbeat child’s father too. Seems to be really common these days. ?
The law in the UK is similar, removal of driving license, Removal of passport or a jail sentence. Prior to this, the get a court date to try to work out payment (he attended this and said he would set up payment, then didn’t) The next step was bailiffs, who went to his house (he was living with his parents at this point aged 45?) He refused to cooperate. They were about to go back to court which would have resulted in one of the above three actions if he refused to pay, but he “lost his job” so they couldn’t pursue it until he was back in employment. He is currently claiming state benefit, whilst also working, which is a whole different story! Our child support service over here isn’t great. If I don’t chase things up, they don’t do much. It’s lucky that I’m not working and in hospital a lot as I have time to play detective! ?
In addition to the money owed to my son, he also owes court and bailiff fees, which actually get paid first, so even if they do manage to catch him, he’ll be paying thousands to them first, and let’s face it, by that point he’ll have “lost his job” again. The only difference is he now has a girlfriend (with 5 kids) which is the first time in 14 years. If he became unemployed, she’d surely question why… as far as I’m aware she doesn’t know about his non payment and debt. Believe me, I’ve considered telling her, but I know he’ll lie and persuade her it’s all lies, and it’s not worth the stress. She will find out one day, I’m sure. ??
When he gets found out, not only will be owe thousands to my son, but also fees and thousands in benfjts he’s been receiving, which he’ll have to pay back. By this point it will be into the £20k mark. I’m so thankful that my son has my Dad as a positive male role model
So he has the kid more than her and when he’s supposed to be with his mom, he is instead with her parent primarily.
So she dumped her kid for her “new family” essentially. Not surprising since she’s willing to blind herself to Ryan’s issues and blame LITERALLY anything else but him for his actions. He. Arely wants to deal with his own kids so I can easily see him pushing little Hudson out. We all see how he talks about his own flesh and blood son. Disgusting people.
You hit the nail on the head completely when it comes to her dumping her kid for her new family. And it really is disgusting. I hate saying this honestly but she is a bad choice for an addict to be with- recipe for a relapse. Everyone okey dokes Ryan’s behavior and wonders why he is the ay he is
I think that fact his mother married a drug addict while he was high on drugs is just a tad bit more detrimental than being on a show.
How would her baby daddy being jailed help him pay his back child support? Wouldn’t he need to be working to earn money to pay it? Am I missing something here?!
I’m not sure if this is the case in all child support cases but, a friend of mine had her baby daddy put in jail for back child support. Most people don’t like to sit in jail until their court date. So, the court sets a bond. When the bond for dad gets posted – that money goes to the mother to help pay for some of the back child support.
I think that was the case one time with Adam Lind and Chelsea Houska
That’s how it works in my state. I know a guy who used to get arrested about twice a year due to not paying his child support. He would post some ridiculous bond amount (I’m talking like $5000 at a crack), and his ex wife would get the cash. If a person truly can’t pay their support due to being unemployed or some other hardship, they won’t be jailed; they can just go into court and provide explanation as to why they aren’t paying and the court will waive it for a period of time, or lower the amount.