Maci Bookout may no longer share Teen Mom OG screen time with Ryan Edwards, but she still shares a kid with him and unfortunately, a less-than-ideal co-parenting relationship.
While appearing on Kail Lowry and Vee Torres’ Baby Mamas No Drama podcast this week, Maci talked about her co-parenting relationship (or lack thereof) with Ryan, how she talks to their son Bentley about the situation, the possibility of her and husband Taylor McKinney growing their family and more.
During the same interview, Maci also discussed why she sees “no reason” to quit ‘Teen Mom OG,’ despite the fact that Bentley will be 13 this year. You can read about that here!
Below, The Ashley breaks down some of the most-interesting things Maci talked about during her interview!
On co-parenting with Ryan:
During the podcast, Maci confirmed something that ’Teen Mom OG’ viewers already knew: she has “always co-parented with [Ryan’s] parents,” Jen and Larry. Something viewers may not have known, however, is that for years, the extent of the ex’s relationship “has honestly just been the show.”
“I probably lay eyes on Ryan– and have for years and years– maybe a handful of times a year,” Maci said. “It’s not a thing, really. But I’ve always co-parented with Jen and Larry.”
On how she talks to Bentley about the co-parenting situation:
Maci said she has always been open and honest with Bentley about the situation with Ryan, while making sure to explain things in an age-appropriate way so that he can understand.
“I’m like that because that’s how I build trust…if we’re 100 percent through the good, the bad, the ugly, then there’s trust for me,” she said. “I’ve just always been that way with Bentley and now it’s an expectation for him.”
Maci added that Bentley can read her “like a book” and would likely realize if she were ever “anything but 100 percent honest with him.”
“He’s not a call-you-out type, but I know it would stain his trust in me and the relationship that we have,” she said.
Her take on people telling her to keep Bentley away from Ryan:
Given the strained relationship Bentley has with his father (and seemingly, as of ’Teen Mom OG’ Season 9, the Edwards family as a whole), Maci said people have suggested she “take Bentley away” from Ryan and his family, but she disagrees with those comments and finds them irritating.
“You’re not taking a child away from someone,” she said. “You’re taking someone away from that child. Of course there are times when you do have to make that decision to take a person away from a child because it’s not in their best interest and it’s not going to keep them safe, but at the same time, [if you don’t have to worry about] well-being and safety, then you are hurting your child [by keeping someone away]. You are not hurting the adult.
“I don’t like when people say ‘take Bentley away,’” Maci continued. “It’s not taking Bentley away. It’s taking away from Bentley. If everything’s OK and you know your child is safe and not negatively influenced by this person, then you’re just worrying about yourself. You’re not actually worried about the kid.”
On the possibility of growing her family:
Viewers have seen Maci and Taylor mull over the idea of having more kids on ‘Teen Mom OG,’ and Maci said they continue to be “on opposite sides of having more biological children,” but are still considering adoption.
“I don’t think [Taylor is] as much like ‘I still want biological children’ as he was, say, three years ago,” she said. “But for me…I feel like if we have more biological children, we won’t ever be in a place where we’re comfortable fostering or adopting. I just don’t want to take adoption off the table and neither does he. We definitely want to.
“We do want to be in a place where all three kids are in school,” she added. “We definitely want to wait until it’s more of a stable [situation where] everyone’s in school…and visit it then on a more serious note, actually starting the process and making sure it still is something that we want to do. Obviously we don’t want to sign up to do something like that if we aren’t 100 percent invested and on-board and open to everything, the challenge, all of it.”
RELATED STORY: ‘Teen Mom OG’ Star Amber Portwood Rages After Being Compared to Jenelle Evans: “Don’t Ever Compare Me to a Twisted Little Nothing!”
(Photos: MTV)
10 Responses
As someone who grew up with a father extremely similar to Ryan- my mom did the same thing. She ensured our safety, as our uncle lives with our dad and knew we’d be ok, and allowed us to have a relationship with him. Once we were old enough we figured it out and we’re able to decide for ourselves what we wanted. Bentley will do the same thing. He’ll figure it out and decide what to do. Even as an adult my dad still has issues but he’s still my dad ??♀️
I’m sorry, but what Maci said about keeping Bentley away from Ryan is just dumb af. Why would you keep your child around their drug addicted, loser of a father who has NEVER, NOT ONCE shown interest or concern in their wellbeing? Ryan obviously doesn’t want to be a father and that’s gotta be damaging and hurtful to Bentley, who sees and knows this. Also knowing his grandparents continuously enable and defend his piece of shit father probably hurts too because they don’t acknowledge what a horrible and nonexistent father he is. Keeping Ryan in Bentley’s life is probably effecting him more than she realizes
But Bentley not being in Ryan’s life may have an effect too. There is a SMALL Ryan could change and if Maci chooses to keep him away, Bentley would resent Maci for it?
He would be upset that maybe if he could’ve been able to be around them then maybe Ryan would have changed sooner.
Dont put on Maci what is a GOOD parenting decision just because some parents would choose a different path.
Besides, Bentley is almost a teenager, he can make some decisions too.
Meh. Not Maci’s biggest fan but I think she handles the whole thing pretty well with Ryan. If Bentley came to her and said he wanted to cut ties I’m sure she’d honour that for him in a heartbeat (and feel low key vindicated) but in the mean time if Bentley still wants his dad is his life and he is physically safe with Jen and Larry present then I think she’s showing him respect by letting him take the lead.
AGREE 100% SKELLYBEAN!!!
Like Maci said she co parented with Larry & Jen, it’s a hard place to be in and luckily Bentley was around his grandparents more than his dad and finally Bentley is at the age to see for himself what’s really going on & can make the decision for himself if he wants to be a part of the Edwards family or not. It’s fully his decision & he will see that his mom did everything she could to try and make sure there were ample opportunities for him to have that relationship and the end result will be that all the failures were on Ryan & the Edwards side not because his mom kept him away. Bentley will always know that Maci has his best interest at heart. I lived it growing up & also while raising my son, my mother never bad mouthed my dad nor did I with my son’s father and we realized the situation once we were old enough & didn’t have to be protected any longer.
EXACTLY!!!
If she keeps giving it all away “for free” then what part of “her truth” will she have left to share on the show?
Give what away for free?!!
Did you read the article or did you just comment because you wanted to say something ignorant that makes NO SENSE??!!!
I would love to see their family expand. I hope they adopt though, it would be easier on her health wise.