Amber Portwood currently has no relationship with her daughter Leah, but the Teen Mom star says she’s confident that she will eventually be part of the 16-year-old’s life again.
During (yet another) session on TikTok Live on Thursday, Amber addressed comments she’s been getting about her being an absentee mother to Leah, whom she shares with her ex Gary Shirley. As The Ashley previously reported, Amber claimed in another recent TikTok Live session that Gary told her that she is no longer allowed to be around Leah, and on Thursday, Amber addressed the situation.
“[I can’t say] what Leah went through or how she feels today,” Amber said. “But what I can do, today, is still love my daughter with all of my heart. And know that she is safe. She’s happy. She’s taken care of in any way that she needs to be taken care of. And I can be proud of that at least.
“…Then I can also sit here and say, one day I will have my relationship back with my daughter because I actually show up for her…Of course I did [but] I did it off-camera. I had to,” Amber said, before addressing the fans claiming she pointed the finger at Gary for her poor relationship with Leah.
“I didn’t blame Gary, I said the truth,” she said. “You guys can’t attack me for saying the truth. If a person says, ‘No, you’re not allowed to be here, no, you can’t do this and you can’t do that,’ you can’t lie about what somebody truly said. So let’s stop.”
Amber denied talking badly about Gary.
“I never called people a bad person. I never did anything like that,” she said. “Today, I’m literally just saying the truth of what’s going on. That’s it. That’s all. So just, stop.”
As ‘Teen Mom’ fans know, Leah has lived with Gary and his wife Kristina for almost her whole life. While Amber and Gary share legal custody of the teen, Amber’s relationship with Leah has been very strained for the past few years. One of the recent low points of their relationship came last season, when Amber joined in on a dinner out to celebrate Leah’s 15th birthday. Fans watched as the dinner for Leah ended with the teen in tears after Amber called her a “d**k.”
On Live on Thursday, Amber denied accusations from fans saying she was drunk during the birthday dinner. Amber— who was shown ordering a glass of wine with dinner– denied even drinking that night.
“And you guys, do you know, on Leah’s birthday— on her 15th birthday— that I didn’t even drink one glass of wine that night?” she said.
@teenmom Replying to @cj Amber shows up late to Leah’s birthday dinner and shows the girls her new boyfriend 👀 #TeenMom ♬ original sound – Teen Mom
Amber went on to insist that she has tried to repair her relationship with Leah off-camera, and that she is no longer the person many ‘Teen Mom’ fans think she is.
“I knew that I was an addict. I knew that I did all kinds of really horrible things. I’ve admitted multiple times— multiple times— that I was in the wrong,” Amber said. “[I was] trying to build bridges again, trying to do things behind the scenes, off cameras. But yet, for some people who are just garbage, you can’t understand that at the age of 34, people change!”
The couch aficionado got defensive when fans brought up the fact that Amber has, for years, declared herself to be changed, despite still exhibiting repeated behaviors.
“And to sit there and say that I’ve said the same thing every single year, how can that even be possible when I’m not even on the damn show every year! I’ve left–twice!” she screamed.
“And, yes, Gary said I couldn’t see my daughter…I do nothing but fight for my kids,” she continued. “The truth will never be shown fully because it’s called television, you guys. I will say the things I’ve done by my own hands. I will say and I will admit to what I’ve done. But I can’t sit here and listen to the garbage anymore.”
Last season, Gary revealed on-camera that Leah wanted Kristina to legally adopt her. However, Amber reportedly was very against this idea and, as of press time, no adoption files have been filed.
Amber and Gary will be returning for the next season of ‘Teen Mom: The Next Chapter,’ where viewers will reportedly see the pair’s co-parenting relationship sour, reportedly, in part, over Gary’s claims that Amber owes him years’ worth of child support payments. (Amber has denied the claims, insisting that she pays her child support, and her other baby daddy Andrew Glennon recently vouched for her being a good mom.)
MTV has not yet announced when ‘Next Chapter’ will return.
(Photos: MTV)
15 Responses
Leah is old enough now to decide whether or not she wants to see Amber. Leah says NO. That should be respected. Leah deserves to just live her happy life with Gary and Kristina.
Does…does she want a medal for not drinking at her daughters birthday dinner? smh.
I do believe Gary has Leah’s best interest at heart, no doubt he loves and takes care of Leah. But I wonder if the reason he really tried with a relationship with amber and Leah was bc of TV? Not criticizing him or anything, but I imagine if he didn’t try then he would be blamed for their estranged relationship. I’m not being harsh or judging- I could NEVER imagine nor want my life in public view open, exposed to criticism for everything I do wrong. Just a thought
Poor Leah. I know just what it’s like to be forced to see a parent you don’t like. I wish my mother would have done more to help me not see or live with my dad. Good for Gary and Kristina.
I *KNOW* I’ve said it 900 times!!! I *KNOW* You’ve SEEN me drinking!! I *KNOW* you’ve seen what you’ve seen!!
I’M 34 NOW! I’ve been OFF and ON the camera, people!! Some years on, and some off!! Obviously!
I HAVE been present, loving, and done all the things right!! I just do all that OFF camera, because I HAVE to! Because…. REASONS!!!
Like… She’s right, it IS, “Obviously!” just not her endless spin. She doesn’t even realize she doesn’t make any actual sense, nor that she’s never stopped doing the problematic crap. I believe she believes herself, but, that’s as far as it goes.
I also think that Gary pushing Leah all these years so hard to be inclusive and understanding and just… “put up with it”… yeah. She’s been there, done that. She’s turned the other cheek. Learned about her mother’s illnesses. I don’t think she’s going to have the adult “turn around and find you moment”… she’s already done it too much. That poor poor kid.
Jenelle 2.0. They have their own “reality” and “truth will come out”
You don’t have a relationship with your daughter because you never cared about having one. You only care about yourself and your soulmate dujour
I can’t stand her. There is not one ounce of respect that I would ever be able to give to her. She’s delusional. She is a piss poor excuse of a mother. The only thing I have ever questioned of Gary is why he forced Leah to continue to have Amber in her life. There will multiple birthday’s that Leah did not want Amber there & for very good reason. Can you imagine being a teenager and having your mother talk about yet another guy when she has done nothing but choose guys over you? Then she calls you a dick. Hopefully Gary has drawn the line and respects Leah’s feelings. Amber will never change. And Leah will always have a loving mother with Kristina. Leah is incredibly well adjusted for what she has been through publicly with Amber and for being on Teen Mom. That is a testament to Gary and Kristina. Amber didn’t have a damn thing to do with that so no…she has done nothing to be proud of.
“And know that she is safe. She’s happy. She’s taken care of in any way that she needs to be taken care of. And I can be proud of that at least.”
Yes, Amber, Leah is safe, happy, and taken care of, but you have nothing to do with that and no reason to be proud.
I’m proud of the way Gary has stepped all the way up and also found a partner that is a great step-mom. Who knew Gary would be a TM success story?
Right? Massive part of it is Kristina’s involvement but I don’t think anyone had “Leah will have one of the more stable childhoods because of Gary’s decisions”.
What is Amber proud of because last I checked she had no role in raising Leah. Kristina is Leah’s mom no matter what Amber’s delusional self believes. I highly doubt Gary is keeping the egg donor away from Leah without good reason. If Amber acted the way she did at Leah’s birthday dinner with cameras rolling imagine how she acts when they aren’t around.
It sounds like Gary finally gave up on trying to force his nearly adult daughter to have a relationship with her deadbeat mother.
i believe gary did tell amber she’s not allowed to see leah anymore but bffr amber, like does she seriously expect us to think its malicious and for no reason like it’s not because it’s leah’s wishes and gary’s just taking the heat by playing bad guy to make his daughter comfortable????
Tell that child psychologist she’s been seeing that he needs to take her off the delusional and crazy pills.
Those crazy pills really making her believe it’s Gary that doesn’t want Amber to have a relationship with Leah, and not Leah done with her mother.