Amber Portwood was not happy watching the most-recent episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter and, over the weekend, she took to — where else?— TikTok Live to express how she felt watching her daughter Leah admit that she didn’t want the birthday gift Amber had sent for her 16th birthday. (During the episode, Leah also discussed the “abandonment issues” she says stem from Amber not being present in her life growing up.)
As fans saw, Leah– who is estranged from Amber— celebrated her 16th birthday, without her mother present. After specifically telling her stepmom Kristina that she didn’t want Mom Amber at her birthday dinner again (given the hijinks that Amber pulled at her birthday dinner the year before), Leah proceeded to reject the gift and card Amber sent, and then tell the cameras that she was about eight years old when she realized “Amber” was not there for her consistently, leading to her having “abandonment issues.”
Amber— who announced last month that she had quit ‘Next Chapter’— told her TikTok Live followers that she was upset by what Leah said and did on the episode.
“I’m feeling emotional right when it comes to what I just saw,” Amber said.
When someone in the Live commented that Leah created valid boundaries regarding her relationship with Amber, the ‘Teen Mom’ star disagreed.
“No, she didn’t,” Amber said. “Those aren’t boundaries. I’m her mother. It’s disrespect.”
Amber then recapped the reasons she feels she was a good mother to Leah.
“What? Did I beat her? Is that what I did? Is that what you’re saying,” Amber said, before arguing with someone who suggested “someone had to hold her accountable.”
“Nobody’s told me to be accountable, darling!” an angry Amber lashed out. “Did you do time in prison? Did you do my time in prison?”
“Did you sit and talk with my daughter and sit down with her and let her know that you were an addict and everything that happened to you?” Amber continued. “Were you…in my shoes when I had to sit there and go through everything I had to do?! Were you paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to be in your children’s lives?”
“I’ve done nothing in my life, darling, then try to be in my daughter’s life and was pushed out like a cancer!” Amber said.
During her first Live, Amber appeared to be angry at her daughter, as well as Leah’s dad Gary Shirley for what played out on screen. However, in another TikTok Live done over the weekend, Amber’s demeanor changed and she was extremely emotional, sobbing into the TikTok camera about the episode.
“I didn’t see what her reaction was,” Amber said of the gift she sent for Leah. “It’s the only thing in my life, guys, that hurts me. I just want to see my daughter. It’s so hard. I don’t want to make this [Live] for anybody else.”
A tearful Amber cried when one person on the Live told her that she should have tried harder to be in Leah’s life.
“I promise. My hand on the Bible, I did. [I was] consistent, I promise,” Amber said. “I did exactly what she wanted. I came when the cameras weren’t there, when she brought that up. I promise.
“I’ve got so many pictures and so many videos that I’ve never posted of us together,” Amber said while sobbing. “Just to keep her from not feeling embarrassed.”
Amber then appeared to switch to talking to Leah directly, begging her not to “think certain things.”
“I’m so proud of you,” Amber told Leah, before basically taking credit for how Leah turned out. “You wouldn’t be who you are if it wasn’t for the fact that I was gone sometimes back then, baby.
“I’ve changed so much and you haven’t been able to see it,” Amber insisted. “But I’ve never lied to you…You were my first love, the first time I’ve felt love. And if it takes this for you to see, since I can’t text you or call you or even … guys, there’s some legal stuff but I just can’t anymore.”
“Baby, I love you,” she said later in the Live. “I’m so sorry for what is going on. I hate it, but I meant everything I said to you [in your birthday letter]. I meant everything, baby. It sucks that I just can’t send you a text, but if I have to do it this way I will. I’m so sorry about my past, and my addiction.
“But the things that I just saw [on the show] killed me. Killed me in my soul,” Amber said. “…don’t ever think that I did anything on purpose.”
When one follower stated that blubbering on TikTok to “Leah” will make their situation worse, Amber denied that’s the case.
“No, it won’t make it worse, because it’s the truth,” she responded. “[Leah] deserves [to see] it. She sees everything else, hun…all the negative, all the bad…just remember though, there’s no other way for me.”
Amber then accused fans of pushing Leah “farther away” from her by suggesting that her TikTok Live rants are embarrassing Leah.
“She sees what you say, she listens to it,” Amber said, adding that she has tried just showing up to Gary’s house to try to talk to Leah.
“I’ll pray for the day that I’m not pushed away because somebody was angry at me. I can’t do anything about that, though, from the past,” Amber said, adding that she feels she “owned up” to Leah about her actions that made Leah cut her off.
“Guys, I kept so many things private between me and her,” Amber insisted. “…Guy, this is pain as a mom for her daughter.”
She then seemed to switch to talking to Gary.
“Just stop hurting me with the one thing you know you can hurt me with [Leah],” she said.
RELATED STORY: Amber Portwood Says She Quit ‘Teen Mom’ This Week; Encourages Catelynn Lowell to Leave Show Too: “It Feels Good!”
51 Responses
The only reason Amber is bothered right now is because she has no man, if there was a man she wouldnt be bothered by Leah cutting her out! Amber only feels her own hurt, its me me me me me. She needs to think Leah is now the age you had her at and she has years of footage of how you treated her and her father to look back on. Also she see’s all your videos online bashing the one person who has had your back since you beat him… Gary.
Me Me me me me me me me
That’s all what amber’s posts are, they’re never about Leah.
She’s always saying everyone is lying, when it’s obvious she’s riding the bs train
She didn’t even fucking cry. I watched this stupid video when it popped up on my Facebook. She even tried to zoom in and dap at the corners of her eyes. Not one actual fucking tear. Poor Leah. I really wish they could get some type of gag order in place so she can’t talk about that sweet baby anymore.
I had a borderline mother BUT, like Leah, I had the best stepmom ever and a great dad who would wrestle a bear for me, even with all of his fake joints. going no-contact wasn’t a thing when I was Leah’s age, but I wish that it had been. The kid will be alright if Amby just leaves her alone! And Amber, not beating you child is a low bar. It does NOT mean that you haven’t been one of the crappiest parents that this crapfest of a show has inflicted on us. Get into treatment, take your meds, get a job, and EARN the respect that you seem to think you deserve because you’re an egg donor.
I wish to this day that my Dad had left my BPD mother. Instead, I’m estranged and no contact with both of them, and every single post that recaps Amber’s rants is literally full of word-for-word stuff my mom said. It’s like they’re all reading the same “how to manipulate your helpless children into excusing anything you do and loving you anyways…BPD edition.”
It’s eerie how often Amber says things that my mom said.
I’m SO GLAD Leah had the chance for Gary to get away from Amber when she went to prison. And I’m overjoyed at the fact that Kristina gave him the time of day and ended up as Leah’s mom. So much of giving in to the abuse and not being able to cut contact is down to “this is the only mom I have…”
Why I am being downvoted when all the other comments are basically “we’re so glad Leah has Kristina…Kristina should adopt Leah, Kirstina is Leah’s real mom!”
I’m saying I wish I had that. I wish had a Kristina. I wish my “Amber” mom was forcefully kept away from me for some time so that my Dad could meet a Kristina.
I don’t understand why that’s something being downvoted when they wish exactly the same for Leah?
Did I word it weirdly?
It’s probably Amber lol.
One down vote from her cellphone, one from her laptop.
This is in fact the stuff you wrote. Now you’re trying to say that you didn’t write these things. My comment below is valid. You are portraying a stigma about an entire group of people. Don’t even try to back out of it. Either you have no reading comprehension or you’re just dumb. Ya mum
My mom has borderline personality disorder, so does Amber. What Amber is doing here is only for herself. She doesn’t feel bad Leah is hurting, she feels bad SHE is hurting. Leah not speaking to her is driving her nuts. Borderline personality disorder is no joke. It’s really hard if your mom is like Amber. Mine was, she still only cares bout herself.
I have borderline personality. It’s from years of abuse. All different kinds. I have never treated my kids badly. I have 5. My bpd was inward. Self hatred, loathing. Sadness. My situation actually makes me more empathetic to my kids. Years of being called names and put down is something I absolutely made sure would never happen to them. I’ve never ever acted selfishly either.
I’m so sorry about your experience. My mother is a narcissist. So, I get it. We are not all “bad” though.
This isn’t helpful right now. If your BPD doesn’t cause you to act like Amber, then this comment wasn’t about you.
The fact that you had to jump in and say “not me!” when we weren’t talking about you, is a bit telling.
Uhm. Maybe because you seem to be labeling us all as “bad” people. Do you ever think that gets old? You say we all abuse our kids and we’re just awful. You’re saying we all have a “bpd edition” on how to “manipulate “ our children. That is ridiculous at best. You don’t know all of us. Do you ever think we get sick of people comparing us to Amber?? Would you like it if you were caused to have a mental illness by no fault of your own and people just keep spreading things around? Chances are that if you were raised by a mother who was so out of control, you probably have mental health issues of your own. Do you think it’s fair to label you as an awful person because of them? Or is that not ok?
I think you might be mistaking my comment with someone else’s…or you’re reading subtext into it based on how you feel….because I didn’t say that all BPD people were “bad.” Neither I, nor the comment you originally responded to, said all BPD are “bad.”
However, the jumping to conclusions, twisting of words, accusing people of saying or feeling something they didn’t say or feel…does very much remind me of both Amber and my own BPD mother.
I think that user was just saying that BPD is complex and varies to each individual. Also I think that was overly rude response, unless I’m missing some context. And for a somewhat common mental illness that is often stigmatized, it’s good to hear different experiences and how it’s affected different lives.
And everything Amber said in her Live is the exact reason why Leah has chose to set boundaries with Amber. The best thing Leah can do is keep this unhealthy relationship out of her life. Amber has never and will never change she thinks she’s changed because she doesn’t do drugs anymore but she has never truly worked on all her other issues besides the drugs. She truly is a horrible person and she should have been fired from the show when she first went to prison. She would have been out of Leah’s life a long time ago and lessened the trauma she inflicted on an innocent child.
Uuuummmm. Not so sure she kicked the drugs.
I agree I personally don’t think she’s sober but Amber believes she is sober.a
This is getting to a mentally abusive point with amber and Leah. If I were her parents I’d do a no contact order and change the numbers . Heck at this point I’d probably move just so she didn’t know how to find us. She’s delusional in every way shape and form. She claims she was a good mother because she didn’t beat her….shall we go back in the records…because just because the cameras didn’t capture the actual actions , you’ve threatened to beat her more than once on camera as a BABY for crying. While you laid in bed saying yall both were napping. Amber is dangerous. Mentally and physically. And no child should be around her. Hers or others. Own up to your mistakes amber and maybe …just maybe you can start to fix the road as you go. But crying on tiktok with a mustache isn’t it babe
In the ideal world, a no-contact, change the phone numbers, move so she can’t find you, would be great. But look at Tyler and Cate with Carly. It won’t stop the shit show. It will sadly get back to Leah through her friends what an embarrassing nut job her mother is.
That’s exactly why Amber needs a gag order put in place.
Jesus fugging Christ this woman is worse than a narcissistic abusive boyfriend that’s being broken up with. Just go away amber, go live in the woods like Bigfoot and just stay there.
She gaslights so bad. When she told Leah “you make me act this way.” I get reels from the earlier years of the show and even at like 9 years old. Leah is telling Gary that she doesn’t want to go to Ambers. Because she just “lays around “ and Matt does everything for her.
Amber, like Jenelle, seems to think if she keeps screaming “I’ve changed!” People will believe her. Shut up and show them.
Stop ranting online.
Stop choosing men first.
See a proper Dr.
Get properly medicated.
Get a job.
Get a decent sleep schedule.
Stop trying to manipulate situations
Stop squeezing out embarrassing fake tears.
Leah is 16. Not stupid.
Great comment. Couldn’t agree more.
Holy crap Amber needs to stop with the me me me bs, last year her pair daughter had to wait for her mom to show up LATE to her child’s bday. Hmm wonder why your child don’t want you around her. Grow up and take responsibility for you screwing up over and over again. YOU ruined her bday last year, why would she give you a second chance to show up when you feel like it and ruin it again. Hun respect is earned not given it’s time Amber you learn that, your child isn’t being disrespectful. She’s setting boundaries to make sure you can’t keep hurting her. Maybe you should be taking some parenting classes and work on yourself because you haven’t learned much about life yet.
Oh so now it’s the “fans” fault that Leah doesn’t want anything to do with you, Amber?
Being such a POS should be illegal.
PS Is it you down voting every comment, Amber?
I am amused by the one down vote for most of these comments. Amber must be trolling, pathetic!!
Read the room.
2 down votes, is Amber still on her Tinder date from last week?
It’s hilarious to see Amber trying to take credit for the way Leah’s turned out, like…Leahs gonna thank her?. Leah is smart enough to know that she needs help dealing with a parent with abusive tendencies. Leah said she was afraid to talk to Amber, and still Amber is not listening to her, bc shes all about herself as usual. Gary and Kristina have been really good to Amber all these years she doesn’t appreciate it, and will twist it into trying to make herself a victim again and again. She wont be accountable and has no self awareness whatsoever. I’m so glad MTV has finally given her the boot. And Leah likes being on TV, she’s part of the show, people say she is being forced by Gary, for the money, which isn’t true. Imo
A real mother keeps her children safe and protects them from harm, including her own negative emotions. They don’t involve children in adult conflicts. They’re there for the good the bad and the ugly. They take care of them when they’re tired, they teach and guide them. They set an example for how to behave and parent. Not smacking Leah doesn’t cut it.
That’s something that Amber has never done, put Leah first no effin way. It’s all about ME ME ME!
And if course the dick of the month club.
Does anyone remember when Amber had a boyfriend changing Leah’s diaper??? How did she kkow that he wasn’t a pedo, the answer is she didn’t and she blatantly put her daughter in arm way!!! I never really cared for Amber and now I despise her!!
Is there anybody who actually feels bad for amber?? Bitch, you head sixteen years to be in her life and you shows to do fuck all with her. And you’re being a whiny bitch, because she knows that you pick everybody else over her??….they audacity of this one🙄🙄🙄🙄😬😬😬😬😬😬
Leah saying “I didn’t want this” , I didn’t take as just not wanting the gifts Amber sent but just not wanting the emotions that came with it. There was no disrespect.
At this point, what does Amber think she’s accomplishing?
Amber, back away from the camera. You used so many I statements, but none of them where introspective. It’s just narcissistic behavior from you all over again.
To be disrespected, you have to hold a place of respect. Leah doesn’t respect Amber. She has been shown so many times over that Amber doesn’t hold her in any true regard, and she’s acting accordingly back to her by having good healthy boundaries. Good for her.
In fairness, she didn’t actually sob. She made some noise, but her eyes were closed and there wasn’t a single tear.
She learned that from Jenelle.
And they both learned it from Sobyn Robyn! Always dabbing the corners of her eyes while loud-sobbing with zero tears. It’s an art, I tell you! 😑
Amber get yourself a better Dr or therapist you have not grown that much in all the yrs on MTV. Your still the same
Amber, please, turn off your camera, shut the heck up, call your doctors and get the help you need. Your daughter is not disrespectful, she’s done.
Why does she think voluntarily going to prison is some kind of flex? She was at rehab, went to court and asked the judge to put her in prison. She put herself there! No one did that for her. No one raised her hand to punch Gary or her foot to kick him on the stairs. No one forced her to scream like a crazy person at Leah when she was a baby. No one forced her to choose multiple guys over her daughter. No one forced her to chase Andrew around with a machete while James was in the crossfire. Amber does all of this shit to herself and then blames everyone around her.
She evidently doesn’t understand the true definition of a mother. Being a true mother is so much more than giving birth. Amber has never been a mother and she doesn’t deserve to have that title. It’s a slap in the face to all of the mothers that bust their ass making sure their kids are loved and cared for. Mothers put their child’s needs above their own. You go without if you have to and give what you have to your kids. All of that is foreign to Amber.
Don’t forget not seeing her daughter anytime she got depressed when a relationship ended too. I went through a miscarriage & none of my kids knew because I wasn’t about to place that on them. I put on a happy face when they were around & carried on because that’s what a mom does! Amber constantly saying she never abused Leah because she didn’t hit her shows she has no clue what a real parent is. I hope eventually Leah can get a restraining order against her.
I had an estranged family member (thankfully not a parent) post a picture of me on their Facebook page as an infant with the caption, “I miss this sweet baby.” It did NOT make me go running to reopen communication. It just pissed me the hell off because I don’t post any photos of myself online. I guarantee you, Leah is pissed and embarrassed about this. Poor girl. I can’t even imagine having my crazy family member as my parent.
Amber is spiraling downward. She has always struggled and this is who she is. But I’m more disappointed in Gary and his wife. Why are they allowing Leah to continue to be filmed when it appears she does not want to?! Just like Maci’s husband, Taylor, these folks are just chasing MTV money. They are just as bad as the OG cast.
Gary wants the $$$. I agree at this point, it would be better for Leah to not be filming. This girl has had a lot to deal with for being so young. She’s already got enough to contend with with Amber’s constant Tik tok rants, let her live some life without a camera in her face.
Wash, rinse, repeat. 🥱
Why do these parents think that by blasting shit online, it shows their estranged children how much they love them and”it’s the only way to get the message to them.” They think it helps the children see how much they fought for them. No. It shows the children what a shit show these people are. These kids aren’t dumb. They have no desire to join the circus. She abandoned Leah for a string of loser men. And I use the word “men” loosely. It is not disrespect for Leah to set boundaries of not wanting her mother in her life. It’s a very healthy decision and disrespectful of Amber to think otherwise. You can give birth to a child and never be a mother. And that’s where a lot of these so-called mothers are at. Giving birth infers no rights. You don’t have to hit/beat children to be considered abusive. Sadly you will never be much more in her life because you are to busy denying fault and blaming others to do anything to create a better relationship with your daughter. And if you do ever try, just know it’s going to take YEARS!!
Amber is a textbook narcissist. Leah is a wonderful human and even though Gary has his part in it, I truly think Kristina was the biggest blessing to Leah’s life.
Looks very similar, but she’s actually diagnosed as having Borderline Personality Disorder and this is truly what it looks like. I have a parent with it as well. It’s way more common in women than Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Most of the people being labeled as Narcissists right now are actually Borderline. The HIGH degree of emotional dysregulation in Borderline makes it easier to spot. Many outward traits overlap, but the driver for the behavior is very different.
So, NPD in men = BPD in women.. Basically? Interesting. I didn’t know what Amber had, I just knew a narcissist very well and she is SO much like him.
This woman is so profoundly ill and self involved that she actually believes her delusional perspective. She seems to really not understand/accept that you can never once lay a hand on your child and still deeply traumatize that child nonetheless. That makes her damn dangerous to BOTH her children. I hope Leah continues to stay far, far away to protect her emotional and mental safety.
STOP PLAYING THE PRISON CARD!!! It’s all you did AFTER you got back from prison that messed Leah up!