Amber Portwood Reveals Where Relationship With Leah, 13, Stands After ‘Teen Mom’ Drama
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After a season of drama between ‘Teen Mom’ star Amber Portwood and her daughter Leah, Amber revealed in a new interview if she and the teenager are currently speaking.
Amber Portwood, 31, has made big progress in repairing her fractured relationship with 13-year-old daughter Leah. The Teen Mom OG star told Page Six on Tuesday (Nov. 30) that the mother-daughter duo’s relationship “is so much better” now, after Amber was estranged from her eldest child for months on the latest season of the MTV series. “I don’t want to mess anything up, but [things are] good,” Amber told the outlet. “She’s reaching [out] and I am [so excited]. My arms are up and open.”
Amber, who shares Leah with ex-fiancé Gary Shirley, also confirmed that she’s been truthful to her daughter about her controversial past, such as her prison sentence and struggles with substance abuse. “She’s been asking questions. I’ve always told her the truth, as much as I could for her age,” Amber explained. “As she’s gotten older, she’s learned more. With her age right now, she’s kind of like, ‘Well, I don’t like that attitude or behavior. I’m not like that.’ I think she has every right to be mad at me for a lot of things. I let her feel her emotions and I understand that.”
On the latest season of Teen Mom OG, Amber spent a lot of time away from her daughter, who lived with Gary, 35, and his wife Kristina Anderson. The distance was obviously hard for Amber, but the MTV star said that she realized she needed “to give her space because I know what my past was. And one day, she’ll come back and move forward.” Amber, who has a 3-year-old son, James, with ex Andrew Glennon, also told Page Six that Gary and Kristina were “a big help” amidst her turbulent relationship with Leah. “We try to be one big, blended family, which is so hard to do — and I’m sure a lot of people know this — but we still try.”
Amber’s interview comes after the reality star sparred with Gary on the Teen Mom OG season 9 reunion, which aired on Tuesday night. Amber got very upset with her ex when Gary revealed that Leah is seeking therapy, something that Amber was unaware of. Things got so heated between the exes that the mother-of-two ended up storming off the reunion set. Viewers will be able to see what goes down next between Amber and Gary on Part 2 of the reunion, which airs Dec. 7, at 8pm on MTV.