Amber Portwood’s public admission to quitting the Teen Mom franchise may not be the whole story.
A source exclusively tells Us Weekly that Amber, 34, has threatened to quit many times before. At this time, however, “No one has put in an official resignation for her on the show.”
The insider adds that Amber has not been fired from the MTV show. Instead, the former 16 and Pregnant star is focusing on her mental health.
“This season has wound down and everyone is just waiting to see what the future holds for the franchise in general,” says the source.
Related: Teen Mom OG’s Amber Portwood, Daughter Leah’s Ups and Downs Over the Years
Amber Portwood’s fraught relationship with daughter Leah has been documented on Teen Mom OG over the years. Portwood gave birth to her baby girl in 2008 with then-boyfriend Gary Shirley. The former couple split three years later, with Shirley going on to wed Kristina Anderson, with whom he shares daughter Emilee. As for Portwood, the […]
Over the weekend, Amber appeared in a TikTok Live where she responded to a report that she was let go from the MTV franchise.
“Guys, this is so weird to me,” she said in a video obtained by TMZ. “Not only am I not being let go, I quit three days ago. I told Larry [Musnik] the producer I quit because my mental health is worth way [more].”
Us Weekly has reached out to MTV for comment.
Currently, MTV is running new episodes of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, which feature Amber, her ex Gary Shirley and their 16-year-old daughter Leah.
In recent episodes, viewers have watched Gary, 38, take steps to see if his wife Kristina Shirley can formally adopt Leah. (Leah and Amber’s relationship has been distant and strained in recent years.)
According to the source, Gary and Kristina have taken “center stage” on the show and that has been difficult for Amber.
“She hasn’t been as active in the show as she has been before,” shares the source.
“It’s been a hard pill to swallow for Amber, especially because [Gary and Kristina] aren’t in a good place with her,” adds the source. “Amber has been resistant to return to the show too for a long time. It’s been so contentious with Gary and their daughter and it’s harder to tolerate the show. It’s become increasingly strained with allegations back and forth.”
During a February episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, Amber — who has been open about her mental health struggles and her bipolar disorder diagnosis — got emotional when discussing the distant relationship she has with her daughter.
“She doesn’t want to be around me,” Amber shared with the cameras. “I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to wait for my daughter and not be a horrifically depressed person. I’ve never been a mom that didn’t care. Just a f—ed up mom.”
As new episodes of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter continue airing, a source reveals to Us that everyone is waiting to see what’s next for the long-running franchise.
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With cast members including Maci Bookout and Leah Messer having kids in high school, the insider adds that the show may begin focusing more on the next generation of cast members.
“They are trying to include the kids more so that might be the way they are moving forward,” a source explained. “It’s gone full circle with the kids who are now teens and it’s an opportunity for the kids who have grown up on camera.”
With reporting by Andrea Simpson
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