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Teen Mom’s Amber Portwood and Daughter Leah Have ‘Amazing’ Reunion After Spending 7 Months Apart
Teen Mom star Amber Portwood reunited with her daughter, Leah, after spending seven months apart.
Fans watched the emotional reunion during the Thursday, August 22, episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, in which Amber, 34, was invited to a BBQ at ex Gary Shirley and his wife Kristina Shirley’s house with some of their costars.
“It’s been seven months,” Gary, 37, told Maci Bookout and Catelynn Lowell about the last time Amber had seen their daughter, Leah, 15. “This is the easiest way for [Leah] to see her mom. It’s less pressure for Leah because she’s not coming over to see Leah.”
As the mother and daughter reunited, they shared a sweet hug before the teen met her mom’s then-boyfriend, Gary Wayt.
“This was an amazing birthday,” Amber explained. “I’m happy that you guys finally got to meet him. I had a lot of fun, honestly. I miss you guys so I want to start doing this more often if we can. I’d love to spend more time with you [Leah] and all of you guys. I love you guys. I love you butt head and I miss you.”
Maci, 33, and Catelynn, 32, then encouraged Amber to make an effort to see Leah more frequently, and they scheduled a dinner date for later in the week.
“I really appreciated the fact that Maci and Cate really wanted to give me such amazing advice for me to actually get my family back,” Amber told cameras in a confessional. “When I saw my daughter, it was like butterflies. I couldn’t be any happier honestly.”
Fans have watched Amber and Leah’s complicated relationship play out over the years on the MTV show. Amid their estrangement, Gary even previously claimed that Leah expressed interest in having Kristina, 37, adopt her during the July 18 episode.
“I said, ‘You need to reach out to Leah. You need to say hi or something. A text or something,’” he recalled about a previous conversation with Amber. “She messaged me back, ‘I’ve texted and called Leah a million times! No answer, nothing ever back. I’ve done everything to be in her life, I’ve gotten crapped on. I never get to spend time with her. I’m tired of being unhappy and fighting for attention from everyone. I’m not a horrible person, I’m a loving mother. I refuse to live a miserable life anymore.’”
After admitting he was shocked by his ex’s response, both he and Kristina agreed that Leah deserved to have a maternal figure in her life. However, they acknowledged they were struggling to get Amber involved in the teen’s life.
Not only did the latest episode feature the sweet reunion, but it also documented Amber getting engaged to Gary, 39.
“Amber Portwood, I love you, and you have been absolutely amazing to me and I don’t see myself with anyone else but you,” he said. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
While Amber initially looked stunned, she happily agreed to marry him. However, both Catelynn and Maci were visibly shocked over the moment. “Is he messing with us?” the Tennessee native asked. “I’ve never witnessed a proposal.”
Maci later told Catelynn that the proposal was “so awkward” because they “literally met him five minutes before.” Catelynn agreed by chiming in, “It was so awkward. Especially because it’s our first introduction.”
Amber and Gary’s engagement soon got complicated when he was reported missing in June. After police confirmed he was “located” at the end of the month, Us Weekly reported that the pair ended their engagement.
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