The Teen Mom O.G. cast sat down with Dr. Drew Pinsky for part one of their two-part reunion special last night on Teen Mom Season 11 Episode 11.
What did we learn from the fab four? And were there any major fireworks? As advertised, the cast was actually calm and civil … mostly. So far.
No doubt, this can partly be attributed to the fact that Farrah Abraham was not featured (she and Catelynn Lowell will be spotlighted next week).
By and large, things remained under control though. Phew?
With a new man, a new pregnancy, a car crash and a feud with Farrah Abraham, Maci Bookout had plenty to talk during her sitdown with Dr. D.
So why did Maci quit Teen Mom (briefly) this season?
In her words, “The decision to quit the show, to me, had more to do with me and MTV, not Farrah,” Bookout stated re: Farrah Abraham‘s return.
“And that’s because whenever I had signed up to do this, I had agreed [to come back to Teen Mom] if her story wasn’t going to be shown."
Why does she care what happens a thousand miles away?
"I don’t think it’s appropriate," she says, "to film Bentley playing baseball then come back from a commercial break and they might be at a strip club.”
We’ll see Farrah’s response to that next week.
As for her boyfriend Taylor McKinney not quite putting a ring on it, “I’ve been joking when MTV gives me my next check I’ll go ring shopping,” he teased.
Okay then.
The pair went on to explain why they chose to engage in unprotected sex after Maci worked so hard on teenage pregnancy awareness via the show.
The Tennesseean has a medical condition that makes it hard for her to conceive, so she went off birth control, assuming it was a non-issue.
Nevertheless, “This was something we both wanted together … we didn’t want to prevent it any more than it was already being prevented naturally.”
Okay then.
Since the reunion was taped, Maci Bookout gave birth to her second child, a baby girl named Jayde Carter on May 29. So that’s awesome for her.
Also great? Her ex-boyfriend Ryan Edwards, the father of her son Bentley, has been in lockstep with her regarding her feud with Farrah – and Taylor.
“I think if MTV is going to [Teen Mom] why bring someone back that is gonna do a porn or sell their artificial body part on the Internet?” Ryan said.
Fair point.
“He’s doing, in my opinion, much better than he ever has,” Maci said, giving mad respect to Ryan, who has praised her new man McKinney.
“There’s not tension here like there used to be. I don’t hate his guts, like I used to. He doesn’t think I’m the devil, or at least I think he doesn’t.”
Awesome.
When it came time for Amber Portwood and fiance Matt Baier to take the stage, Dr. Drew had his hands full with a pair of recovering addicts.
“I haven’t felt triggered from drinking. And I think the reason for that is my father,” Amber said, revealing, “My father just died from drinking."
"He died in December. It’s hard losing a parent, and even worse to lose him to alcohol complications," she revealed, and Baier can relate.
As for her fiancé, the last time he drank was when they were in Vegas; Matt Baier punched a wall in anger. But Amber is not concerned.
“No, not at all because that’s the only time that’s every happened, and he hasn’t drank since because of it,” Amber explained to Dr. Drew.
“I know it’s hard for people to understand mine and Matt’s relationship and I totally get that, but the thing that matters is we’re happy.”
“It’s simple to us because we lived it. Trying to explain it is much more difficult,” Matt said of moving in with Amber 13 hours after they met.
Matt was an open book when it came to talking about his own sobriety, but Amber was upset by Dr. Drew’s continued line of questioning.
“I’m about to walk off this stage ’cause this is getting annoying,” she told the MTV host. “It is what it is, we’re not addicts, we’re not fighting."
"I don’t like this. I don’t want to do this. I’ve worked too hard on myself. This is stupid to me,” she said, and walk off the stage she did.
Okay then.
Eventually, everyone calmed down and went back on the stage, where they discussed their future – no wedding plans yet, and prenup FTW.
Very smart. As for her ex Gary Shirley, he revealed that when he first began banging baby mama Kristina Anderson, she was still married.
She split from her husband and had a baby girl named Emilee with Gary. That added even more tension to his situation with Portwood.
Specifically, regarding custody of Leah, he asked her, “What happens if something happens again, what if you get caught up with Matt?"
"What if you make a bad decision?” Gary explained, feeling that he alone deserves custody of the little girl, despite Ambs’ progress.
“You’re a good mother, you’ve made the right steps. I don’t know how I can make you feel like you’re a part of it more than I already have.”
Stay tuned … and follow the link to watch Teen Mom online to see the reunion installment for yourself, from beginning to dramatic end.