It’s been almost two years since Ryan Edwards and Mackenzie Standifer got fired from MTV.
Unlike the firings of Farrah Abraham and Jenelle Evans, of course, the story didn’t make many tabloid headlines.
Ryan and Mackenzie were second-tier cast members, and there was no major drama surrounding their dismissal.
The couple was quietly let go at the behest of Maci Bookout, who requested (read: demanded) that her bosses kick the couple to the curb.
At least that’s the story as we always knew it.
But according to Mackenzie, that’s far from the whole story.
Mackenzie had been on a lengthy social media hiatus, but she returned to the site this week for an Instagram Live session in which she told her side of the story like never before.
According to Standifer, MTV execs begged her and Ryan to return to the show after they were fired.
“They did their little spiel about, ‘I’m sorry – so sorry – that things went down the way that they did. Your story was left untold. They don’t get to see the other side – the viewers.’ You know, blah, blah, blah,” Standifer explained.
“Ryan heard them out for a second and basically said, ‘I don’t want anything of what you are selling. I don’t have time for that. Sorry,” she continued.
“It feels so good to be able to stand up to a network like that and say, ‘Go screw yourself. Leave me out of it.’ Because at this point, what good would that do for anybody?”
Seemingly as her way of saying that she and Ryan are doing just fine financially, Mackenzie added, “We both work.”
Mack also teased the possibility that she and Ryan might make a comeback for the upcoming hybrid show, Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, which will combine the casts of Teen Mom OG and Teen Mom 2.
On Reddit, fans were less than ecstatic about the possibility of Ryan and Mackenzie returning to the show that made them famous.
“I’d rather watch Gary sell his $2 onions in the front yard,” one commenter joked, referring to Gary Shirley’s recent business venture.
Others pointed out, however, that despite — or perhaps because of — their problems, Ryan and Mackenzie were often interesting to watch.
“I believe this is because Maci’s storyline without them is beyond boring,” another suggested, according to UK tabloid The Sun.
“PCOS isn’t a storyline,” a third wrote, referring to Maci’s medical issues. “That’s why. Also [Ryan] and his parents are entertaining. Maci is too boring.”
“If Ryan is truly in recovery I would be really interested to watch that. And his interactions with Bentley as a sober dad,” another person chimed in.
Others agreed that Ryan’s recovery journey could make for compelling viewing.
“Ryan’s storyline was the most interesting storyline this show has had in years… It really brought that old school vibe and was reminiscent of back when MTV featured content that was extremely relevant to what was actually going on in the world,” one person wrote, adding:
“The heroin epidemic is huge and it would be a pretty big deal to have someone on their network talking openly about their experience and struggles dealing with that.”
As for Mackenzie, the former reality star’s appearance has been attracting a lot of attention in recent months, and not all of it has been positive.
Commenters on her Instagram page believe that Standifer is “unrecognizable” because of all the weight that she’s lost.
As usual, internet commenters have greatly exaggerated the situation.
Mackenzie has been forced to contend with tons of unfair criticism in recent years, and even though she says she’s not interested, returning to TV might be the best revenge.