Co-Author of Amber Portwood’s New Book Claims Amber Can Only “Handle” Seeing Her Son Every Other Weekend; Denies Amber Had a Machete on Night of Her 2019 Arrest

“Thanks girl! Sending love!”

Amber Portwood may not be getting along with her daughter Leah, but she does have someone who has her back— the co-author of her new book!

After Amber and her co-author, Thea de Sousa, announced that they are releasing a new book in February that focuses on Amber’s mental health struggles, Thea defended the Teen Mom OG star after critics called Amber an “abuser.” Thea also revealed that Amber’s mental health issues prevent her from seeing her three-year-old son, James, more than once every other weekend.

In Instagram comments discovered by the @TeenMomShadeRoom Instagram account, Thea goes to bat for Amber, claiming that there was no machete involved in the July 2019 fight Amber had with her then-boyfriend Andrew Glennon that led to her being arrested for domestic battery. (Thea has since made her Instagram private.)

“Um that never happened,” Thea wrote in response to a comment from an Instagram user who stated Amber tried to attack Andrew with a machete while he was holding their son.

“There was no machete. It was a flip flop on a door after he got home at 2:30 a.m. with their two year old son. You really shouldn’t believe everything you read in the press.

“She is one of the most misunderstood celebrities out there,” she continued. “I promise you I would be one of the first to condemn anyone who actually did that. It didn’t happen,” Thea added.

“It was a shoe not a machete. It was a flip flop with a small heel and the heel made tiny marks [on the door to the room Andrew and James were in]…any parent would have tried to knock that door down– he had her son. It was the middle of the night. He was–not in a normal state of mind…she was not trying to hurt anyone.”

As you may remember, The Ashley broke the story about the machete back in July 2019, after obtaining the Affidavit for Probable Cause which absolutely did mention a machete (as well as a flip flop) being used in the attack.

As The Ashley exclusively reported in July 2019 (using info straight from the Affidavit filed in court), Andrew told Indiana Detective Linda White that on the night of the incident, “Amber picked up up a sandal with about a 1-inch chunky heel and hit him in the shoulder, causing him pain and redness and a light abrasion.”

He told the Detective about the machete as well.

“She keeps a machete with a sheath on it,” the affidavit states. “Amber picked up the machete, took the sheath off and looked at Andrew with a look so as she was moving around the bed, he took [the baby] into the office and closed the door and put his foot on it to hold it close.”

Andrew said Amber kicked the door allowing the top to pop open from the kick but he kept his foot at the bottom…Amber then used the machete and began using it to put slashes on the door. Amber was arrested that morning, booked into Marion County Jail, 

(Andrew told police that Amber had the machete for protection, since she is unable to own a firearm because she is a convicted felon.)

“Kieffer said it best. Bein’ a felon ain’t illegal!”

Thea also discussed how Amber’s mental illnesses prevent her from spending more time with James, who lives primarily with Andrew.

“She has visits with her son every other weekend and it’s all she can handle because of her disorders,” Thea wrote. (She did note that Amber is attempting to have the court grant her one overnight visit with James every other weekend.) 

“She has joint legal custody of both her children… [she is] really trying to make a good life for herself and her kids. Nobody is perfect, and she is far from it, but you have her all wrong.”

Thea noted that Amber is not allowed to discuss the night in question or Andrew (per their custody agreement) but “if she could tell the details of that night I think you might change your mind about her.” 

Back in May 2020, Amber’s brother, Shawn “Bubby” Portwood, also claimed that the weapon used in the attack on Andrew was a flip flop. He tweeted that Amber is guilty of “nothing more than throwing a flip flop at him.”

When a Twitter user tweeted a photo of a door in Amber’s home with marks from the attack embedded into it, Shawn claimed that there is no proof a machete was used to do the damage.

“Absolutely zero proof that this is a result of what was claimed,” Shawn wrote. “All the cameras and audio in the house and no proof at all of the alleged attack with a ‘machete’ taking place. Zero. In the USA that means you are not guilty.”

RELATED STORY: ‘Teen Mom OG’ Star Amber Portwood Announces New Book “So, You’re Crazy Too?”; Says It “Lets All the Skeletons Out of the Closet” About Her Mental Illnesses

(Photos: MTV; Twitter; Instagram)

43 Comments

  1. Damn I have mental health struggles, and have 2 kids with special needs but when you’re a parent you suck it up and look after your damn kids!!! I can’t believe she admitted to only being able to handle her son every other weekend. She shouldn’t even be classed as a mother


  2. Sorry Thea, were you there?
    That photo looks like machete slices to me.
    And everyone’s opinions of Amber is based on Ambers behaviour. Can’t misunderstand her IG lives! They are loud and proud.
    The ONLY thing I’ll give Amber credit for is that she at least doesn’t cry about how she is getting Leah back. She has never attempted to have custody nor said she wanted full custody. Unlike nemesis Jenelle.


  3. We already know Thea is out of her skull because she states “Amber is a misunderstood celebrity”? A celebrity? I can’t stop laughing.


  4. What was there camera footage of exactly? I thought there was footage of the machete and Amber had apparently cut camera cords at one point. What is shown doesn’t look like machete damage, if someone hit a door with a machete, I’d think it would be a deeper and thicker cut. Maybe its the angle of the photo (it hard to tell), but it surely isn’t a flip flop or short heel as those aren’t sharp enough. A stiletto maybe. Does look like a knife though.

    I don’t understand why amber was trying to file for overnights when she apparently can only handle seeing her son every other weekend. And she also leaves him a lot with Gary and Kristina to care for him. I don’t care much for Andrew, but at least James’ safety isn’t in question.


  5. So it was a sandal with a tiny heel, not a flip flop. I get that bit. I have my doubts about his side of the story. It’s weird that them leaving and her at the door is the only footage he leaked. I think he made the story a bit bigger while he shouldn’t have, being hurt with an object and the mental abuse is already bad enough.

    But how did she go from three visits a week, taking him to court to get more to one visit every other week. And publish a book about how she overcame 5 mental illnesses?


  6. That flip flop must have been made of blades because my foam flip flops couldn’t do that to a door. But you know there are two sides, and this woman is believing that a flip flop did that to the door so you know her a reliable narrator.

    Also, I can’t imagine hearing a woman say that she can only handle having her son for a couple of hours every other week, and then be like I’m going to defend this woman. She was so misunderstood.

    What’s misunderstood about her?

    She has multiple arrests for domestic violence against her, but wants to be the victim, because of gelll and mental illness. She doesn’t want to be a parent but wants the credit of being a parent. She sleeps all day and does nothing but wants the credit of being a bad a$$ who works hard for her money. She didn’t work hard, she sold her life for a reality show, she gets paid for it, and she does deserve the money, but she didn’t work hard for it.


  7. Admitting that she can’t handle her son for more than a few hours every other weekend (I could have sworn it was weekly visits…) “because of her mental disorders” just proves she shouldn’t have him over night.

    I have LOTS of friends with a wide variety of mental disorders, and it never stops them from being full time parents.

    Amber is just a lazy piece of shit egg donor who should go ahead and permanently remove herself from BOTH of her children’s lives. Leah wants nothing to do with her and once James is old enough to speak up, he won’t want her either.


    1. Thinking of Amber being alone without another responsible adult around caring for baby Jamea all night truly terrifies me. Amber has no coping skills, she can’t control her anger or deal with stress, how in the world could she take care of a growing, active, toddler who will be at a strange place without his primary caregiver? So scary.

      Amber sucks and this lady sticking up for her will undoubtedly be eating her words sooner or later; Amber will physically lash out at someone soon enough.


  8. This sounds like Jenelle trying to defend David. We all know that Amber has a well documented history of being abusive and if she truly has joint custody, then why do both of her children live with their fathers full time? This woman is delusional and she needs to pick better “celebrities” to befriend.


    1. It’s joint legal custody. It means she’s allowed a say in regards to decision making for like doctor visits and has rights to access their medical and educational records. Both dads have full physical custody of the children, with her having visitation.

      She has as much rights to those kids as, say, Janelle has to Jace.


  9. I doubt amber wanted the info out that she can only “handle” her son for a few hours every other weekend. Will she go on an insta rant? Lol and from someone on “her side.”


  10. is thea in love with amberine, is that why she came out as bisexual?
    if she can’t handle her son for more than a few hours every other weekend than, yes, the biological mother of 2 might just give up on motherhood and do her children a favor. but this has always ever been about her so that won’t happen, a rill woman from gel needs that mtv cheque there is not much else to it.


  11. So Andrew has to legally stay living near by and can’t go back to California for the sake of a few hours visit every other week? Wtf


    1. Sadly this is how it works. The courts are very hesitant to separate children from biological parents, even if one or both really shouldn’t be parents. (See the Easons)

      I’m in Texas, divorced for 15 years and my son turns 18 on Sunday. I’m legally bound to this county until he’s 18 and/or finishes school, so come June when he’s headed off to college in another city – I’m out! Despite his father not being around and having a criminal record, no judge wanted to cut off custody completely nor allow me to move “incase” he eventually decided to be a parent. CPS has to deal with this too when kids are in a dangerous situations, it is frustrating and can be heartbreaking


  12. Once every 2 weeks, huh? Sounds like receiving a paycheck to me. Girl, if you can only handle that, give up your rights as a parent like Adam did for Paisley and let your kids live their lives with people who “can handle” them for more than a few hours once every 2 weeks. Lord knows they are better off without you.


    1. I agree! She needs a story line to keep the couch money rolling in, that’s as far as her concern for her kids goes!


    2. But she’s a “Good Mom” remember?! I’ll say it again, the people who have to constantly tell you what a good mom they are, usually are NOT!


  13. So, random ass Thea wants us to remember there are 2 sides to every story. That’s fair. However, the part where she speaks on machete-gate as if she witnessed it first hand. Oh Thea … you gullible heifer.


  14. Thea, my only advice to you is to remove yourself from the Portwood dumpster fire before the flames engulf you, too. Which they will.

    Andrew, fight like hell to keep Amber from having unsupervised visits of any kind with little James! No overnights of any kind! She is not sober, and she has no judgment. Visits with Leah should be suspended until LEAH wants them reinstated. Maybe never.

    Take it from one who knows— having no mom can be better than having a narc mom. James and Leah both have loving fathers, and Leah has a real, loving mother in Kristina. Amber is an unhealthy burden on both her kids.


  15. I am sorry but this co author may have missed some details. Everything that was stated to the courts is very believable after watching Amber for years. I feel bad that Andrew is trapped by his abuser in a coparenting situation that is healthy for no one involved. I wish he would be allowed to move home to California, closer to his family.


  16. Well Thea you shouldn’t believe everything that Amber says.
    No flip flop leaves those marks on a wooden door. She’s a convicted abuser and we all heard her calling her son “it”.
    She’s disgusting and takes no responsibility for her actions


  17. This co-author can say that we “shouldn’t believe everything we read in the press.”, and her brother can insinuate that Amber is getting a really bad narrative, but I think they are forgetting that we have been watching this girl for like TEN YEARS on television!

    We know what she is capable of, starting with assaulting a man twice her size ten years ago when this all started, MANY instances of neglectful parenting when Leah was a baby, drug use, anger issues, and all in all major instability. That is just the tip of the iceberg that we as VIEWERS saw.

    So please, if you’re going to try to sell a book, start with the fucking truth for once Amber and your “co-author”. It would be the first time, and you might be real surprised to see that the truth is easier to keep track of and gets you in less trouble.

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