Amber Portwood Claims Gary Shirley is “Blackmailing” Her & Begged Her to Return to ‘Teen Mom’; Encourages Fans to “Stop Watching” Show

“I’m back on TikTok…and I’m ticked OFF!”

Amber Portwood is doubling down on the claims she made against her baby daddy Gary Shirley during a fiery Christmas Eve TikTok Live, and throwing out more accusations against him and the editors and producers of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter for supporting Gary in his “lies.” 

As The Ashley previously reported, Amber went on an epic rant on December 24 against Gary, who is the father of her daughter Leah. During that rant, Amber claimed that Gary was a rapist, a terrible father and more. After that rant, Amber left TikTok Live for a while, but this week she was back, claiming that Gary is currently blackmailing her, after spending months allegedly begging Amber to return to filming ‘Teen Mom’ due to him being broke and at risk of losing his home.

Amber also claimed that Gary has lied about her not seeing Leah, as well as not paying him child support, and because of this, Amber encouraged fans not to watch ‘Teen Mom: The Next Chapter.’

Amber— who was incredibly upset that fans of the show were calling her selfish, a narcissist and other unsavory things— was sobbing at times during the hours-long rant on Live earlier this week.

“I gave up half my life for you guys to be saying this awful s**t about me. I thought you guys were f**king smarter than that. Really?! I’m not high, I’m not manic, I’m not anything. I never gave my kids up! I fought!” Amber said, sobbing, before letting out an ear-piercing scream of “WHAT THE F**K!? What is wrong with you guys?! What the f**k is wrong with you!? Is this what you want?!”

“You know what I regret? Not MTV. But giving 17 years of my life to motherf**kers like you [haters], who are calling me a liar and a f**king victim when I showed you the raw, real s**t of what we really go through….and how dare you go against me for that?” she said.”…Yeah, I made decisions that were poor from stuff that was around me, like anyone else.”

Basically all of that…

Amber eventually turned her rage toward Gary, stating that everything she said about Gary during her Christmas Eve rant is true. When fans expressed their allegiance to Gary, Amber became extremely angry.

“You’re gonna stand with Gary?” Amber said, reading one of the comments. “Then stand with him! And burn in hell with him!

Gary right now…probably.

“You’re GROSS,” she screamed, asking the commenter, “How could you not see through [his] s**t? Did we watch the same show? No. You didn’t watch my life. You watched anytime they got me riled up or got me in a situation!”

Amber then stated that if she is the problem, she can quit the show “and everybody can go live in a shack,” implying that her being on the show keeps everyone living a comfortable lifestyle. 

“Because I’m the one who goes through this s**t so that they don’t have to!” she claimed. “I have sacrificed 17 years of my f**king life to live in hell. Not because of the show, but because of a person and you guys are like, ‘We stand with him.’ I can’t even say certain things now. This world is messed up. [He] was begging me, ‘Please come back on the show! We can’t pay our bills!'”

Amber also claimed that person (whom we can assume is Gary) was telling Amber it’s her “job” to be on ‘Teen Mom.’ 

“I mean…isn’t it?”

“Guys, I left the show twice and was completely broke,” Amber said. “I knew I wasn’t going to have the money…I came back, yes, but… I was begged by a person who said they needed the money. I’m gonna take care of my f**king daughter. What would you guys do?”

Amber claimed Gary begged her for “months” to return to filming.

“I came back for my daughter, just to have [Gary] lie on me on everything, after I did [the show again] just so [Gary and Kristina] weren’t losing their s**t,” Amber said. “I feel so defeated, knowing how much I sacrificed my privacy. I feel really, really defeated. …I’m so sad that people think of me the way they do, and it’s all because of one man– just one man!— who lied out of his f**king teeth. Just one, that’s all it took.”

Amber claimed that Gary used her mental illnesses against her while they were together. 

“And he’s still doing it. I’m getting blackmailed right now guys. Literally. That’s why I’m not seeing my daughter…” Amber said.

“I’m just over here on my LazyBoy tryin’ to relax…”

As The Ashley previously reported, stories surfaced in the media months ago claiming that Gary and Amber’s once-decent co-parenting relationship soured because Amber owed Gary years’ worth of child support payments. Amber has denied this, and in this week’s Live discussed the situation.

“I spent over $200,000, which is way over the amount [I owed] for Leah, and I paid hundreds of thousands of dollars on the side for gifts and things like that,” Amber said. “And he’s trying to say I never once paid child support. And he lied to me and said he was bringing the child support money [I paid] to the courts, and he never did, all those years! I have all these receipts from my bank.

“And then, if someone’s going to blackmail you and think they can keep on taking control of you, then you better know how to take consequences of me being so good to a person…”

Amber also brought up the fact that Gary claimed on social media that she had not seen Leah in more than eight months at one point, something she also denied. 

“…and then, he’s lying about me not seeing her. And saying that I wasn’t going over there. I was going over there three to four times a week when we weren’t filming, guys,” Amber insisted. ” And he said I didn’t see her for six or eight months in the media, because the show was about to start. What the hell?”

As for why Gary is “lying” about all of these things, Amber offered the explanation that Gary is afraid that the show is going to end and he’s trying to keep it going by creating drama.

“This s**t was planned!” Amber said. “If you think [Gary] is a good person, then what the hell? I did nothing but give and make sure everyone was taken care of. I wasn’t even taking care of myself. I finally started to take care of myself and then I get attacked for taking care of myself. I get called a narcissist and selfish.

“I’ve never done a selfish thing in my life!” Amber continued.

“Ummm??”

“The only selfish thing I did was be an addict. That was so f**king selfish, but all those lies about me not seeing my daughter, it’s not f**king true,” she said.

Amber then spoke about Leah, whom she currently has no relationship with– something she blamed on Gary.

“That poor baby girl, that poor girl got manipulated at a very young age,” Amber stated of her now-16-year-old daughter. “It’s absolutely horrific, guys. God, I love her. But I will never, ever, respect a man that would do what he did…he wanted his money. He wanted his story. Then he cries to the producers because I was off the show and [he] asked [them] why they weren’t filming them.”

Amber claims that, unlike Gary, she didn’t continue to film for ‘Teen Mom’ for the money. Instead, she stated that she did it to help others.

“It’s just money. And I’m over here, raw, giving my soul to you guys. How do you not see that?” Amber said. “Yeah, their editing is f**king amazing. I stopped watching [the show] because I didn’t know the person that was on-screen anymore… I wish you all could forget all these dumb-ass lies. I’ll take lie-detector tests…it will all come out the same. It’s the damn truth.”

Amber insisted that she actually went broke herself in order to provide for others. 

“I’m not here to ruin people’s lives. I did things to make sure people’s lives weren’t ruined, and houses weren’t taken away and cars and money and all these things,” she said. “I was poor, negative in the bank … and you guys say I did it for the money?”

Next, Amber told fans not to watch the new season of ‘Teen Mom: The Next Chapter’—which began airing this week— because it portrays her in a way that is not real.

“Aww man, don’t say that. We need all the viewers we can get for this crap heap!”

“I guess you do watch some bulls**t version of me…Stop watching it then,” Amber said of the show. “Stop watching it. I would never advocate for something that shows somebody I don’t even like or know. They let [Gary] talk, talk and talk, and why do you think it is? It’s better TV guys. People want to hate me.”

Amber stated that she knows telling people to not watch the show she’s contractually obligated to support could cause problems for her. 

“I don’t know what’s going to happen but I know I’m not going to portrayed where people are saying lies about what I’ve done as a mom. I think it’s really messed up…” she said, later adding, “Either I’m going to be respected for giving half of my life and my soul or I don’t f**king want anything. Guys, there’s a reason why I left [the show] twice, and I’m telling you, I was broke. I knew I was going to be broke. But I wasn’t scared…I wasn’t going to let that man [Gary] keep using me for money as I wasn’t seeing my daughter and all this crazy stuff…

Amber then implied that Gary has extorted her for money.

Amber, describing literally every minute she spends on TikTok Live…

“If he lawyers up, then lawyer up, but there’s going to be screenshots that I’m handing you, so you better be quiet,” she said. “I’m done. I’m not the villain.”

Elsewhere in the Live, Amber insisted that fans would never “find anyone else like” her on reality TV. She also insisted that she’s not a violent, angry person, despite how she’s been portrayed. 

“I don’t believe in physical violence, I don’t believe in yelling,” she said. “When I’m loud, I am being passionate, I promise you. When I’m going off on somebody because they’re being completely horrific and saying the nastiest things, they deserve everything that they got…

“I’ve actually really changed. I’m still the same person but I’ve really changed!” Amber insisted. “…I don’t have to prove s**t to you. You can see it! To act like you can’t is f**ked up. There’s a lot of pain.”

Gary has yet to speak out publicly about Amber’s latest claims.

RELATED STORY: ‘Teen Mom’ Kid Leah Shirley Speaks Out About Her Parents;

(Photos: TikTok; MTV)

50 Responses


  1. Usually when you’ve changed, You don’t spend all your time convincing people you’ve changed. Your actions will reflect that change without you needing to explain yourself. I’m in no place to judge someone’s mental health, but considering her mental health history it’s really hard for me to believe her when she says she isn’t manic or struggling in some way mentally. People who are well adjusted or are on a therapeutic dose don’t behave in this way. I’m just glad that Leah has one parent that has her best interest at heart.


  2. Amber acting like she made sacrifices for the “fans” and Gary/Leah by sitting her ass on a couch for a decade-and-a-half and being paid millions for it.

    Her comments about the “gifts” she bought Leah when speaking on the child support situation is all the proof I need that she hasn’t been keeping up with it. Only a deadbeat parent actually thinks trying to buy a child’s love with gifts is the same as providing for them.


  3. Nobody is perfect but people sure like to act like they are in these comments. Sorry to break it to you, but you’re not, none of us are. Anyone who has been a teen parent has to know that we all become mentally & emotionally stunted from it. I had my son at 16, I had to grow up physically, and mentally enough to raise a child.. for the most part mentally & emotionally I was stuck at 16. I was immature, petty, emotional well into my 30’s. I thought every situation I didn’t like should be handled with violence! I wasn’t scared of anyone, and I was intimidating enough to where nobody tried me. Eventually, it took a lot of self reflection & understanding to realize I needed to grow up, I had everything to lose as an adult with a family, so I put the work in to become mentally & emotionally the age I actually was. It was the hardest but most rewarding experience to change my entire thought process.

    We all make mistakes, we all make piss poor decisions from time to time, filled with regret.. we have to! As humans who grow & evolve, we have to make mistakes so we can learn from them.. in order to grow from them. We just haven’t done it on tv for the whole world to watch & pass judgement. If anything I’m proud of Amber bc she’s still here. With her mental health alone, she lucky to still be alive.. unfortunately I know too many that are not here now bc they didn’t make out the darkness. Add in the constant online bullying she gets, the constant insults, people speaking to her as matter of fact, as if they personally know her. In this day of technology, ai, filters, I thought it was common sense that you can’t believe everything you see on tv or read on social media. The truth is, we don’t know this woman, we know what mtv slices & edits to unrecognizable lengths, to create the narrative that they want the public to perceive. That’s their job, they are in the entertainment industry after all. So they entertain us. Who’s going to watch if every couple on the show is happy & content?! Nobody, bc happy doesn’t draw in viewers.

    People love drama, especially other people’s drama. Amber has been diagnosed with multiple mental illness disorders, mtv has spent over a decade portraying Amber out to the public in the most negative light possible. That’s what sells for them. And they’re going to ride that cash cow until it’s all dried up. When she gets on these lives it’s so clear she is at her breaking point & she’s venting. Which we all have done at some point as well, venting to others, I mean. Should she be? Absolutely not but if it helps her to get it out, who am I to tell her not to just bc it’s not thing?! I think she should leave the show, I think the whole show should leave honestly. It should have ended when the first kids started school. Once they could be recognized, and their classmates/ parents knew who they were, that should have been it. This is my opinion, I know many won’t agree & that’s okay. We’re not meant to all think the same, or feel the same. I am an emphatic person, and I love that about me. I’ve always been able to see outside the box, understand the ones that others don’t even want to see. It’s a blessing & a curse at times but it took me a long time to love myself.. ain’t no going back now.


    1. Nobody has ever expected Amber to be perfect. That’s a BS line people use as an attempt to minimize poor choices. We’ve all suffered. Whether it be abusive parents, young pregnancies, homelessness, etc, the list could go on forever. We all have trauma. We’ve all had hardships. But guess how many of us have/had crappy circumstances and chose to rise up, WITHOUT the sickly amount of money MTV gave people like amber and Jenelle. So many people have crappy parents and CHOOSE to do better for their own kids. There I no excuse to behave this way when people who have far less choose to do better despite regular life also weighing them down.


      1. Right. Trying to normalize ambers issues by saying “everyone makes mistakes “ is the height of ridiculousness. I’ve never thrown anyone down stairs or chased a man holding my infant son with a machete. I’ve never gone months without seeing my kids. Stop trying to lump ambers insane behavior with “normal” problems.


    2. We know more than what MTV slices together due to her multiple woe is me online rants. The show is not making her do any of that so that’s all on her, NOT on MTV’s editing jobs.


    3. not only is breezy star a portwood apologist, she’s also SUPER long-winded. 📚💤
      ‘bs’ indeed. 🤣😹
      also champ, the word you’re looking for is ’empathetic’ ~ unless you’re trying to *emphasize* how much you excuse amber’s AWFUL behavior.


    4. It’s clear that you deeply identify with Amber so it’s unsurprising that her manic rant and your comment have an underlying similarity. Both of you engage in masturbatory self congratulation while vomiting up falsehoods. To use your condescending words, I’m sorry to “break it to you” but all teen parents do NOT become emotionally stunted, immature and petty. Because that was true for you does not make it a universal truth for all. There’s also a deep undercurrent of grandiosity the two of you share. Amber is so special because she “sacrificed” herself for others. You seem to believe that you are so much more enlightened and empathetic than others and see fit to stand on your exhaled throne to castigate and lecture those you feel so superior to. Your arrogance is staggering.

      While Amber IS seriously mentally ill and HAS been exploited by MTV, it does not excuse how profoundly damaging she has been and CONTINUES TO BE to the two defenseless children she chose to bring into the world. Nor does it excuse her grotesque abuse of virtually everyone who’s been unfortunate enough to find themselves close to her. By your mention of believing every situation should be handled with violence, I can’t even image how YOU have hurt those around you but know this – experiencing trauma does not and will NEVER excuse traumatizing others, no matter what you tell yourself. Go reflect on that.


  4. My heart breaks for Leah to have to have an egg donor like this. That is all that Amber is to her. Amber has NEVER been a mother. She gives definition to mental illness. Do Leah a favor and put Amber somewhere and lose the key! Amber is just beyond sick in every sense of the word. If Gary is anything like she says he is, which I doubt 100% that he is, she needs to remember that you are judged by the company you keep so… my assumption would be that Amber is really spewing out things that she is herself. Amber needs to be CANCELED!


  5. I used to have real sympathy for Amber. But doing stuff like this, not even once but continuously.. I just can’t anymore. Vent to someone privately, don’t record your breakdowns for the world to see. Just to play victim because everyone says you’re unstable and unfit. At this point, just like Jenelle, it’s just WHO YOU LADIES ARE. You’re not victims to your situations, you’re both the CAUSE of your problems.


  6. She is very ill and it’s hard to watch. Poor Leah and James. I can’t imagine this toll this takes on them.


  7. I just looked and Gary has no pending court cases in him. Which I believe he would have if his home was in foreclosure. He lives in a modest house, and has a job off the show. Amber is off her meds again, and just keeps ruining her relationship with Leah more and more. Very sad


  8. Girl, stop psychiatrist-hopping and stick with a good, solid one with a lot of experience and that is respected. And when he/she tells you something you don’t want to hear, do not throw a fit and run out of there. Sit down, LISTEN, and do what he/she says. It will be hard, but do it. Or you will never ever get off of your roller coaster of drama. Ever.
    I rooted for you for sooooo many years. I was never a “hater”. But you’re too old for this shit now. You need REAL help. Not soft help. You should be counting your lucky stars that you have enough money to pay for a GOOD psychiatrist. Do it. Otherwise you’re going to be on your death bed someday wishing you had.


    1. While I totally agree with you, the best psychiatrist in the world can’t help her unless she stops adding multiple drugs and alcohol to what is likely a hefty medication cocktail. Given everything she puts into her body, her brain is likely an out of control dumpster fire that a reputable doctor wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole, a hazmat suit and gloves.


  9. Amber needs to get one thing straight. No one respects her because of her selfish, “everyone is out to get me” attitude. So of course her daughter isn’t going to want shit to do with her as she got older and started to make decisions of her own. Amber reminds me of my own mother and the best thing I ever did for myself and family was to go no contact. I hope Leah is able to take this situation and walk with her head held high into adulthood and not go into it enabling amber. The amount of delusions coming from that “woman” is insane.


  10. You can easily see by her facial expressions. She is in a manic/depression stage. Her emotions are all over the place. Crying, laughing, smiling yelling. Maybe it’s time for a grown-up, Dr


  11. There is NOTHING here Portwood could do to get fired from TM.

    Use drugs? Nope. Assault a couple dudes? Nope. Lose custody of both her kids. Still there. Gel? Ah, they’ll wait for her.

    Nothing. She’s the golden child. They’ll never get rid of her lazy ass.


      1. I especially liked the “I’ve never done a selfish thing in my life” but then say “the only selfish thing I’ve done is be an addict”.


      2. They like the controversy and the ratings. If you remember, the whole thing is a business to make money it makes more sense. They could care less about these women or their children.


  12. ngl i believe amber about gary “begging” her to go back on the show but i don’t blame gary for it at all, he is the main one taking care of leah anyway so why not do her part when all she has to do is on the couch and b!tch? how else is her useless a$$ gonna make money because that “psychology degree” she was supposedly working on hasn’t paid anything


  13. Hear amber I’ll fix it… You fought for james and left Leah behind if you don’t wanna be called a shitty parent, then you shouldn’t be a shit parent on t v


  14. What else does MTV need to fire her insane ass and for Gary to sue her? She’s sabotaging the show and accusing him of rape and blackmail.
    She needs to go to jail ASAP.


    1. Jail is for criminals. Amber is not committing a crime by saying things false about him, that’s a civil suit not a crime.


      1. It’s slander and if he felt like it, Gary could press charges for it.
        You can’t in fact say whatever you want and call it free speech.


    2. Amber you should be seeing your daughter wether your filming or not. Not seeing her because your filming is not an excuse. You crave the attention & approval of men when you should be craving that from your daughter. Leah did not just wake up one day & decide she didn’t’t want you in her life, that happen because of your actions. You cannot sit here & claim the show has portrayed you wrong but in the same breath say what they filmed back in the day was a true repersentation of your life & what you were going threw. By you calling Gary a liar your also calling Leah a liar because she’s saying the same things her father is. I think your quick to blame Gary for your relationship gone wrong with Leah because you’ve always done that. Amber will forever be a teenager in her mind because that’s where her development stopped. Going off on people as you called it doesn’t solve issues because people shut down when you yell at them.


      1. I kind of view this like a Cate-Tyler situation with Carly. Leah & Carly both know what’s going on – the internet is everywhere. Gary/Kristina & Brandon/Teresa are trying to protect their children & they both are old enough to make their own decisions about whether they want Amber & Cate/Tyler in their lives.


  15. “I don’t believe in physical violence.” Ummm, didn’t we all see you punching Gary on camera and didn’t we all see them holding you back from hitting Matt? That is physical violence. She is seriously disgusting and needs to be kicked off the show!


    1. Omg the I don’t yell I don’t get physical….im like uhhhhhhhh then why were you in jail amber? She seriously needs mental help at this point! Mental illness is legit


      1. It’s like when Janelle claimed she doesn’t loose her temper easily when she interviewed for that daycare job lol!


      2. I especially liked the “I’ve never done a selfish thing in my life” but then say “the only selfish thing I’ve done is be an addict”.


    2. We also saw and listened to the video of her attacking Andrew and James. We have seen her go off on The Easons. Not that they don’t deserve it, but she was absolutely yelling and screaming!
      Also Gary’s wife is going to Nursing school.


  16. This is absolute insanity. She is literally having a manic episode live on tiktok. I am bipolar. I know it when I see it. I’m sure everyone else can too lol. Either she is not taking her meds or she needs to change doses.

    Now, I don’t believe that is actually the root of her “problems.” She isn’t even a mother. She rants about everyone else and how she is such a saint. She went to “gel” for her daughter. She doesn’t have the ability to accept that she is the common denominator in the issues with both Gary and Andrew.
    I hate to break it to her, but “good” moms don’t beat the hell out of someone, break all probation rules and end up being locked up. You did not “do that” for your daughter. You did it because you’re a violent asshole who doesn’t have a clue how to control yourself. I’m also bpd-cptsd. I don’t hit people. I don’t go crazy calling people names. Amber has had every resource and monetary ability to her real help. Yet, she drinks alcohol. Doesn’t take meds and sees a “child” psych. She doesn’t want to get better. She wants to be a “victim” full of excuses.


    1. I have the exact same diagnoses – & totally agree she’s in a manic episode.

      My therapist told me that having mental health issues does not give you license to act like an a-hole. At some point you need to take responsibility for your actions (& thoughts) & make a choice – heal yourself or continue to hurt others (& by extension yourself). She has all the resources in the world but lives in a victim complex – it’s easier to blame everyone else for your actions rather than do the hard work it takes to move on. I sincerely hope she gets it together but I don’t see it happening.


      1. Exactly!! We all have issues, Amber is far from having it the worst. She is so blessed to have access to countless resources that can help her. She is an eternal victim, the best thing to do is to ignore her. Which I’m sure Gary has learned by this time. There is no reasoning with someone unable to accept their faults.


      2. I completely agree. I suffered with delusions and psychosis. I have mixed episodes/rapid cycling. It’s hell. I don’t understand why anyone would choose to feel that way. Granted, it’s hard to know when you are actually not in reality, but people started telling me I was doing/saying “odd” things. I got help. I have always been more of a danger to myself than anyone else. I wish more than anything they would quit giving her a platform. She furthers the stereotype that we are awful people. She thinks she’s “helping” others with mental illness issues. She’s not. It’s so awful.


    2. Yep. This looks like me when I’m off my medication and having an episode. Thank God I don’t have a public platform to embarrass myself on during manic episodes. This girl can’t be on any medication right now and if she has a shrink it’s not a good one. I know everyone says not to judge the mentally ill but… I’m judging her as someone who is also bipolar. There is plenty of help out there. She’s just never been willing to accept it. The rest of us have to manage our mental health and be productive members of society. Why does she think she’s so special?


      1. Well said!! I agree that she can’t be on her meds right now. If she uses the excuse that they don’t work. Maybe she needs ect. She definitely needs to quit seeing a child psych. I had an aunt who refused treatment. She could be downright vicious. One of her kids died in a way…I won’t elaborate. The others ones have very bad issues. Everyone made excuses for her. Any person, whatever type, has periods they can look back and see their behavior. If it’s bad and you’re hurting people-that’s on you. It’s your own job to seek help. The mental illness isn’t your fault, but just going on like that is.

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