Teen Mom: The Next Chapter fans were left stunned on Thursday night after watching Amber Portwood go “Portwood AF” on her daughter, Leah.
During Thursday’s season finale, Amber blasted her 16-year-old— as well as Leah’s dad Gary Shirley— in a tirade unleashed after Amber read a text message sent to her by Leah, informing her that no one had influenced her decision to cut ties with Amber. In the text, Leah also told Amber that her “recent online activities” played a part in Leah wanting to stay estranged from her mother.
Needless to say, Amber did not take kindly to Leah’s message, launching into a vicious rant in which she called Leah “rude” and demanded that her daughter stop disrespecting her. She called Gary— whom she has accused of influencing Leah into avoiding her— as well as other unsavory things— a “nasty man” and a “prick.”
In the jaw-dropping scene, a pajama-clad Amber is— of course— sitting in her bed when she receives a text from Leah. The message is very unexpected, since Leah had previously blocked Amber and not communicated with her in over a year. Amber is surprised…and then immediately becomes angry upon reading what Leah had sent her.
In her message, Leah tells her mom that she isn’t trying to hurt her, but wanted to let her know that “all these years it’s been my decision not to have a relationship with you and nobody has influenced my decision.”
Leah then made reference to Amber’s near-daily hijinks/rants on TikTok Live— in which Amber has accused Gary and his wife Kristina of everything from brainwashing Leah, to blackmail.
“I feel like recent online activities have put me in a place where I need to communicate this to put a boundary between us for myself,” Leah wrote to her mom.
Amber— obviously angry that she has been set up by MTV with this stunt— ignores the producer who is asking her questions and instead looks directly into the camera to speak straight to Leah and Gary.
“You have this piece of s**t, nasty man [Gary], and this is the kind of s**t that I get from my daughter who I love so much?!” Amber yells, before stating that Gary never let her do things with Leah or take her places like she’s allowed to do with her son, James (whom she shares with Andrew Glennon.)
“Ya nasty prick!” Amber yells to Gary.
“And Leah— stop! You’re 16. STOP!” Amber tells her daughter. “People see the disrespect, by the way, and they tell me how much you disrespect me too! STOP! You’re rude! There’s no reason to be rude.”
Amber continued to unleash on her daughter as she looked straight into the camera.
“You do not know what you are saying right now!” she tells Leah. “You’re young, be young! Be 16 and do not be in the middle of me and your father!”
During the episode, Leah told the cameras that her “last straw” before completely cutting Amber off came after she watched some of Amber’s (very frequent) TikTok Lives, which she has spoken about Gary, Amber, Kristina and the show.
“She was even talking about me some,” Leah said.
A clip of one of Amber’s TikTok Lives from March then played, showing Amber insisting that she hasn’t caused Leah any trauma, and that Leah isn’t actually ‘traumatized’ at all.
“So it’s not trauma. She doesn’t have trauma. Thank God,” she said. “She’s had a rough life, yeah. But guys, not everything is trauma. And it’s not denial. You can’t call that trauma. I didn’t beat her. She’s traumatized about what?! “No, she’s not traumatized because of me. I didn’t do anything to her like that. Who’s traumatized?!”
During another Live in March, Amber insisted that Leah wasn’t in therapy because of anything she’s done to the teen in her life.
@theashleysrealityroundup Amber Portwood hit TikTok Live on Thursday to declare that she is not to blame for her daughter Leah Shirley being in therapy. The ‘Teen Mom’ star claimed that MTV is “desparate” for trying to make it seem like Leah only recently started therapy due to Amber’s actions. #FYP #theashleysrealityroundup #fypage #RealityTV #fypp #Teenmom #teenmomthenextchapter #fypツ #RealityTVClips ♬ original sound – The Ashley’s Reality Roundup
During Thursday’s episode, Leah made it clear that she was over her mother’s TikTok Live shenanigans.
“I personally can’t handle it,” Leah said.
This week, Amber took to— where else?— TikTok Live to discuss the episode.
“That’s why you guys won’t see me on [the show] anymore. Because I wouldn’t give them what they wanted,” she insisted.
You can watch the full clip of the scene about Leah’s text below!
(Photos: MTV; Instagram; TikTok)
44 Responses
When has Leah ever “disrespected” Amber?? She’s got people telling her that she is?? She is not living in reality. That took a lot of courage from Leah to send that knowing how that egg donor was going to react. Amber is vile.
Head up Leah! You’re doing all the right things!
She really doesn’t want Leah back, does she?
The way she’s even talking there she’s been disrespectful to Leah at 16 she know what you’ve put her through she knows who has been there for her and this you nasty woman you’re forgetting that your support system when you decided you didn’t want Tonya in your life was Gary and kristina they tried to help you have a relationship with Leah but she’s not a young girl anymore my guess is she’s saw some programmes and thought that’s supposed to be love Gary has always been there as for Kristina, Amber didn’t like her at the start and they became friends doing things with Leah they also fed the her to make sure she was ok Gary was still practically at her beck and call after Andrew took James she’s always been nasty with that mouth especially towards Gary she went through men like a phone directory and who was there to pick up the pieces Gary and Kristina even after the name calling they still tried to help the relationship with her and Leah, then Leah’s birthday when she was late the way she spoke to her was again nasty and disrespectful so you deserve it
Amber is such a vile human being.
Much respect to you Leah.
I’d be ticked off if my mom was on social talking about me and acting crazy, especially if I was a child/teenager. Thank god Leah has Kristina as a mom. Shame on you Amber for having zero insight and never taking responsibility.
I know she needs to do this to protect herself but her expressions also felt as though she desperately wishes she wasn’t put in this position needing to distance herself from her mother. She feels like she’s putting up strong, but completely crushed at the same time. I believe she wishes one day they could have a relationship. I mean, otherwise there was no reason for her to make the effort to tell Amber herself that she needs to do this, she could have just moved on and cut contact and not talk about Amber again. There’s no stoping Ambers rants so no matter what she does will stop that. I hope Leah can move on from this. It’s going to be hard since everything is posted online so I hope she can find the strength in herself to just let it go.
Respect is earned, just because you’re a “mother”, and I mean that only in the biological sense, doesn’t mean it’s a given.
OH COME ON, YOU KNEW THAT WAS COMING……….THAT WAS THE PG VERSION OF HER RESPONSE……….I CANT EVEN IMAGINE WHAT SHE SAID ONCE THE CAMERAS STOPPED ROLLING…………………..GO LEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Welcome to the dark side of having a mother with Borderline Personality Disorder. 🙁 I feel terrible for Leah. My mom would react identically to this. While shocking to most people, these selfish, emotional, and out-of-touch with reality responses are typical. They live in another reality, where they live safely (and without accountability) as a victim. Some are able to acknowledge and get treatment, but most are not. Leah should be proud of herself for being mature enough to put up boundaries now. It’s tough. 👏💛
I do have BPD. I am one of the few who has sought help. My two oldest in college receive awards and scholarships for their hard work. One of them was chosen to sit in with MDH. I like to think I did a good job raising them. Growing up in an extremely abusive home actually made me more sympathetic and I always watched the way I spoke to them. My BPD was more inward. I do know that these people, unfortunately, can be an absolute nightmare. My mother is a narcissist. While not the same. It was still awful. She had narcissistic rage.
Dickie! I don’t know you, but I’m proud of you. BPD seems like a really tough internal echo chamber to get out of. I’m also sorry to hear about your NPD parent. Having a BPD mom, I can relate. Hopefully you can feel a random stranger giving you a hug through the interwebs. 💛
Thank you for your kindness. It’s very much appreciated ❤️
I’m so proud of you Dickie!
One of my loved ones suffers from BPD. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) turned their life around. I cannot overstate how helpful it has been. (I do not have BPD, but the principles of DBT have helped me and my relationships, too.) One of the core ideas is learning and practicing distress tolerance. That is, you examine your unhealthy reactions to triggering stimuli, and when triggered you stay mindful to get through the moment without allowing yourself to indulge in your usual knee-jerk behavior. Tools to help are offered. It is hard work that can take years to master, and it can radically change a struggling person’s life. Just putting it out there in case anyone reading this needs help or loves someone who does.
BPD is tough, but it does NOT mean Amber’s shittiness is your destiny.
As a child of a Borderline mother, Thank you! Thank you for recognizing the things in yourself that would not be helpful to your kids and putting their well-being before your own comfort and doing the work to make their lives better. I know that it’s rough, but if my mother had put an ounce of effort into getting the help that she needed, I would probably have had a relationship with her.
Same. I was diagnosed with BPD but my psych says I am “low on the spectrum” of it. I hate it! Luckily I haven’t had a lot of the REALLY negative traits. Mine was diagnosed based on my fear of abandonment, severe depressive episodes, mood swings, intense romantic relationships and impulsivity. I have three boys- and I have always had full custody. I have been in therapy and very aware of my condition. I am also sober and on meds in an extra effort to be stable. DBT and CBT were major game changers for me. I got 100% sober over four years ago and went through intense DBT and CBT therapy, and I haven’t had an “episode” since. For years I was misdiagnosed, but then once properly diagnosed, the more I looked into BPD the more it made sense- My dad was around, but very emotionally unavailable, was an addict and bipolar. I highly suspect NPD too but that was never diagnosed formally. He took us from my mom, who was my main form of stability, once they divorced when I was 9, but he only did it to hurt her and I ended up raising my two younger brothers for two years. I lived on eggshells and a lot of unknown in that time. Once my mom got us back, I was TERRIFIED to leave her side for years. My dad was a good man, but just had issues and he was a good dad until my parents divorced and he was full-fleged into prescription meds. Our relationship greatly improved as my brothers and I became adults though and he was in and out of treatment. Ultimately, he passed from a fentanyl overdose though in 2021. My kids are everything and I didn’t want to be defined by my diagnosis, nor raise my children in the environment I was briefly in. Kudos to you Dickie! Keep fighting the good fight! Amber could be a better mom- she chooses not to be and I highly suspect that she still uses illicit drugs or benzos at the least and doesn’t engage in therapy aimed at BPD. She’s a shitty mom- period. Leah is a CHILD and Amber SHOULD be the mom, but the roles seem very much reversed. It’s really sad. And I HATE that Amber apparently thinks trauma is caused only by physical abuse… VERY much not the case and almost always when there is physical abuse, there is emotional and mental abuse- which also cause trauma just on their own. Not to mention abandonment.
I so agree with you…my mother was orginally diagnosed bipolar but after many years later it was obvious that she had BPD. My relationship with her was rocky and then non existent. She would not communicate with me or acknowledge me except to write me and tell me she no longer would be talking to or writing to me…she would no longer be taking my phone calls. The last time I ever saw her was in 1989 six weeks after my third child was born. It was very painful to me to be shut out by her but I had to move on and be there for my own kids. She had refused to take any medication or see a therapist and thus lapsed into a total state of mental illness. She passed a few years ago…fell in her apartment and died of a brain injury. She was alone and had apparently been a recluse. It’s very hard to be a child of a parent with BPD. Luckily, Leah has a healthy and loving home with her Dad and Kristina. Unfortunately, Leah will have to move on from Amber and be her own person. She has a supportive family and does not need to have Amber’s drama and anger in her life. It’s a hard thing to deal with but she needs to do some self care and look towards the future…she has so much to look forward to and Amber is just a mother in name only…Kristina has been the real mother to her.
It’s just unbelievable that amber has no ability whatsoever to understand who she is and how she’s acting. I can’t imagine what it was like when she attacked Andrew while he was holding baby James. I heard the recording of her screaming about how she didn’t even want him. At least James has very little contact with her.
Poor Leah has suffered at her hand for so long. I actually think Amber may have BPD and narcissistic tendencies . I know some seriously mentally ill people. Including myself, but Amber is just out there. She’s just an asshole. A bad person. It has nothing to do with mental illness. I wish she didn’t have a platform to make us all look like shit.
Why would Leah do or listen to anything Amber says? 🤣🤣🤣
Someone need to explain to Amber respect needs to be earned, not demanded. What even is the point of this woman? She’s a useless parent , has no job, brings nothing positive to anyone. Shes literally a waste of oxygen.
all the other moms should be ashamed and feel stupid af for convincing amber she was a good mom at the first season of family reunion because that behavior amber showed was DISGUSTING and i hope this is a wake up call for people who claim they love amber and actually get involved to fix that ugly personality of hers
If Gary is such a bad person why is she always leaning on him and Christina ??
Calling your daughter a d🍆k on national tv at her birthday dinner is definitely not a good look.
I’ve known some extremely “nasty” men. Gary is not even close to one of them.
Oh, but maybe that guy in a Walmart parking lot was a good guy? Ya know, when she couldn’t understand why Gary was so pissed when she was letting him diaper/ dress her poor baby.
” I wouldn’t give them what they wanted”.. What like an actual dig decent human being as a mother??? Sorry, ambie.We all know that you’re never gonna be a good parent, and that’s why you don’t have either of your children in your custody
Sounds like something.Both my parents would text me because I have nothing to do with either of them. And my life is so much better without them!!!!. I hope Leah has some help to go through the grieving process of the. I wish she could be a better mom but I also think that it’s good. That’ll get cut her off. Because leah will have much better life now, just like me
Amber is another Teen Mom who would of probably of been better off never appearing on 16 and Pregnant or MTV ever. IMO, this show really demonstrates how money can really bring out the worst in people. Amber, Cate/Tyler, Maci/Ryan, ect……have that in common. Ryan and Amber may have still struggled with drugs but would of been forced to sober up or die. Having money and media success allowed them to soften their bottoms.
I don’t think the money made her this way. She acted exactly like this before she had money. If any being on the show at least made her lose custody of leah because the footage of her beating Gary was at her trial. People with no money still manage to be addicts.
MTV is white trash nonsense.
YESSS!!
Real question, respect what?
It is alarming how much she thinks she deserves respect when she hasn’t been a positive influence on her daughters life. She should be proud that she has a child that can sense when a person is bad news.
And yes, she does seem to struggle with her mental health, she genuinely has my sympathy but handle your shit and take responsibility for the damage you’ve caused to your own relationship with your oldest child. That shit doesn’t happen over night, it’s not because she missed a few special events, had a couple boyfriends in the picture, or paid child support late here and there. She acts like her presence is a gift and at this point it’s painful to see how inept Amber is at self reflection.
The woman has to be the main character in everything that happens between them… I don’t think that ever gives Leah the space to exist comfortably around Amber.
Side note- Amber has also always acted like her going to jail was some sacrifice but I think she preferred it over parenting.
Agreed,specially about Amber taking a vacation from mothering ,by going to jail.
She is just a disgrace. Every time she hears something about herself she takes as a “diss”, she immediately goes into violent, defensive mode, takes none of what is being said into consideration, and instantly formulates a rebuttal. Nothing ever gets through to her. Leah is a saint for how after all this “damn-good-mom” has put her through, she is still gentle and considerate of her feelings.
Gary 2.0 parents were right!!
Wait! Did Gary 2.0 talk about her? I missed it lol
Don’t bring any bullshit ‘mental instability’ up in here where Amber is concerned. She’s a fucking ASSHOLE, point blank, whether or not she has a mental illness. That cannot be used as some flimsy excuse any longer.
I truly hope Amber reads the comments on this website because it gives me hope that she’ll see MANY people who 100% know she’s a total shit-ass prick of an egg donor who only causes her daughter embarrassment and pain. Like- I truly believe she is fucking looney because of all the drivel that comes from her mouth. Sad part is, this cunt will NEVER leave that kid and her REAL MOTHER alone. I’d be slapping a restraining order on that hoe so quick her head would spin. I have zero- no, not even zero, we in the negatives by now- NO compassion/empathy/sympathy for this loser. Do what Amber Heard did- leave the fucking country, shut your damn mouth, and fucking figure it out.
Even if she does see these comments she won’t stop. She gets these comments on her lives. She’s a narcissist and actually believes the things she says.
Amber will be back because the money is too good and we know that she’s wasted most of her money on men. She will not be able to afford her “therapy”.
Poor Leah, she must be so embarrassed by Amber. I’m sick of Amber and her enablers using her “mental illness” to excuse her sh*tty behavior towards Leah, Gary and Kristina. That’s not mental illness, that’s just being a miserable POS.
At this point, Leah should cut contact permanently and not look back.
I don’t think “shocked” is the best word to use here. None of us are shocked, this is typical Amber behavior.
Leah is such a mature and well-spoken young lady. I’m glad she’s speaking up and putting Amber in her place, even though Amber is incapable of taking any accountability.
This was uncomfortable to watch… she’s awful but she’s obviously mentally unstable and this seemed like a setup to get a melt down in camera. (Not by Leah but by the producers) You could almost feel the producer’s excitement when she got the text. I felt gross watching it.
I agree. The reaction and what she said to Leah is FAR from okay but it was definitely a set up from the producers to get that reaction on camera.