On one of Amber Portwood latest TikTok Live gems, the Teen Mom star revealed why she cannot relocate from Indiana to California to be closer to her son James, while also doubling down on her previous decision to decline an offer from ex Gary Shirley to move into a trailer on his property.
As fans know, Amber shares 16-year-old daughter Leah with Gary and seven-year-old James with ex Andrew Glennon, though neither of her children live with her. Back in 2022, Andrew moved back to his home state of California with James after being granted sole custody of the then-four-year-old, while Amber remained living in Indiana. (Amber is allowed to fly to California every other month to visit her son, while Andrew was ordered at the time to bring James to Indiana on the alternating months for visits, too.)
While ‘Teen Mom’ fans know that Amber does not currently have a relationship with her daughter, she frequently touts her close bond with James– so much in fact, that a fan asked the self-proclaimed “damn good mom” on Friday why she hasn’t moved to California in order to be geographically closer to her son.
“You guys think that I can afford to live in freaking California?!” Amber shouted at her streaming pal, as well as those viewing the Live. “Hold on, we’re having an issue here. I cannot afford to live in California, first of all.
“Second of all, my son lives in Santa Barbara and Malibu,” she continued. “I damn sure cannot afford to live there! What the f**k?!”
Amber– who revealed in March (and confirmed again on Friday) that she has quit Teen Mom: The Next Chapter– went on to claim that, due to the high cost of living in the state of California, she wouldn’t even be able to purchase a home in “the slums of Los Angeles.”
“ … do you know how much money that is, you guys?” Amber asked, adding, “And who the hell wants to live there?”
The queen of all things maxin’ and relaxin’ insisted that while she makes money and is “good” financially speaking, moving from Indiana to California would require her to “spend it all” and would leave her unable to pay for other necessities.
“ … I cannot move to California,” she reiterated. “There’s no way … I could do that right now.
“ … I’m sorry, but it’s just so the truth,” she added.
Amber was also asked earlier in the Live about the offer that Gary made her years ago to live on a trailer (that Amber would purchase) on his property, which would have allowed her to live much closer to Leah. Fans watched this storyline play out back in 2021 on Teen Mom OG, prior to Amber and Leah’s relationship tanking to where it is currently.
After being asked about the chance she had to “live next door to Leah”– which the fan said Amber had “refused”– Amber claimed the statement was “not true whatsoever,” before seemingly admitting that it was true.
“ … Are you talking about the trailer that Gary wanted to put on his five-acre land so I lived on his land?” Amber asked. “Oh my gosh! Yeah, of course I said no to that. What the crap? You don’t move on your ex’s land in a [trailer]. What are you talking about?!”
As The Ashley previously reported, Amber lashed out on TikTok Live in May after being accused of “abandoning” Leah and questioned about her children’s living situation. While firing back at an internet stranger, Amber insisted that she sees “all of [her] children” and that they have “an amazing relationship.”
Amber went on to claim that things between her and Leah are “going to be OK,” and that the teen is simply “going through her 16 phase” at the moment. She also noted that she maintains “joint custody” of Leah. As for James, Amber told fans that it was “another situation” in which her child lives with their father.
“I am here, but we are not together,” she said. “But I see my son all the time and I talk to my son all the time … I know the truth; [the fans are] just going off of MTV.”
Watch a clip from Amber’s Friday TikTok Live below.
Amber on live tiktok part one. Friday the 13th of June.
byu/hisbrowneyedgirl89 inTeenMomOGandTeenMom2
(Photos: MTV; Reddit)
51 Responses
Ambien is going out BAD. Her sad life is now making a fool of herself, screeching and yelling on social media, high as a kite. I wonder what she will end up doing to support herself in a few years. Her social media career will not support her lifestyle and necessary pharmaceuticals. She’ll end up on Only Fans, at this point.
This is just getting comical now. Just when you think she cant go any lower, here we are. Why are we even entertaining her bullshit anymore?
Amber doesn’t want a job- other than Tiktok, from the comfort of her couch. Likely, the money she makes THERE isn’t enough to live in California but… you could make it work. I’m in Nor-cal and while it’s not So-cal expensive, it’s still outrageous. I bust my ass for my three boys- I work a 9-5 in accounting and I also have a side floral design business. I do what I have to do and I live within my means. I also do not get any extras, so that my sons get the extras. When you are a parent that WANTS to be a parent, you do EVERYTHING and then some, to support your kids and to be present for them and with them. She doesn’t want to be a mom- that’s been clear from the start. I’m also confused how she could afford to go to California every other month, but she can’t afford to sell her home now, and rent out a cheap apartment in a smaller town outside of Malibu and just drive to James more than once every other month? It doesn’t matter- it’s just excuses and she will always have one. Amber makes me legit sick to my stomach.
NorCal is cheaper than SoCal?! Girl I live in SoCal and we are struggling. I thought it was the same statewide 😭 California is doomed!
If she really goes out there like she is supposed to and I doubt Andrew is bringing James like the papers say.
Amber is content with her visitation being on Face Time.
My BD and I live 40 mins away from each other and neither of us is willing to move closer. We pay roughly the same in rent, but my place is bigger and I love my neighborhood. NOW. His wife let me know that they are trying to buy a house and she’s aiming for one with a guest house so that I can move into the backyard lmao that way we’re ALL closer and can coparent a little easier. And I agreed. Do I WANT to live in my BD backyard? Absolutely not, I don’t even want to live down the street from the mf. We get along and we’re friendly, but I like my privacy. Would I do it for my children so I can see them more often instead of every other week? Abso-fucking-lutely! They would love it!
And that is the difference between a mom that puts her children’s needs first and an egg donor who never actually wanted children in the first place.
If she moved closer to her son, she would have to find another excuse to not be a parent.
The Ashley’s slogan should be, “We watch so you don’t have to”.
i think people need to realize this women wasn’t built for motherhood or mothering, not every women who has a working womb is and Amber isn’t one of them!
I mean there is no way she could afford anything like the house she has now but how is it that Amber can afford to travel to L.A. to see James every other month? Wouldn’t the money she spends doing that be put to better use in finding a place closer to him?
Sorry, but I don’t buy her comment that it’s too expensive. I live here and while it’s certainly expensive, there are accommodations in ALL price ranges. I would do ANYTHING to be next to my kids and luckily, I am. Amber is full of crap and she doesn’t want to get off of her couch. She also certainly doesn’t want to be a parent.
I doubt she actually does that.
Seriously, why does she need a 3 or 4 bedroom house for herself and her puppets? She doesn’t even have hobbies
It’s okay, amber.We all know you don’t want to be a full time.Mother or a mother at all… But you probably could afford it if you you know, got one of those things called a job and got off your ass and your couch..🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 damnThis girl is dumb if she thinks we actually believe this bullshit
Ignorance is tolerable, but arrogance is detrimental.
Because she’s fused to the sofa?
I bet you amber could afford to live within a couple hours of James, she’s an my star afterall! Once Leah hits 18 amber would move at least closer than a plane ride if she was an actual mom, that would be the best decision for her granted her current situation with Leah.. wait til she graduates then move closer to California, you don’t need to live in Malibu, just within driving distance would be the right thing for a mom (like amber) to do
When is that last time you have seen her driver herself anywhere? Amber believes she is a queen to be chauffeured around. She couldn’t be asked to do peasant things, driving herself and getting a job!
Please let us see more than 5 pages back!
Do y’all know that not every other article has to be about this woman?
Do you know no one is forcing you to read it?
she just does so much that is article-worthy! 🤷🏼♀️
You know The Ashley only has 5 or so ppl to write about. That’s why this site is getting shite
The truth is, no child psychologist in California would take her as a client, so she must stay and be an infantilized Hoosier!
I would live in a shoebox if it allowed me to have a closer relationship with my child. It’s just excuses that Amber is giving. I like like 90 min away from Malibu, low income and in an apartment , single mom, and I make it work. She could do it if she really wanted to, she just would have to give up some of the perks she has and she’s not willing to do that. If she lived even 90 min away she’d be able to go to sports games, recitals, awards assemblies, open house, lunch with her child at school, etc etc. But she doesn’t want to give up her mansion.
I mean, she literally does not have a job. Imagine balking at the idea of paying for housing near the only child you have a relationship with but also choosing to spend 24 hours a day laying on your couch or in your bed. TikTok lives do not count as a job. Has it never occurred to her to get one? To be fair, though, I can’t imagine who’d hire her. She has no marketable skills and she’s a nightmare of a person to be around.
This! ALL OF THIS!!!
Can you imagine her in an actual work place! 2 weeks tops before she got fired!
it’s not that easy, she isn’t a single mom for one, her income isn’t at the level for subsidized housing for another, among other barriers. A big one is, a person can’t just choose to relocate to another State and expect to go right into government funded programs. If it was that easy everyone would be doing it.
She also doesn’t NEED government programs
This is the same chick that got on tik tok taunting her viewers literally saying “I paid cash for my house. $365,000 CASH. Can you do that sweetie?!” Then she pans to her TV and says “That’s my 75 inch TV that I also paid in cash! You don’t know what you are talking about. I have MONEY. I was smart. I INVESTED.” Then she proceeded to cackle like a mad woman and made less and less sense as she continued to ramble.
She should just disappear, hide out in her house where no one can see shut her internet off. So no one has to hear her and hide out and stay away from everyone like she always has. And do whatever she wants in her own little bubble and her children should continue to be raised by other people. The way they always have, she’s worthless.
Her house in Indiana, where the cost of living is fairly low.
Agree. She could pack up the good ole couch and move closer to James. Is there proof that she gets off the couch and onto a plane every other month to go see him? I’m not sure she does. She could find affordable housing and she could……. get a real job…. Oh no, not Amber!
😅🤣 like having a 75″ TV is a flex!
She can’t leave her local drug dealer.
They’ve been together for years.
Finding a new one in LA would be a lot of work, so. No.
🤣😂🤣
In LA? 😂 there’s several on each block, she wouldn’t even have to leave her couch, they deliver. .
If she were closer to James she couldn’t pretend to have a relationship with him anymore the same way she can’t pretend to have a relationship with Leah even if she lives 30 minutes away. She sees him once a month and that’s enough for her to pretend to be a mother to him
Bingo! She’s making it seem like she has a great relationship with James, just like she has a great relationship with Leah (who continues to talk about how crappy Amber is on national tv)
Moving would require Amber to spend more than one weekend a month with her son. We all know she’s completely content not parenting
I had no idea that she sees him so little. That is absolutely horrible. Although, on par for Amber. You can’t have a relationship with a child with that little amount of contact.
The only good part of this article, is the Ashley‘s comments underneath the pictures, they’re always hilarious! 🙌😂
Amber’s just not worth reporting or commenting on.
she’s always gonna have an excuse let’s be honest, i remember when she was still with andrew she was asked if she’d ever move to california and she was so adamant on not leaving indiana until after leah went to college because she “couldn’t leave her” but she already wasn’t seeing leah to begin with and she lived 30 minutes away and when in all honesty she should’ve moved because at least leah could say she doesn’t see her mom because she lives in california
💯🎯
Bingo. If she wanted any of the things that she bitches about, she would!