Former Teen Mom star Ryan Edwards has battled with substance abuse for years.
Ryan’s most recent arrest — his third within a span of three months — was a result of violating his probation after leaving a court-ordered rehab facility ahead of schedule.
In April 2023, Hamilton County, Tennessee police reportedly found Ryan unconscious behind the wheel of his truck. The arrest affidavit stated that Ryan had overdosed on drugs, crashed into a curb, and needed to be revived with Narcan.
Ryan is currently serving nearly one year behind bars at the Silverdale Detention Center in Tennessee following his string of arrests and substance abuse issues.
According to one of his co-workers, Ryan’s drug abuse spiraled out of control right around the time he and his soon-to-be ex-wife, Mackenzie Edwards, began having marital problems.
“When he first started a year ago, he was good,” the source told The Sun. “It was worse when the marriage issues deteriorated. It was before February. When all that drama started happening, his actions made more sense.”
Ryan Edwards’ former co-workers claim he used drugs to ‘escape’ problems in his marriage to Mackenzie Edwards
The general manager at Ryan’s former place of employment told the outlet that Mackenzie would often visit Ryan at work, and they would eat lunch together. But, in the fall, Mackenzie stopped coming to visit Ryan at work.
“He was family oriented. He was trying really hard,” the GM added. “He needs a new normal. Personal issues cause problems. You use drugs because you’re trying to escape something.”
As Monsters and Critics previously reported, Mackenzie filed for divorce from Ryan in February 2023. Ryan’s wife of nearly six years was granted temporary custody of her and Ryan’s children, 4-year-old Jagger and 3-year-old Stella.
Monsters and Critics also reported that Mackenzie reportedly began dating a new man, Josh Panter, around January 2023. Josh is a 30-year-old divorced father of three who owns an excavation company.
Teen Mom alum Ryan accused Mackenzie of infidelity
Ahead of Mackenzie’s filing to end her and Ryan’s marriage, the 35-year-old father of three went on several social media tirades. In one such rant, Ryan accused Mackenzie of cheating on him.
Ryan left a comment on one of the last photos of himself and Mackenzie together on her Instagram feed.
“Take wife down off this I’m not proud of being married to someone that stays out in bars and goes home with others guys,” Ryan wrote, adding, “[Don’t] you know what happens when u lay with dogs?….wait look at who I’m talking to. And then blaming it on my addiction yea divorce is the right thing.”
It appears that Mackenzie agreed — divorce was the right thing in her eyes, too, but for different reasons.
In recently released footage of Mackenzie entering her and Ryan’s former Tennessee home following massive destruction inside the property, she told police officers that her estranged husband’s drug abuse “got to be too much.”
Mackenzie and Ryan’s home was internally demolished, with wreckage everywhere, including Jagger and Stella’s bedrooms. Ryan’s belongings were reportedly left untouched, however.
Ryan denied having anything to do with the damage, telling officers that he was at his parents, Jen and Larry Edwards‘ house at the time.
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