Teen Mom OG dad Gary Shirley and his ex and baby mama Amber Portwood raised some eyebrows after the latest episode.
Teen Mom OG viewers know that Amber and Gary have a tumultuous past and their relationship is further strained because of the custody situation with their 13-year-old daughter, Leah.
Amber Portwood and Gary Shirley’s tumultuous past, custody issues
Amber lost custody of Leah when she was arrested in December 2010.
Amber has been upfront about her mental illnesses – she suffers from bipolar disorder and BPD, or borderline personality disorder.
Because of Amber’s troubled past, Gary and his wife Kristina Shirley have been raising Leah, but it hasn’t been easy.
On the latest episode of Teen Mom OG, Amber invited Gary to come with her to therapy, hoping he would get a better understanding of her mental illnesses.
Amber was also hopeful that Leah would be more apt to attend therapy for herself if she saw that her dad was going.
After the episode, viewers used the hashtag #TeenMomOG on Twitter to voice their opinions. Many viewers felt that Gary bends over backward for Amber and even accused the former couple of still hooking up after watching them interact.
Teen Mom OG viewers claim Gary Shirley and Amber Portwood still have feelings for each other
“I feel bad for [Kristina],” wrote one Teen Mom OG fan after the episode. “Gary seems to cater to what Amber wants & uses Leah as an excuse. Move on Gary.. you have an amazing wife & family now!”
Another Teen Mom OG viewer felt that Gary helps Amber more than he should and thinks he still has feelings for his baby mama.
“Gary does too much for Amber,” they wrote. “That’s how I know he still loves her. And Kristina is an angel on earth, ’cause it COULD NOT be me.”
Based on Gary and Amber’s actions when alone together, one Teen Mom OG viewer believed they’re still having sex.
“Amber and Gary def still smash,” their comment read.
Perhaps Gary and Amber do still have feelings for each other but they’re suppressing them, according to another commenter who also felt bad for Kristina, who seems to be caught in the middle of the drama.
They wrote, “I’m sorry but both Gary and Amber are full of it. There is still chemistry between them. Gary still likes the control he has over Amber. Kristina is going to end up hurt in this situation.”
During last season’s Teen Mom OG reunion, Amber accused Gary of touching her butt then her head (showing with hand gestures) and claimed that Gary told Amber, “Please don’t tell Kristina that I’m doing this.”
Gary denied the allegations, saying he cares about Amber, but not in the “I want to be with her” sense. He admitted that if he wanted something else in a relationship, it wouldn’t’ be Amber he would be pursuing.
Amber didn’t take well to the pressure and the segment ended with Amber walking off set and telling Gary that his wife, Kristina, is “absolutely horrible.”
Gary has been put in a tough situation, raising Leah without her mom in her life for the most part. But Leah is a teenager now and is able to make her own decisions about Amber being in her life.
So far, Leah hasn’t shown much interest in rekindling a relationship with Amber after she was mostly absent in her life. In the meantime, Gary and Kristina have done their best to make sure that Leah has everything she needs to cope emotionally.
Teen Mom OG airs on Tuesdays at 8/7c on MTV.
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