Amber Portwood has a complicated relationship with her daughter, Leah, but she never expected her to ask to be adopted by her father, Gary Shirley’s current partner, Kristina Shirley. In the latest episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, Portwood opened up about her feelings in an emotional confessional, admitting Leah’s request left her unable to function properly for months.

“I thought I was already dark and deep in a hole from what happened to me, from the incident in North Carolina, and him leaving me in the mountains,” Portwood referenced her breakup from fiancé Gary Wayt. “When I found out about my daughter saying that she wanted to be adopted, it took over everything.”

Amber Portwood Could Not Get Out Of Bed After Learning Leah Wanted To Be Adopted

Portwood also confessed to being in bed “for over four months,” and struggling to function upon learning that her daughter wanted to be adopted. She realized she needed help from her mother, Tonya, to be able to navigate the heartbreaking situation she found herself in. Fans of the Teen Mom star, who first appeared on 16 and Pregnant in 2009, have closely followed her story and are aware that she has faced numerous struggles. She also had a strained relationship with her mother, but in her time of need, this was the person she felt she could rely on.

In her confessional, Portwood acknowledged how her relationship with her mom has had its ups and downs. “My relationship with my mom when I was around 16 was a little tumultuous,” she said. The show included some of the past arguments the women had been involved in to bring home this point.

Portwood continued, “Me and my mom were fighting so bad, like I had to leave the house and live with my father. I’ve seen my mom three times, these last few weeks, when I hadn’t seen her almost a year.” However, she admits that when she has a tough time lately, the person she leans on is her mother. Tonya is happy to support her daughter, telling her during a lunch meet-up that she is there whenever she needs her and offering her advice on the situation with Leah (they hope she will come around when she’s ready).

Leah and Portwood do remain in touch, with the Teen Mom star revealing her daughter texts her. “She tells me goodnight, that she loves me. Stuff like that,” she told Tonya.

Who Is Gary Shirley’s Wife, Kristina?

Portwood has not always been lucky in love, but her ex, Gary, has been married to Kristina since 2015. She has been involved in Leah’s life since she was a child, and in an earlier episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, Leah discussed the possibility of being adopted by Kristina.

“I want to be adopted because Kristina’s been there my whole life,” she said in the March 13 episode. “I just feel like it should be official. And it’s more than a piece of paper to me.” Kristina has also supported Leah’s decision, regardless of whether she chooses to be formally adopted or not, and they share a close bond.

“Leah’s going to weigh her options, talk to her therapist, and decide what route she wants to go,” Kristina said on an earlier episode of the show. “I will do whatever she wants. Nothing will change the way that I love that girl.”

Fans can watch as things unfold between Amber Portwood and her daughter, Leah, on new episodes of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, which air on Thursdays on MTV.

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