Amber Portwood insisted she was devastated when her ex-fiance, Andrew Glennon, moved back to California with their son, James. Amber stayed behind in Indiana, bemoaning her lack of access to the school-aged boy. While Portwood insists she misses her son, she will not be moving in an effort to foster a closer relationship with him. She took to TikTok to explain that she just plain can’t afford to live in California. She offensively noted she didn’t make enough to call even the “slums” of Los Angeles home, despite a generous Teen Mom paycheck.

Amber Portwood won’t move out of Indiana

No one would ever accuse Amber Portwood of having a way with words. The former MTV star was back on TikTok this week, oversharing her life and offending people. In a recent upload, she explained why she has opted to remain in Indiana despite her younger son living clearly across the country.

Portwood said leaving Indiana isn’t an option because she can’t afford to live close to her son in California. She cited the high cost of living as the problem by stating she couldn’t afford to live even in the “slums of Los Angeles” on her income. She went on to explain that James currently lives in Malibu, one of the most expensive communities in the country. Portwood reportedly flies to California regularly to see her son.

Portwood currently resides in Anderson, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis. According to the U.S. Sun, she purchased a new, single-family home in the city in 2022. The three-bedroom abode was listed for $301,000. She grew up in the same town.

How much does Amber Portwood make per year?

Amber Portwood claims she doesn’t have money troubles; she’s just not rolling in the dough. It’s hard to say how long that statement will be true, as she doesn’t appear to have a stable income at the moment. For the last 16 years, she has earned a decent income. While Portwood opted to leave MTV behind this year, she has consistently appeared on the network since welcoming her daughter, Leah, in 2009. She hasn’t shared exactly how much she earned from the series, but other cast members with similar tenures were earning upwards of $400,000 for recent seasons. In 2011, they were earning over $100,000 for a six-month period of work. Presumably, Portwood’s contract was similar.

Despite a pretty high income, all things considered, she insists she can’t afford to leave Indiana. So, how is Andrew Glennon making it all work? It is unclear where or if Glennon is working now that he has returned to California. The former reality TV star prefers a quiet life these days. He does receive child support from Portwood and apparently has family to fall back on in the area. He is believed to be living in a Malibu estate owned by a family member.