The latest episode of Teen Mom broached a tough topic for Amber Portwood. While opening up about how she felt when her 16-year-old daughter, Leah, wanted her stepmom Kristina Shirley to adopt her, Amber admitted that she was bedridden for months trying to cope with it all.
Amber confessed she’s been spending a lot of time in bed lately.
While talking to the MTV cameras, Amber said that even though she felt like she was already “dark and deep and in a hole” after her fiancé, Gary Wayt, went missing before ending their engagement in 2024, this situation was much different.
“When I found out about my daughter saying that she wanted to be adopted it took over everything,” she said. “I was really in bed for over four months.”
Leah shared earlier this season that she wants Kristina to adopt her.
After mentioning earlier this season that she wanted dad Gary Shirley’s wife, Kristina, to legally adopt her, Leah shared more in an episode that aired last month about why she hoped it could happen.
“I want to be adopted because Kristina’s been there my whole life,” she said in the episode. “I just feel like it should be official. And it’s more than a piece of paper to me.”
It’s not just about what Leah wants, though; as Gary warned his daughter on the same episode, Amber likely will contest the adoption. Whatever happens, Kristina said she’s happy to do whatever Leah is comfortable with. “I will do whatever she wants. Nothing will change the way that I love that girl,” she said.
Amber turned to her own mom for comfort.
As she was struggling with Leah’s difficult request, Amber said she “realized that I just truly needed my mommy,” and fortunately, her mom, Tonya, was able to be there for her.
“I just woke up and I was, like, hopeless. Just feeling like hopeless, and just, why am I awake,” Amber told her mom on this week’s Teen Mom episode.
“She’ll come around when she’s ready,” Tonya told her. “It’ll be fine. You can’t force her.”
Because Amber had a tough relationship with her mom at Leah’s age and is close with her now, it doesn’t sound like she’s giving up hope. “I love my mom so much. So, this is why I have hope with Leah. It’s going to get better. It’s just going to take me a little while,” she said.
