Teen Mom star Amber Portwood and her daughter, Leah Shirley, haven't been close for years. Now that Leah may want her stepmom, Kristina, to adopt her, it sounds like things are becoming even more tense. Another star from the show, Cory Wharton, is weighing in on the situation, and according to his take, there's only one thing that should matter here: The way Leah feels about the decision.
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Gary recently revealed that Leah's thinking about being adopted.
Right now, 15-year-old Leah lives with her dad and his wife, Kristina, full time, and according to what Gary said on a recent episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, she'd like to make Kristina legally her mother.
“Trust me, the best thing that ever happened to Leah was Kristina,” Gary said on the show. “Kristina is a loving parent and Leah’s wanting to be adopted by Kristina.”
Cory can understand why Gary would want to talk to his friends about the situation.
“You’re with your guys. You feel comfortable around other dads. He’s trying to tell his story and see who can relate and what type of advice we can give him,” Cory told Us Weekly at an event this week.
It makes sense — not everyone can understand the dynamic between Gary, his family, and his ex, so why wouldn't he want to turn to his costars?
Cory believes that the decision should be all about making Leah happy.
“At this point, I just want Leah to be happy,” he said. “Whatever Leah wants, I think she’s at a stage where everyone in that party needs to listen and kind of hear her out because it’s all about the kid first. I think that’s what Gary’s trying to do.”
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Cory kept it positive.
He told the outlet that he has “nothing bad to say about Amber.”
“I just wish them the best and hope they can figure it out,” he said.
It's a big decision — and a lot to put on a teenager. But Cory's not wrong about keeping what Leah wants and what is best for her central to the decision-making process.
Amber may not support the adoption.
According to what a source previously told Us Weekly, Amber isn't likely to agree to the adoption, and she likely has to agree for it to happen in the first place.
“Having Kristina adopt Leah would never happen on Amber’s watch,” the insider said. "She wants to be in Leah’s life. She is not looking to hand off parental responsibility to somebody else.”
