Teen Mom star Macy Bookout has opened up about where her relationship with ex Ryan Edwards stands, months after he was arrested for violating his restraining order — and revealed what his current incarceration means for their 14-year-old son Bentley.
Mackie, 31, and Ryan, 35, stepped into the spotlight in 2009 after appearing together on the first season of the MTV series 16 and Pregnant, which charted the then-couple’s path to parenthood.
They went their separate ways shortly after Bentley was born, and since then, Ryan’s continuous downward spiral has captured the nation. Over the years, the former reality star has had numerous run-ins with the law related to drug use, and in April, he was sentenced to nearly a year in prison after pleading guilty to harassing his estranged wife Mackenzie Edwards.
Now, Massey has spoken exclusively to DailyMail.com about how difficult it is for her to ‘support Bentley’ and ‘do the right thing’ while setting ‘boundaries’ with her ex that she is ‘comfortable’ with.
Teen Mom star Macy Bookout opens up about where her relationship stands with ex Ryan Edwards (they meet their son) months after he was arrested for violating her restraining order
Macy, 31, and Ryan, 35, appeared together in 2009 on the first season of the MTV series 16 and Pregnant, which featured the then-couple’s road to welcoming son Bentley.
The former reality star (seen in February) has had numerous run-ins with the law related to drug use, and in April, he pleaded guilty to assaulting his estranged wife, Mackenzie Edwards.
Now, Massey has spoken exclusively to DailyMail.com about how difficult it is for her to ‘support Bentley’ and ‘do the right thing’ for him while setting ‘boundaries’ with her ex.
‘There’s a lot of temperature testing going on [me and my husband, Taylor McKinney] Because obviously, our past with Ryan wasn’t the greatest, it wasn’t easy and [it’s been] Really, really bad sometimes,’ she said.
‘I’m feeling the pressure because I’m trying to support Bentley and do the right thing by him, and I’m learning how to communicate and relate to Ryan at all.
Macy (seen with their son Bentley) said: ‘I’m feeling pressure because I’m trying to support Bentley and do the right thing by him and I’m learning how to communicate and relate to Ryan at all.’
‘But then, [Taylor] My husband, and he raised the Bentley with me, so there was a lot of temperature testing going on.
‘[I’m trying to] Be sure to check my own temperature and find out what my boundaries are and what I’m okay with and what I’m comfortable with. It’s been a lot.’
After their split in 2010, Macy and Ryan’s explosive fall-out was documented on 16 and Pregnant spin-off shows, Teen Mom and Teen Mom OG. The two are often seen struggling to take care of their son in Ryan’s absence, as well as his drug addiction.
In March 2017, Ryan was arrested for possession of heroin and a few months later checked himself into rehab, where he stayed for 30 days. However, he was taken into custody again a year later after violating his probation.
At the time, McKee and Taylor were granted a two-year protective order against him, after they claimed he threatened to ‘put a bullet’ in Taylor’s head.
Ryan was arrested again in January 2019 for heroin possession and theft and was fired from Teen Mom in March 2021.
Massey married Taylor McKinney (seen with Bentley) in 2016. A restraining order was granted against Ryan two years later, after he threatened to ‘put a bullet’ in Taylor’s head.
Ryan married Mackenzie in 2017, and they welcomed two children together. But they divorced earlier this year, and she then accused him of domestic violence and filed for an order of protection.
In March 2023, Ryan was charged with stalking after he sent a series of text messages to his ex-wife Mackenzie, despite being told he could not legally have any contact with her.
In March 2023, Ryan McKenzie was charged with stalking after he sent her multiple text messages despite being told he could not legally have any contact with her.
McKenzie, who married the troubled star in 2017, filed for divorce days ago and obtained a restraining order against Ryan after reporting multiple incidents of domestic violence to police.
She said he once held her by her neck ‘against the wall’, threw her ‘into the hallway and said he couldn’t have her no one could,’ and ‘opened up. [his] pocket knife’ and ‘in the back as if he was going to kill her,’ according to court documents.
He had been arrested several times before for possession of heroin. She is seen in her face shot in 2018
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in prison, but was released from prison on July 14 after serving three months and sent to a rehabilitation facility.
Ryan shares a son Jagger, four, and a daughter Stella, three, with his now ex-wife.
Maci is gearing up for the release of the second season of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, which premieres on July 19.
The series follows some of Teen Mom OG and Teen Mom 2’s most beloved moms, including Macy, Amber Portwood, Ashley Jones, Briana DeJesus, Caitlin Baltierra, Cheyenne Floyd, Jade Cline and Leah Messer, all of whom navigate new Challenges in life,’ reads one description.
The mother-of-three told DailyMail.com that the latest season will focus on how she ‘navigates’ co-parenting with Ryan amid her struggles.
Her husband, Taylor, added: ‘You’re probably going to see us in a better position in a co-parenting relationship than we’ve been in a long time.’
According to the couple, who have welcomed eight-year-old Jayde and seven-year-old Maverick since tying the knot in 2016, the show will also highlight the ups and downs of raising a teenage son.
Maci is gearing up for the release of the second season of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, which premieres on July 19. She was spotted with Taylor, their two children, and Bentley
Cheyenne Floyd also chatted with DailyMail.com, and talked about the criticism she and her costars have faced over the years for the show.
‘Bentley is getting older, she’s about to go to high school, so parenting at this stage is different than parenting our younger two,’ she said.
‘It’s fun, but it’s a lot… now is the time when you actually have to let go a little bit and let them decide, let them screw up, let them figure it out. And that’s hard to do sometimes. It is very difficult to do.’
Cheyenne also chatted with DailyMail.com ahead of the premiere, and she explained why she and her co-stars decided to return – despite the barrage of criticism as the most intimate details of their lives they’ve faced in years. The show is constantly exposed.
‘I think there’s a lot of hate that we get, a lot of opinions, but I think the love and support far outweighs the hate,’ she explained.
‘I can get thousands of comments on something great and that one comment where someone is like, “You suck” always stands out. But then I have to put it in perspective and carry on.
‘I think it’s the DMs where people are really like, “Thank you for sharing this. You got me through this journey, or you got me through my day. Because I’ve seen you go through it and now I’m in it.” Going through but I see you got over it.” That keeps me going.’
She added that she’s ‘at a point where she’s comfortable with herself, her body, her husband and family’ and she’s now ‘letting it all hang out’.
‘My kids are healthy, they go to great programs and schools. They are thriving. So, should I smoke some weed? Yes,’ he joked.