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Amber Portwood hasn’t always been the greatest mom.
In fact, there are many times when she’s been a downright terrible parent — and many of them have been captured on camera.
That might be why Amber’s daughter, Leah, has decided that she wants to be adopted by her stepmother, Kristina Shirley.
Leah hopes to legally cut ties with Amber
Leah doubled down on her decision during Thursday’s episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter.
“I want to be adopted because Kristina’s been there my whole life,” the 16-year-old said. “I just feel like it should be official. And it’s more than a piece of paper to me.”
Leah’s dad, Gary Shirley, didn’t discourage the idea, but he pointed out that the process would not be an easy one.
“If everything was to go smoothly, after filing paperwork, which you would have to sign some stuff, too, it could take three months,” he explained to his daughter. “If Amber contests, then it could take, like, a year. It could take longer.”
“If we say something or do something, she might try to do stuff and make it harder,” responded Leah. “And by then it might take two years. And then at that point, there’s no point in even going through all the trouble for it. So, I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.”
Yes, Leah will be a legal adult soon, so Amber could potentially thwart her efforts simply by dragging the process out. But Leah was not deterred by that possibility.
“I really want to do it,” she said during a confessional segment. “But I’m scared it would make Amber mad. I don’t like being mean to people.”
In response to that conflict, Gary suggested that his teen daughter talk to a therapist in order to figure out “kind of see what would emotionally be best for you.”
“I know that your mom loves you, but for some reason she doesn’t know how to show it. But I want you to know that we’re here to help you and to be with you. I’m what you call your ride or die,” he said.
Gary went on to reveal that Amber “is not really involved,” claiming that “in the past year, she has seen her daughter four days.”
“Leah’s going to weigh her options, talk to her therapist and decide what route she wants to go,” Kristina said of the situation. “I will do whatever she wants. Nothing will change the way that I love that girl.”
What’s Amber’s take on the situation?
Amber has been quite vocal in her criticism of Gary in recent weeks. But we don’t yet know what she thinks about Leah’s steps toward being adopted.
Portwood has reportedly been banned by TikTok after haranguing Gary on the platform, which might be why she has yet to sound off on these latest developments.
But knowing Amber, you can bet she won’t remain silent for very long.
Amber Portwood’s Daughter Takes Steps Toward Being Adopted By Kristina Shirley was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
