Exclusive: Teen Mom's Amber Opens Up About Attacking Baby's Father

Celebrity Moms October 6, 2010 AT 8:24AM
Teen Mom's Amber Opens Up About Attacking Baby's Father Credit: Scott Gries/MTV/PictureGroup Teen Mom's Amber Opens Up About Attacking Baby's Father

Teen Mom star Amber Portwood tells the new Us Weekly that she's facing her serious anger issues head on.

Fans of the MTV show were shocked by the Sept. 28 episode, in which an enraged Portwood, 20, punched, kicked and screamed at Gary Shirley, her on-and-off fiance and father to daughter Leah, 23 months.

PHOTOS: Famous TV moms

"A lot has changed," Portwood, now in couple counseling with Shirley, tells Us Weekly. "I haven't hit him since that fight." (Local authorities in Anderson, Ind. reportedly launched an investigation after the incident aired, and MTV broadcast a domestic violence PSA during commercial breaks.)

VIDEO: Teen Mom's Catelynn gets in spat over adoption with mom

The reality star admits she tries to avoid watching her violent outbursts onscreen (she attempted to choke Shirley in one episode last season).

"When I see myself in that position, it really opens my eyes," Portwood says. "I want to stop it, because I don't want to be like that."

PHOTOS: Who's going to be a mom next?

Toward that end, she's working with a counselor "on how to calm down when things happen," she reports. "We are getting close to finding a solution...If I get mad, I always try to think about Leah and how an [outburst] will affect her."

How will she explain her televised violent behavior to her little girl? "I will teach Leah that what I've done wasn't right."

PHOTOS: A-list babies

Things with Leah's dad are up in the air, she confides. They started dating other people on the season finale and she tells Us, "I do love this man...but if we keep fighting then we can't move forward."

Read more of our exclusive interviews with all the Teen Mom stars -- Catelynn defends her mom, Farrah's not "ready to date" yet, Maci's ex Ryan is "starting to be a father" -- in the new Us Weekly, out today.

Tell Us What You Think

95
Comment by signing in with or creating your Facebook account by clicking below.
  • May 04, 2012 - 3:04am Sierra Kipfer

    I honestly loved Amber and I enjoyed watching her. No matter what the rest of you say, she is a good mother. So what she let the new boyfriend change diapers? It's a baby, and he is harmless. He was so good to Amber than Gary. Gary was seriously gross and a worthless father. I think her daughter is in a good home, and she's a good mom. We all have tempers, and at least she's getting help. I'm sure the lot of you have yelled at your kids and won't get help for it. Being hypocrites isn't classy.

  • November 03, 2010 - 6:18pm Stephanie Arguijo

    THAT WAS JUST WRONG HOW AMBER WENT AFTER AND ATTACKED GARY LIKE THAT PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES BEFORE THEY'RE PARENTS AND IT TAKES SOME TIME FOR THEM TO GET THE HANG OF THINGS.... AMBER BECAME MORE BITTER AND JUST A FLAT OUT YOU KNOW WHAT POINT BLANK. WE MAY NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT GOES ON BEHIND THE CAMERAS AND CLOSED DOORS BUT MTV SHOWED US ENOUGH TO LABEL A PERSON... YOU JUST DON'T TREAT SOME ONE LIKE THAT ESPECIALLY THE PARENT OF YOUR CHILD OR CHILDREN..SHE NEEDS PSYCO THERAPY!

  • October 19, 2010 - 8:38pm Pamela Dye-Hayne

    mtv should never have aired that episode. I can't stand to hear Amber whine all of the time! She should have had the baby removed from her home and placed with her father until Amber had completed parenting classes. If that had been a man hitting he would have been in jail with a no contact order and not be able to see his child. I am very impressed with how Farrah has conducted herself on the show. She is really trying to be a good parent and I wish her great success. She is also very picky who takes care of Sofia. Catlynn and Tyler are the best kids I have seen on any show. Any parent would be proud of the decisions they have made in the name of Love. Best of luck to them. maci is a sweet girl and clearly loves her son. she is doing all that she can so that her son can have a good relationship with both parents. good luck to all the girls and get help for Amber.

  • October 17, 2010 - 9:22am Rickey Bailey

    @Delisa Richardson like i know right she just is crazy i missed that show but my girlfriend told me i went in shock nd i believe wasnt he a convict? idk i think she said but i was in so much shock that thats what was going on while i was at school on my television,on a specific channel,on a specific show,SOMETHING I SHOULD HAVE HAD KNOWN THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TELLING ME "RICKEY AMBER IS LETTING SOME OTHER MAN OTHER THAN GARY CHANGE LEAH'S DIAPER!!".....nothing

  • October 14, 2010 - 5:14pm Delisa Richardson

    If Gary can get himself together he has TONS of footage to use against her in court. Someone needs to take that baby. I can;t believe she left the new boyfriend change Leah's diaper!! Gary should've packed her up right then and took off. I was on Ambers side in Season 1 when Gary was too lazy to get up w/the baby so she could graduate, but she is tripping now. I know she is angry and bitter but you can't go around fighting people all the time. One of these days she's gonna flip out on the wrong person and get the a$$ beat.

  • October 13, 2010 - 6:04pm Megan Marie Walker

    Amber is a crazy %#*$&! I agree w/ a previous comment. Why didn't the producers step in when she started hitting Gary. You know damn well if that had been him hitting her, they would've came in quick and threw his butt in jail! It works both ways! Her butt needs to go to jail & get that beautiful baby to her dad. At least he takes care of her & doesn't let her just scream in her baby bed!

  • October 12, 2010 - 11:39pm Nicole Ali

    Amber is such a psycho. She may be bi-polar or depressed. Thats all fine and dandy. There is help for those disorders out there but those illnesses are not excuses to hit or treat another human being that way. Gary has the support of his family and Leah will be way better off with him rather than her. I hope the people in law enforcement see these episodes that were aired as well as the stuff that was edited and press charges and prosecute her to the fullest extent of the law. You reap what you sow and she sure does get whats coming to her.

  • October 12, 2010 - 9:01pm Kate Bowman

    Amber-- You seriously disgust me. You are physco. What is wrong with you.. that is the father of your child. Go get help. Gary-- You deserve WAY better... step 1: go to court step 2: get custody of your child/put that crazy girl behind bars step 3: run and NEVER look back

  • October 12, 2010 - 8:59pm Monique Mason

    Amber should be jailed. It pisses me off that our society has such double standards on domestic violence. Why did the produces not step in when she took a violent turn? Why did they allow her to hit Gary repeatedly? This is plain disgraceful. She should not have custody of that child until she gets help. Gay also needs help because his self esteem is obviously nonexistent

  • October 12, 2010 - 7:41am Summer Dyes

    I feel sorry for Gary. He really seems to love Amber and it's so obvious she can't stand him. This is the perfect example of a toxic relationship and Leah deserves much better and so does Gary.

  • October 11, 2010 - 12:54pm Sarah Dupont

    amber from teen mom should have Leah taking away from her. Gary should have custody of leah.She is a ignorint mother, and lets leah see things she should. such as her yelling, and how she disiplines her.. Why hasnt anyone steed in and said these things. Leah is not in a safe home with amber in my eyes.

  • October 11, 2010 - 6:30am Liberty Ann

    Wow, Natalie from the Facts of Life hasn't changed a bit.

  • October 11, 2010 - 1:21am Melody Hall Rowley

    I agree with so many of you! Why did the cameramen not step in and stop it? She obviously has some anger issues, and need to take care of them. Leah does NOT need to be in the middle o their problems!

  • October 10, 2010 - 6:36pm Kandie Marie Worley

    Amber you did not need to hit gary because he did not anything you and he want to try to get back with you and he want to be for you but pls do not hit him because your little girl needs her dad is life and i do not have my little girl in my life but i wish she was and I hope that you and gary get married so you and him to be in Our little girl life and i am married and we have a son and we love him alot.

  • October 10, 2010 - 6:32pm Kandie Marie Worley

    Amber why will gary want do anything for you because i know that you love him

  • October 10, 2010 - 3:00pm Amanda Bond

    i eat beans

  • October 10, 2010 - 3:38am Mika Swick

    I've been following the show since it was aired as 16 and pregnant, I have been watching for soo long i almost feel as though I know these girls! I really hate to make negative comments toward people but after reading these comments about Amber, I figured I would toss in my 2 cents. I will say I do understand where Amber is coming from to an extent, Gary doesn't seem to have a lot of common sense and the whole job thing, people are commenting about him not having a job, the economy is at its worst right now and we cant call him lazy because he doesn't have a job, the guy is definately trying. If we compared Gary to Ryan who is really trying the hardest to support his family, I would say Gary! I know that we are limited to knowledge since we can only see what we see through a TV screen. But there is one thing I am absolutely sure of is that Amber has some major issues! I know that Amber has a lifelong connection to Gary since he is the father to her child, so she has to come to her senses and make some sacrifices to find room in her heart to allow him to be around her and Leah, if she hates him as much as she says she does then FINE hate him but don't bring leah into the mess and make her hear the fights and the cursing or even saying "Daddy's leaving us again Leah" especially since she kicked him out, which seems to happen once or twice a week! I think amber loves the power of being able to kick him out and being the mother so she has a say of when and where Gary can see Leah, thats the problem right there, she's too controlling. It's her way or NO way, I think that is obvious to what America has witnessed. It's all about giving and taking and compromising in relationships. She on he other hand makes way too many demands and then rages when Gary isn't answering a question or doing something in a way that she feels is appropriate. Gary does make silly remarks and decisions at times but there is NO reason what so ever for her reactions toward him, if she doesn't want to be with him then END IT! Why would she put him down and call him a fat a#$, this was the man she chose to sleep with, he hasn't changed one bit as far as his looks and for her to make these comments toward him she's really making herself look bad because this was the man she was engaged to a hundred times. The whole relationship is a JOKE, this poor child has to be in the middle of the problems that mom and dad are unable to settle on their own time. If any one needs to grow up its Amber, any normal parent knows that fighting in front of a child can cause irreversible damage to a child's behavior. Leah may still be a "baby" but these little babies pick up quickly. It's for sure that Leah has a more positive reaction to her father than her mother. i could go on forever about this ridiculous woman, but one last thing WHERE THE HELL IS AMBERS MOTHER! We see how wonderful and supportive Gary's mother is, which i really hope that Leah's destiny ends up in that family because its much to obvious that Ambers is getting her parenting skills from her mother since her mother never seems to be around for any kind of support. Amber is a poor excuse for a mother, she calls herself a great mom its almost as if she is repeating it to herself to make herself feel better because she sure isnt hearing it from anyone else. She needs to get partial custody of Leah and get on some meds to control that nasty attitude of hers. She has a lot of growing up to do. Meeting guys at walmart that have just gotten out of jail is not a wise decision especially if you are considering bringing him around Leah, I hope Gary puts a stop to her desperate search for a new man.

  • October 10, 2010 - 2:05am B Shaun James

    Amber is a mess...not that Gary is perfect, but she needs to keep her hands to herself.

  • October 10, 2010 - 12:25am Nicole Young

    That baby does not need to be with Amber at all. If she is doing that to Gary, who knows what she is doing to that child off camera. Amber is not fit to be a mother.

  • October 10, 2010 - 12:12am Sarah Schroeder

    I dont think either of them are perfect Gary does need to get a job an man up an support his family, but he in no way deserves that treatment and anyone who thinks that he does is as ignorant as Amber!! NOBODY deserves for another person to put their hands on them REGARDLESS what was SAID!! If Gary put his hands on Amber then Amber would have every right to defend herself but he simply made a statement (which in my PERSONAL opinion was all true) And she went nuts like an immature lil child with no respect for others. Amber acts like she is such an adult because she had a baby but having a baby does not make u mature or an adult there are 13 yr olds having children these days and no matter how you look at it they are still 13!! Amber is a sorry excuse for a Mother she does not give that baby what she needs she is lazy and disrespectful and can say she is a good mother all she wants but the fact is she is not a good mother at all she acts as if Leah is this big inconvenience to her life rather than her child that was made from her that she loves. Look back on comments she has made in the past episodes that have made it clear that Leah is inconveniencing her life. The girl is ignorant and just wants to be on tv. Yes we do not see everything we only see what mtv crops together for a good show, but all the things on these episodes STILL in fact happened, regardless!! Especially KNOWING your on tv and acting that way is beyond me I would be totally embarrassed of myself and disgusted!! PLEASE for all you sticking up for Amber tell me what about her makes you think she is not only a good mother but a good person??? Oh she had a job at a tanning bed ok wow (and i do believe SHE stated that she is currently unemployed now as well which is a whole other story) Just because u work a crappy job does not make you a good mother at all!! A good mother will not yell at her baby all the time and not be so lazy as to not make her bed, this whole show you do not see her parent her child (YOU SEE GARY PICKING HER UP WHEN SHES CRYING, YOU SEE GARY GO STRAIT TO LEAH WHEN HE WALKS IN THE DOOR) And Amber?? All you see of her is her talking to her friends about Gary or cursing out Gary in front of Leah of throwing childish hissy fits! When do you see her Parent??? Ive seen Amber stuff her face so many times but I cant recall ever seeing her feed Leah. Yes, of course I know she obviously has to feed the kid or she wouldnt still be breathing but Im pretty sure Gary is the one to feed her anyway. Amber needs to grow up and reevaluate her life because she is so pathetic!! She is a nasty nasty rotten person who wants so badly to be grown but she is nowhere near that status!! Gary: get a job, do what ever you have to do and get custody of that baby and leave Amber alone! Amber: Grow the hell up, look in the mirror once in awhile and stop making excuses for your irresponsible, innappropriate, disrespectful choices!!!!! And thats all I have to say and I would like to reiterate again that these are just MY PERSONAL OPINIONS!! 100~

ADVERTISEMENT