Ryan Edwards

Ryan Edwards rose to fame on the inaugural episode of MTV’s 16 and Pregnant in 2009. At the time, the Chattanooga native was busy preparing for the birth of his son Bentley with then-girlfriend Maci Bookout. After Bentley’s birth in October 2008, Ryan and Bookout’s relationship woes and parenting struggles played out on camera for years. Ryan continued his reality TV venture with the 16 and Pregnant spinoff Teen Mom (later renamed Teen Mom OG), which also premiered in 2009.

After briefly getting engaged to Bookout that year, the two ended their relationship. Ryan went on to date Dalis Paige from 2010 to 2012 and Shelby Woods from 2013 to 2014. He began dating Mackenzie Edwards (née Standifer) in 2016, and the two tied the knot one year later. Two months before their controversial ceremony — Ryan appeared to be under the influence as he drove to their wedding, as captured on Teen Mom OG — he was arrested for heroin possession. After the episode aired in June 2017, he entered rehab.

As Ryan’s substance abuse issues and legal woes continued over the years — he was arrested numerous times and was in and out of rehab — the former MTV personality welcomed son Jagger with Mackenzie in 2018. Their daughter, Stella, was born one year later. (Mackenzie also shares son Hudson with ex-husband Zachary Stephens.) Ryan’s relationship with Bentley remained strained. Bookout was also granted a two-year restraining order in 2018 against her ex after he allegedly threatened her.

Ryan and Mackenzie were fired from Teen Mom OG in 2021, shortly after a confrontation between Bookout, her husband, Taylor McKinney, and Ryan’s parents, Jen and Larry Edwards. However, Ryan briefly appeared on a February 2023 episode of Teen Mom: Family Reunion, expressing his desire to spend more time with Bentley.

As the episode aired, Ryan was dealing with even more personal fallout. After accusing Mackenzie of infidelity in January 2023, he was arrested that February for harassment after violating an order of protection against her. He was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. Mackenzie filed for divorce later that month.

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In April 2023, following two more arrests — including an incident where he was found unconscious in the driver’s seat of his vehicle — Ryan was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in jail after pleading guilty to the harassment charge.