Teen Mom stars Amber Portwood and Gary Shirley’s daughter, Leah, reached an exciting milestone.
Leah, now 17, looked all grown up while sharing a series of photos from her high school dance via Instagram on Monday, May 4. “Prom 2026!! 🤩 #prom,” she captioned her Instagram post.
In the pics, Leah wore an embellished red dress with halter neck and a tousled updo with her face-framing pieces down and curled. The 11th grader completed her outfit with black strappy heels, soft makeup with a bright lip and a simple nude manicure with almond-shaped nails.
Leah posed alongside her friends, who were holding bouquets for the occasion, as well as in a family photo with Gary, 39, and his wife, Kristina Shirley.
She took solo shots in front of a creek, seated on a bench and in a group while they huddled in for a mirror selfie and enjoyed a fun-filled night out.
“Leah you look beautiful ❤️ All of your internet aunties so happy for you,” one fan replied. “✨Prom?! She’s grown up beautifully.❤️” a second social media user wrote in the comments section. “Omg it’s like I blinked and she’s all of a sudden grown. You look so beautiful. I hope you had a great time. 🥰,” a third longtime fan chimed in.
Viewers watched Leah’s journey unfold on MTV’s 16 & Pregnant, when Amber, 35, and Gary were navigating the newfound world of parenthood before they became a bigger part of the Teen Mom franchise.
The exes welcomed their first child together in November 2008. Gary popped the question before Leah arrived, but the couple ultimately called it quits in 2011 after their many tumultuous disputes aired on both 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom OG.
Last year, fans watched as Amber penned a letter to Leah on her 16th birthday amid their estrangement.
“Sweetheart, today is a very special moment in your life,” Amber wrote in her message, which was shown during a March 2025 episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter. “I know we are apart, but you are always and my thoughts, prayers and spirit.”
“As a mother, you never forget your first real feeling of love, and that is when you were born,” she added. “I will be waiting for you forever. I love you more than words I could write.”
Leah, for her part, said that she had only seen Amber three times since her last birthday.
In a separate confessional, Amber admitted that her daughter “did grow up in a time where I was at my worst,” while vowing to be the best mom she can be going forward.
