Amber Portwood Accuses Maci Bookout and Catelynn Lowell of ‘Turning Their Backs’ on Her
Amber Portwood, Maci Bookout, and Catelynn Lowell have shared a complex and evolving friendship since their debut on MTV’s 16 and Pregnant in 2009. As the three remaining original cast members, they’ve been through a lot together. Their bond has been tested multiple times. Still, Catelynn and Maci have both consistently shown up for Amber Portwood. Maci defended the troubled mother of two just weeks ago. Amber Portwood isn’t seeing it that way right now, at least based on her recent TikTok tirades. The former Teen Mom: The Next Chapter star just took to TikTok to accuse both Maci and Catelynn of “turning their backs” on her.
Amber Portwood claims Maci Bookout and Catelynn Lowell have ‘turned their backs’ on her
Amber Portwood’s brief TikTok hiatus was apparently the calm before the storm. While the former Teen Mom star seemed fairly reserved in her initial return to the platform, subsequent TikTok Live events haven’t been nearly as calm. This week, she took to the platform to accuse Maci Bookout and Catelynn Lowell of turning their backs on her.
The mother of two claimed, through sobs, that her former castmates turned their backs on her “for money” but didn’t elaborate further. After quitting the series, Portwood went to TikTok to call for the cancellation of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter. While she’s largely avoided discussing Maci and Catelynn in the past, her departure from the serious has obviously changed something.
While Amber might think her friends have turned their backs on her, there is a lot of evidence to the contrary. They’ve been steadfast in their support over the years.
Catelynn Lowell defended Amber Portwood against Gary Wayt
Catelynn Lowell has helped Amber through multiple issues. She was especially protective of her longtime pal after Gary Wayt made several derogatory comments about her. She also defended her during her 2019 arrest and subsequent custody battle.
Lowell showed up in a big way to defend Portwood when Wayt suggested he was pressured into proposing. She basically called Wayt a liar in a now-deleted Instagram post. Lowell was on hand for the proposal and was deeply involved in the aftermath of Wayt’s voluntary disappearance.
Catelynn was also vocal in her support of Amber after she lost custody of her son, James Glennon. Amber lost custody of the boy after she physically attacked his father, Andrew Glennon, while he held the then-toddler. She left public comments and even appeared in court with Amber. Catelynn spoke out after she was heavily criticized for her unwavering support.
Maci Bookout drove to North Carolina to be with her and lambasted Gary Shirley in her defense
Catelynn isn’t the only one who has consistently shown up to defend and support Amber. Maci has been along for the ride, too. Like Catelynn, Maci has been present to help Amber through legal issues and has supported her in her custody battles.
In June 2024, Maci left her home in Tennessee and drove to be by Amber’s side after she reported her then-fiancé, Gary Wayt, missing. Maci drove her back to Tennessee, passing Amber off to a Teen Mom team member who took her home to Indiana. The mother of three also lambasted Gary Shirley for openly discussing allowing Kristina Shirley to adopt Leah, the daughter he shares with Amber.
Maci recently appeared on Barely Famous, a podcast hosted by Kailyn Lowry, and doubled down on her support of Amber. She said that she had no intention of not supporting an old friend despite fans criticizing her for it. Maci’s statement came just weeks before Amber put her on blast on TikTok.
