Teen Mom fans are finally realizing just how bad of a parent Amber Portwood has been to her daughter, Leah Shirley, now that the teenager is openly sharing her experiences on national television. And spoiler alert—it hasn’t been easy. Every fight, mistake, and legal issue involving Leah’s parents has been documented for the world to see. And for Amber, there are plenty. She has a long criminal history, starting with a 2010 domestic violence arrest for attacking Leah’s father, Gary Shirley. She was charged with two felony counts of domestic battery and one count of neglect of a dependent. In 2011, Amber lost custody of Leah, and the following year, she was sentenced to five years in prison for violating her probation on drug charges. She ultimately served 17 months before being released early. Amber’s troubling history didn’t stop there. Years later, she was arrested for domestic battery against Andrew Glennon, the father of her second child, James. Andrew alleged that Amber attacked him with a machete while he was holding their baby. He later won full custody of James and moved him out of state, further solidifying Amber’s reputation as a questionable parent.
However, the only person who doesn’t seem to recognize the pain and destruction she’s caused is Amber herself. She's repeatedly blamed her mental health struggles and traumatic past for her actions, but Teen Mom fans have long called her out for never taking real responsibility. Yet her recent response to Leah’s confessions is particularly shocking – it not only explains why Leah considers herself estranged from her mother, but raises the question of whether Amber will ever be able to repair the damage. And if her latest reaction is any indication, things will only get worse from here.
Leah Finally Shared Her Experience Being Amber Portwood’s Daughter
Leah’s pain was on full display during a recent episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, when she opened up to Cheyenne Floyd, who has historically defended Amber’s behavior. When asked if she had spoken to her mother recently, Leah’s response was telling – she even referred to Amber by her first name throughout the conversation.
"Not really. I haven't really talked to her or haven't really seen her in a while," Leah said. "It's fine. I don't really care anymore. I kind of want Kristina to adopt me. I've been wanting it for a while... Just because Kristina's been there for me since I was in kindergarten and even before that too."
Leah also expressed frustration over Amber’s inconsistency as a parent. “She acts like everything is perfectly fine. It's like, 'I haven't seen you in months, why are you talking to me like this?'" Leah said.
The teen admitted that she finds it overwhelming to deal with her mother’s emotions and struggles, saying, "Obviously, she has a lot of different things going on, lots of difficulties. I just feel like I can't handle it... I wish I could."
Perhaps most tellingly, Leah admitted she’s “scared” to express her feelings to Amber directly. The fact that she feels comfortable saying this on camera but not to Amber’s face speaks volumes – it suggests she knows exactly how her mother will react.
Leah also revealed that as she’s gotten older, her peers have started recognizing her from TV and have confronted her about her mom’s actions. "Oh yeah. People come up to me and they say stuff about Amber," she told Cheyenne. "They just like know what's happened and stuff."
This isn’t the first time Leah has spoken about her complicated relationship with Amber, but it’s certainly the most blunt and heartbreaking. Over the years, both Leah and Gary have claimed that Amber has been an inconsistent parent, often bailing on plans to spend time with her daughter.
For instance, when Amber’s engagement fell apart last year – after she reported her fiancé missing, only to discover he was actually ghosting her – she allegedly avoided seeing Leah for months. Amber has cited her mental health struggles as the reason for these disappearances, claiming she sometimes finds it difficult to leave the house. But being a parent isn’t optional; there are real consequences for her actions.
It’s heartbreaking to hear Leah open up about her painful experiences, especially considering Teen Mom viewers have been watching her family’s dysfunction as entertainment while, in reality, it’s deeply hurt her. It also puts Amber’s public complaints about Leah avoiding her into context – Leah has had good reason for putting distance between her and Amber.
Amber Refuses to Acknowledge Leah’s Pain
In a recent TikTok rant, Amber addressed claims that she hadn’t seen Leah recently. "I was told to stay away. Not to stay away, but... all that stuff," Amber said, implying she wasn’t allowed to see Leah, despite Leah repeatedly saying it was her choice.
"I want to have my daughter with me. I would love to have my daughter with me. I would love to do mom and daughter things. It’s up to her," she added. "She doesn’t want to be around me at the moment, while she’s in therapy. I understand."
However, her tone quickly shifted from understanding to complete dismissal. "It’s not trauma. She doesn’t have trauma. Thank God. She’s had a rough life, yeah. But guys, not everything is trauma. And it’s not denial. You can’t call that trauma. I didn’t beat her."
She went on to invalidate Leah’s emotions entirely, "She’s traumatized about what? No, she’s not traumatized because of me. I didn’t do anything to her like that."
Amber later pivoted to a self-pitying rant, as she concluded, "Damn, I had a way worse life than she can imagine, more than half of you guys did. You can’t sit there and do that with your kids. You can’t sit there and pamper to the point of—you apologize for years, and people are being pushed away from you, and you’re still apologizing."
We get it – Amber is tired of apologizing. But real accountability isn’t about sorry repeatedly; it’s about changing your behavior. And so far, Amber has done little to prove she’s doing anything differently.
