Maci Bookout and Catelynn Lowell Support Leah Shirley as She Explains Reasons for Estrangement from Mom Amber Portwood

The two moms get perspective from Leah, 16, about why she can't keep trying for a relationship with Amber

Leah Shirley is gaining confidence in her decision to keep a distance from her mom.

During the Thursday, May 1 episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, the 16-year-old visits New York City with dad Gary Shirley to celebrate 16 years since 16 and Pregnant first aired. While spending some quality time together during the visit, Leah checks with Gary to make sure her mom, Amber Portwood, wouldn't be in attendance.

"Obviously like, I was already not wanting a relationship with her before, because she hasn't been there, but after her recent activities, I don't even want to be near her at this point," Leah tells Gary, referencing Amber's outbursts on TikTok attacking the father of two, following the airing of prior episodes that discuss Leah's desire to be adopted by Gary's wife, Kristina.

"My entire life, and probably before that too, she's always been like this. She's always been out to get people and just to make sure all the attention's on her or something, and always turns herself into the victim of everything."

"I don't think she realizes you're the one that doesn't want to see her," Gary explains to his daughter. "She's telling people I'm keeping you from her and that's not the case."

"Maybe she doesn't know," Leah points out, noting that Amber has "mental problems."

"Maybe she doesn't even know that she's treating people like crap. She needs to know though," she continues. "I think maybe she doesn't really realize that I'm the one that has been actively not wanting a relationship with her. I feel like maybe I need to text her or something and let her know."

Gary suggests that Leah could talk to castmates Maci Bookout McKinney and Catelynn Lowell Baltierra, noting they've both known Amber in a different way than he has over all these years.

"I think they're all on your side," he encourages her.

"I mean, at least they can hear it from my side and not whatever she's told them," Leah replies.

When Catelynn and Maci arrive later on, the two moms spend time catching up after everyone else heads off to their rooms.

"Obviously, Amber's not going to be here," Catelynn acknowledged. "Part of it is kind of weird because she is part of the 16 years thing with us but another part of me is, where is Leah standing? And if that's something she's uncomfortable with and she doesn't want to have a part with, I completely understand."

Maci agrees, with both women stating they haven't heard from Amber in some time.

During the cast photo shoot, the two moms steal a moment with Leah, asking her how she's been. Catelynn asks if Amber ever calls or texts to reach out after all three realize it's been about the same amount of time since they last saw her.

"She reached out to me one time when she found out I have asthma," Leah says.

"She is one of our friends, but me and Maci have told her if she wanted to ever have a relationship with you, that she needed to start showing consistency," Catelynn says.

"I'm just kind of like done because it's too much on me if she comes around every year once or twice and acts like everything's perfect and tells me that she loves me and hugs me and stuff. Like I can't do that."

Asked more about what makes uncomfortable about the dynamic, Leah explains, "It's fake."

"You don't text me. You don't see me. And then when you do see me, for the purposes of there being a camera in your face, you try to act like you're the best mom ever," she continues.

"I don't hate her and I understand that she has her own issues to deal with and it makes it difficult, but I just can't handle it myself. She tells people we have a good relationship and I think she thinks it's my dad's fault, and I want to clear that up because it's not fair for her to blame my dad for something that I want. My dad has always tried to push me to have a relationship. He convinced me to invite her to my birthday and so we did and she didn't even show up."

"I just want to let you know it took me way into my adulthood and having my own children to be able to look at my mom and say, 'I don't want anything to do with you,' " Catelynn sympathized.

"It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, so to see you at your age making those boundaries to protect your own mental health and your peace, that's huge," Catelynn continued, sharing some details about the relationship with the teen.

When she says, "I don't think my mom and I will ever be normal," Leah responds, "That's how I feel."

"That sucks. You're doing hard work and I don't know if you even realize it, but I'm proud of you," Catelynn tells Leah.

"Me too," Maci adds.

Teen Mom: The Next Chapter airs Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. on MTV.