On the April 17 episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, Ryan Edwards apologized to son Bentley—whom he shares with Maci Bookout—for his absence during the 16-year-old’s childhood.
Ryan Edwards is taking accountability.
During the April 17 episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, the 37-year-old had a candid conversation with his and ex Maci Bookout’s 16-year-old son Bentley after years of estrangement due to his ongoing struggles with addiction.
“You know for the longest, I've not been in a good place,” Ryan told his son during the emotional moment. “For a while, your momma didn't want us together at all. It made me mad, but I don't blame her now.”
Indeed, earlier in the episode, Maci—who also shares kids Jayde, 9, and Maverick, 8, with husband Taylor McKinney—admitted that Bentley’s latest visit to Ryan and his fiancée Amanda Conner’s home was the “first time” she and her 16-year-old felt “happy” about the arrangement.
And while Ryan—who also shares a baby girl with Amanda, as well as kids Jagger, 10, and Stella, 5, with ex Mackenzie Standifer—said that he resented Maci, 33, for keeping Bentley from him amid his addiction struggles, he was happy with where he and his son stand these days.
“16 years later, here we are,” he continued. “I'm sorry it took this long, but it's better now than ever. I'd love to spend time with you whenever you want to come over here.”
As he put it, “I know we ain't been able to, but I would enjoy that.”
The mechanic emphasized that he will continue to work on himself to better his relationship with his son, adding, “There were times I wasn’t there for you, but I hope I’m showing you it’s a little different.”
At the end of the heartfelt moment, Bentley and Ryan exchanged “I love you.”
Ryan Edwards/InstagramRyan’s vulnerable apology to his son comes less than a year after Maci, 33, detailed how she and her ex were able to come to a more peaceful co-parenting dynamic.
“All of us involved have done a whole lot of work,” she told E! News last June. “We have just honestly worked on ourselves. So, naturally, it's all coming together.”
