'Teen Mom' Maci Bookout Taking 'Slow, Small Steps' in Relationship With Ex Ryan Edwards (Exclusive)

Maci Bookout isn't trying to "force" any kind of healing when it comes to her relationship with ex-fiancé Ryan Edwards. Prior to Tuesday's all-new episode of Teen Mom OG, the MTV star opened up to PopCulture.com about where things lie with the father of her 11-year-old son Bentley as the two work on co-parenting peacefully with a protective order in place.

Bookout revealed she and Edwards are "still in the same spot" in regards to a protective order she and husband Taylor McKinney obtained against him last year after Edwards allegedly harassed and made threats towards Bookout's family, which prevented him from coming within 100 ft. of her, McKinney and their two children for two years. That being still in place, Bookout noted Edwards has "had a lot going on in his life," welcoming daughter Stella Rhea with wife Mackenzie Edwards in January. The two are also parents to son Jagger, whom they welcomed in October 2018 while Edwards was in rehab for substance abuse issues ahead of a three-month stay in prison in January 2019.

Bentley has still been able to see his father in supervised visits throughout all the legal drama surrounding his father, but Bookout isn't trying to press any reconciliation personally, she told PopCulture.

"For now, we're in a place where we're trying to do what's best with Bentley and not try to force anything as far as our relationship goes — nothing that wouldn't happen naturally," she explained. "We're taking slow, small steps."

Bookout and McKinney have been particularly cognizant of keeping an open line of communication with Bentley as he ages into a place of greater understanding regarding his father and has a tendency to "stay quiet when he shouldn't" about his feelings.

"Keeping open-minded communication with him is really important and making sure he isn't internalizing anything and handling his emotions well," Bookout explained, adding that at the end of the day when it comes to raising her eldest, "We're lucky, because he's easy."

Teen Mom OG airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.

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