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‘Teen Mom’: Amber Portwood Takes Important Step Toward Reconciling With Daughter Leah

Amber Portwood is making progress when it comes to her relationship with her daughter Leah. On Tuesday’s episode of Teen Mom OG, Portwood showed her daughter that she is dedicated to being there for her — although Leah wasn’t particularly receptive to Portwood’s attempts at reconciliation. 

Previously, Portwood agreed with her ex, Gary Shirley, with whom she shares Leah, that they would take things slow when it comes to repairing her relationship with their daughter. While Portwood wasn’t happy about having to take things at a slower pace, she did agree to do what was best for Leah’s well-being. In an effort to move forward, Shirley invited Portwood over to his home so that she could sit down for a meal with the family. Once she got to his residence, she was greeted warmly by Shirley and his wife Kristina. However, she got a chilly reception from Leah.

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Leah did not engage with Portwood during the meal. After they ate, Portwood noticed that Leah was carrying around a DVD case. She asked her what the movie was about, but the preteen didn’t seem to be up for the conversation, as she simply said that it was a movie about stuff. Eventually, and after some gentle urging from Portwood, Leah explained that the movie’s plot dealt with a possessed mother who has a fraught relationship with her five-year-old daughter whom she is trying to get away from her father. It’s hard not to think about the overarching similarities between the description and the Teen Mom star’s current situation. Portwood was previously absent from Leah’s life when she spent time in prison, a fact that has partly led to the current estrangement between the pair

Portwood left the residence after a good deal of awkwardness between herself and her daughter. Shirley and Kristina both said their goodbyes to Portwood, but Leah did not. As she was driving back home, the MTV personality remarked to the cameras that she wasn’t sure what the purpose of the meeting was. Portwood subsequently spoke with a producer after she had some time to decompress. She explained that she didn’t like how Leah got “snappy” when it came to asking her about the movie. But, she did admit that it would take some time for her and Leah to get back to a good place and added that the meeting was a step in the right direction.