‘Teen Mom OG’: Amber Portwood Reacts to Losing Custody of 4-Year-Old Son

Amber Portwood will “never stop fighting” for her children after losing custody of her 4-year-old son James during a Wednesday, July 27 court ruling. The Teen Mom OG star, 32, expressed how upset she was to lose custody of her youngest son, whom she shares with ex Andrew Glennon, in a statement to Us Weekly following the ruling.

“I’ve worked so hard to better myself and improve my relationships with my children. While I’ve always been candid about my past substance abuse and struggles with mental illness, a person should have the chance to redeem themselves and not be tethered to their problems from the past,” Portwood told the outlet in a statement. 

The MTV star continued, “I’ve spent years rebuilding bridges and did everything that was required of me, including submitting 21 negative drug tests and undergoing multiple psychological evaluations, if your road has not been perfect, but you’ve worked hard to become a better, more stable and caring person today, keep moving forward as I will. I’ll never stop fighting for my children who I love more than anything.”

Glennon was granted sole legal and primary physical custody of his son with Portwood, according to documents obtained by The Sun, and James will be moving from Indiana to California to live with the 38-year-old. The former couple, who met on the set of Marriage Boot Camp, went on to date from 2017 to 2019, welcoming their son together in May 2018. 

The two have been embroiled in a messy custody battle for years after Portwood was arrested for alleged domestic battery after being accused of wielding a machete at Glennon in July 2019. In October, the former 16 and Pregnant star pleaded guilty to two felony charges of domestic battery and intimidation.

Portwood told PopCulture.com in January 2021 that it was difficult to maintain her visitation with both James and her daughter Leah, whom she shares with ex Gary Shirley, due to the distance between the two locations. “If it wasn’t for a good reason, I wouldn’t do [the drive] whatsoever,” the reality star shared at the time. “I would be lying if I said it wasn’t annoying, but when you miss someone so much, it makes it worth it when you see their face light up.”