Amber Portwood. Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Teen Mom alum Amber Portwood has a new man in her life, Us Weekly can exclusively reveal — and despite dating for only a few months, things are heating up between the couple.
“His name is Gary. She met him on a dating app four months ago. They are taking their time getting to know each other, but it’s getting serious,” a source close to the MTV star tells Us, adding that he lives locally in the reality star’s hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana.
Portwood’s new beau, who is in his late 30s, doesn’t have kids of his own, but he’s “very family-oriented” and takes care of his parents, the insider says.
Gary is different than Portwood’s exes because he’s never watched her hit show Teen Mom, reveals the insider, adding it’s allowed their blossoming relationship to be more authentic.
“All the guys Amber has dated before she met on social media and were fans of the show,” the source continues. “This new man in her life has actually never seen Teen Mom so she feels she can finally date in the way she’s always wanted to.”
Portwood, 33, first appeared on 16 and Pregnant in 2009 before becoming a cast member on Teen Mom and Teen Mom OG. She returned to MTV for 2022’s Teen Mom: Family Reunion and on 2023’s Teen Mom: The Next Chapter.
Prior to her new relationship, Portwood’s romances have frequently been in the spotlight. When fans first met Portwood on-screen, she was in a relationship with Gary Shirley, with the former couple welcoming their daughter, Leah, in November 2008. Shirley gained full custody of Leah in 2011 after a fight between the exes resulted in Portwood’s arrest in 2010.
These days, Portwood and Shirley are co-parenting Leah, now 14, “amicably,” the source says.
Portwood welcomed her second child, son James, with ex Andrew Glennon in May 2018. The pair split after an altercation in 2019, and Glennon won full custody of James in 2022. Following the ruling, Portwood got candid about her struggles and how she’s working on herself to move forward.
It’s been quite a journey for the cast of Teen Mom. The series launched in December 2009 as the first spinoff from MTV’s 16 and Pregnant. The debut season followed the lives of Maci Bookout, Catelynn Lowell, Amber Portwood and Farrah Abraham, who all experienced very different journeys during their teen pregnancies. On season 5, […]
“I’ve worked so hard to better myself and improve my relationships with my children,” the reality star said in a statement to Us at the time. “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.”
Glennon and James now live together across the country from Portwood in his home state of California. “It’s a hard situation,” the insider says of the arrangement. “She does the best she can to navigate it.”
Source: NewsFinale
