MTV "Teen Mom OG" stars Gary Shirley and wife Kristina Anderson have been married since 2015.
Teen Mom OG stars Gary Shirley and wife Kristina Anderson have been married since 2015. They have one daughter together; Emilee. Each has an older daughter from a previous relationship.
Gary shares 11-year-old daughter Leah with Teen Mom OG original Amber Portwood. After an extremely tumultuous relationship over the past decade, the couple has finally worked through their differences.
Kristina’s oldest daughter, Karly, who is around the same age as Leah, is from her relationship with her ex-husband, Gregory Anderson.
Teen Mom OG generally focuses their storyline on Amber, her boyfriends and the latest updates, but there is plenty to know about the Shirleys. To find out more about the couple, continue reading below for five fast facts:
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1. The Beginning of Kristina and Gary’s Relationship Was Reportedly Secret
Gary didn’t officially announce that he and Kristina were together until they had been dating for one year. Part of that was likely because Kristina was still legally married to her husband, according to Starcasm. He filed for divorce on February 14, 2014. They split was finalized on April 16, 2014.
They haven’t always been on the best of terms. Gregory Anderson reportedly filed a restraining order against Kristina to protect his daughter from an allegedly “unhealthy situation,” according to In Touch Weekly.
For those who might have wondered why they’ve never seen Karly on the show, it’s because her father doesn’t want her affiliated with Teen Mom OG. “Karly shall not be present during filming by a third party, New Remote Productions, Inc., MTV, or any other company or its affiliates,” court documents reportedly stated.
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2. Kristina Reportedly Cheated on Gary
Kristina and Gary likely started to date in early 2013. The timing of their relationship isn’t well known, but Gary did tweet that he had been deceived.
“Give a girl a promise ring after 9 months of dating, find out she’s in a relationship w someone else after she said she broke up with them f**k,” he wrote at the time. “Lol the sad thing is I believed everything she said haha d**n! Told her she should act!”
But she’s not the only one with a possible cheating scandal. At the time, Amber was still in prison and she claims Gary said they would be together.
When Amber Portwood was released from prison, she had a tough time getting used to being alone since Shirley had moved on with his life.
Amber previously said, “When I was in prison, Gary was telling me that we were going to be back together, and he was looking for a house for us, and selling me this big dream,” she said, according to Radar Online.
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3. Gary and Kristina Struggled With How To Tell Leah About Amber’s Latest Arrest
Amber was arrested in July after she got into a domestic dispute with ex Andrew Glennon. While Andrew was holding their 1-year-old baby, James, Amber took a machete and hit the locked door he was behind.
At first, Amber denied the event but later pleaded guilty to domestic battery and intimidation. It led to her losing physical of her son.
Kristina and Gary are the main caretakers of 11-year-old Leah and struggled with what to tell her about Amber’s arrest. “Now, how do we tell Leah…I ended up having to explain everything. Mommy got arrested,” Gary lamented to Kristina. She revealed that Leah seemed to be taking the news well.
4. Gary and Kristina Welcomed Their Daughter, Emilee, in 2015
Leah, who was around 6 years old at the time, was thrilled to become an older sister. “Leah’s been praying every day that the baby would come and that Kristina would be okay!” Gary wrote at the time, according to The Ashley.
The news was surprising to fans, especially Amber, since during an earlier episode of Teen Mom Gary said he didn’t want to have any more children just yet. Despite his earlier comments, Gary wanted to clarify that he was thrilled to become a father for a second time.
“Everyone needs to remember it’s a show & I always wanted my baby!” he wrote. “I wanted 2 wait to have another, but plans changed and I’m very happy! I really appreciate all who understand! And everyone who has stood beside me and not judged truly means a lot!”
“Very happy to be a dad again! I said ‘I wasn’t ready’ never said I didn’t want my baby!” he tweeted last month. “My words were twisted. I’m very excited. Ur nvr ready 4 a baby even if it’s planned, I was more shocked I think, but I’m completely in love with her. She hears me & starts kicking. I bought a house for my family & I’m doing my best to get it ready 4 her! Because my family deserves the best & I want my girls to be happy.”
5. Gary Secretly Became A Police Officer
Days before Amber was arrested for domestic violence, Gary was sworn in as an Indiana police officer. It was Kristina who broke the news on social media.
“Words cannot describe how proud I am to be his wife,” Kristina wrote at the time. “His dream, hard work, and dedication became a reality. Tonight, this handsome man was sworn into duty as a police officer. Thank you to ALL our friends and family who supported him, kept this a secret and most of all believed in him.”
Gary never openly talked about wanting to be a police officer. At the beginning of the MTV series, Gary used to work as a Nursing Assistant for developmentally disabled patients.
To find out what’s next for Amber and Gary, don’t miss Teen Mom OG when it airs on MTV Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
READ NEXT: Click here to read more stories by Heavy contributor Maria Vultaggio