Amber Portwood Reveals ‘Very Intense Loving Relationship’

Amber Portwood

Getty "Teen Mom" star Amber Portwood said she has a wonderful relationship with her son, James.

“Teen Mom” star Amber Portwood said she has an “amazing” relationship with her 4-year-old son, James, during part 2 of the “Teen Mom: The Next Chapter” reunion.

The Indiana native lost custody of her son in July when a judge awarded full guardianship to her ex-boyfriend, Andrew Glennon. As part of the custody agreement, Glennon was allowed to relocate to California with James, taking Portwood’s son more than 2,000 miles away.

Portwood discussed her children — James and 14-year-old Leah Shirley — with reunion hosts Dr. Drew Pinsky and Nessa Diab.

Leah — Portwood’s daughter from her relationship with ex-boyfriend Gary Shirley — has been rocky in the past. But they were able to reconnect.

“It’s even better now,” Portwood told Pinsky about her relationship with Leah. “Literally feels like it’s almost back to normal and just a good relationship.”


Portwood Admits to Treating James ‘Differently’ Than Leah

Pinsky reminded Portwood that Leah told Shirley her mother treated James “differently” than she treated her when she was little.

“What did she mean by that?” Pinsky asked.

Portwood opened up about her battle with substance abuse, which wasn’t under control when Leah was a baby.

“Being sober and being in a different place in my life, me and James have a very intense loving relationship… in the sense of him running towards me, love you, kisses, things like that,” Portwood answered. “This is a 4-year-old, you know? And, just the way I treated him is the same way that I would have treated her if I was sober, actually in the right mind.”

Portwood hinted she felt guilty about the way she treated Leah when she was younger. Shirley is Leah’s primary guardian, not Portwood.

“So I think she definitely brought up that cause she felt that,” Portwood said about the “different’ relationship she has with James. “[Leah] could see that, you know? How different it is.”

“I had this guilt for a while. But then I understood that there’s nothing that I could do about it,” she continued. “I had to let go of that guilt.”

Pinsky tried to ask if Portwood felt guilty for not being present in Leah’s life.

“I was around my daughter, first of all,” Portwood clarified.

Pinsky claimed Portwood wasn’t being transparent.

“No, I’m being clear,” she maintained. “Everything that I’m saying is exactly clear.”


Portwood Didn’t Want to Be at The Reunion

When Portwood’s segment with Pinsky and Diab started, she said she wasn’t ready to discuss her story.

“Just ready to not be here,” she told them. “Don’t want to deal with that right now… All of it was horrible.”

Pinsky asked Portwood for clarification.

“I don’t want to deal with it right now is what I’m saying,” she said about reliving the moment she lost custody of her son. “You’re going through those emotions as you’re watching it again and it’s very hard.”

Pinsky assumed Portwood, who has been on reality TV since 2009, would be used to it by now.

“Why would I ever get used to real, raw emotions?” she asked. “It’s life.”

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