Getty "Teen Mom" star Maci Bookout said she's working on releasing the "anger" and "hate" she has toward her ex-boyfriend, Ryan Edwards.
“Teen Mom” star Maci Bookout got real about her feelings for her ex-boyfriend, Ryan Edwards. The two have had a famously hard time co-parenting their son, 14-year-old Bentley, but Bookout is really to let go of the animosity, she told Page Six.
During season 2 of “Teen Mom: Family Reunion,” Bookout learned how to create a more harmonious co-parenting relationship with Edwards by working with life coach Dr. Cheyenne Bryant.
Bookout discovered she harbored feelings of “anger” and “hate” toward her ex.
“Honestly, the main thing that made it more clear was the work that I had done on myself and working through my anger, my sometimes even hate, just working through all of that and pinpointing what’s worth holding on to and what’s worth letting go of,” Bookout told Page Six.
“Getting to know the hard parts of mine and Ryan’s relationship as co-parents, that makes it more comfortable for me, I would say,” she added to Page Six. “Not easier, but maybe just a little more comfortable.”
Edwards, 34, has struggled with substance abuse. His addiction has led him to spend time behind bars and he’s done multiple stints in rehab to battle the disorder.
Edwards has become distant from Bentley, who told Dr. Drew Pinsky at the “Teen Mom” reunion in December that he hasn’t seen his biological father much.
Bookout Hinted Things With Edwards & Bentley Might Have Changed
The last time Bookout spoke with Page Six, she told the publication that Bentley and Edwards “don’t have a relationship.
She told Page Six that hadn’t seen or spoken to each other in years, and that Bentley didn’t have Edwards’ phone number.
But there’s been a slight improvement in the relationship.
“We do have his phone number [now],” Bookout told Page Six. “But any other details, you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Bookout’s Relationship With Jen & Larry Edwards Has Improved, Too
Edwards’ parents — Jen and Larry — have played a prominent role in Bentley’s life as his paternal grandparents. For most of Bentley’s life, Bookout was able to have a cordial relationship with the senior Edwards, but things took a turn at the 2021 “Teen Mom” reunion and they were fired from the series.
Since then, Bookout says their relationship has improved.
“It’s not where it was the last time you saw the four of us together,” Bookout told host Dr. Drew Pinsky at the latest reunion in December 2022. “I’m happy with where we are because it has not at all been forced or faked or alright, let’s just put it over there and pretend that it didn’t happen and pretend that we’re happy and it’s all great.”
“It’s been a very natural sometimes awkward, sometimes weird — but natural — evolution,” Bookout added.
Pinsky asked if Edwards has entered Bentley’s life.
Bookout didn’t answer and instead looked at her husband, Taylor McKinney. “He comes over sometimes to Jen and Larry’s,” McKinney answered.
Bentley came out on the reunion stage to answer some questions. When Pinsky asked if he had seen his father, Bentley didn’t answer.