MTV "Teen Mom OG" alum Mackenzie Edwards said she made a "bad decision."
It’s been five years since “Teen Mom OG” alum Ryan Edwards nodded off while driving to his impromptu wedding to Mackenzie Standifer in 2017. For the first time, Standifer, now Mackenzie Edwards, said she made a “bad decision.”
She made the admission to a fan who brought up the incident on Instagram.
“Can I ask a series question? What made you go through marrying Ryan when he was so high? So high in fact he could have killed you both,” the fan wrote, according to a screenshot shared to Reddit on March 15.
“I was young, confused, nervous and made a very bad decision,” Mackenzie Edwards wrote back. “I’m so thankful no one was hurt. We made peace with it a long time ago together.”
“It was very hard going through that, much less publicly!” she said in another response, according to The Ashley’s Reality Roundup. “I wasn’t even sure how to process what was happening much less my words to describe it. Rips my heart out looking back at everything! Feels like a lifetime ago! I feel like Ryan and I have a weight lifted completely off of our shoulders.”
Ryan Edwards is a recovering addict who has done at least three stints in rehab, per The Ashley’s Reality Roundup. He’s faced problems with the law because of his addiction, receiving a citation for “simple possession of heroin” in March 2017, according to the outlet. He was arrested in March 2018 and in August 2018 for charges related to his arrest from the previous year, The Ashley reported.
The Edwardses have two children together: 3-year-old Jagger and 2-year-old Stella. They both have older children from previous relationships, too. Mackenzie Edwards shares 8-year-old son Hudson with ex-husband Zachary Stephens, and Ryan Edwards welcomed his 13-year-old son, Bentley, with his ex-girlfriend, “Teen Mom OG” star Maci Bookout.
The Edwardses were fired from “Teen Mom OG” in March 2021 at Bookout’s request.
Fans Had a Mixed Reaction to Mackenzie Edwards’ Admission
Fans on Reddit were split about Edwards’ answers. While some people agreed she was young when the incident happened, others slammed her for the way she handled it.
At the “Teen Mom” reunion that year, Mackenzie Edwards read a letter to Ryan Edwards’ ex-girlfriend, Maci Bookout, and blamed Bookout for not telling her about Edwards’ drug addiction.
“We made peace with it aka I decided to write this piece of crap letter to put the blame on Maci and confront her on TV because I was embarrased for my husband who ain’t s***. Stfu Macktruck,” one person wrote.
“If a man coerced a woman into marriage, especially if she was under the influence of drugs, people would be shouting from the rooftops. But when Mack does it, it’s just another day in the Edwards household,” another person wrote.
One of the most popular responses, with 90 upvotes, came from someone who supported Edwards. “I think this is an honest answer,” the commenter wrote. “I’m 38 and did a lot of questionable things when I was younger, looking back now. Even as a mother 29. Idk I think that response was valid. Doesn’t mean I like her but 🤷♀️.”
Edwards Said It Was Bookout’s Responsibility to Tell Her About Edwards’ Addiction
Mackenzie Edwards penned a letter to Bookout — while Ryan Edwards was in rehab — at the 2017 reunion. She claimed her husband could have died because Bookout neglected to tell her about his addiction to heroin.
“Maci, you told me to my face, merely days after I had informed you about Ryan seeking help, that you had known about his problem since November,” she read aloud from a pre-written letter.
“That was 186 days; 400,464 hours; and 267,840 minutes that he could’ve died, and still, you said nothing,” Edwards said. “You let everyone know that you feared for his life, while concurrently exploiting Ryan and his addiction on the show.”
“Helping Ryan doesn’t mean talking about all of his problems on national television,” she continued. “It means being supporting, not kicking someone when they’re down, and respecting the privacy that we all so graciously deserve.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can find help at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).