MTV "Teen Mom" star Ryan. Edwards gets emotional when talking about the relationship he has with his son, Bentley.
Ryan Edwards got choked up during his appearance on “The Aftermath,” the tell-all special for season 2 of “Teen Mom: Family Reunion,” which aired on February 21. Edwards was asked about his relationship with his 14-year-old son, Bentley, and both he and his ex-girlfriend — Maci Bookout — found it difficult to hold back their tears.
Edwards and Bookout welcomed Bentley together in October 2008 but ended their brief engagement when their son was a baby. Since then, they have found it difficult to navigate their co-parenting relationship, with Edwards struggling to remain sober.
Edwards, 35, admitted to Dr. Cheyenne Bryant, the life coach who hosted season 2 of “Family Reunion, that he regretted missing out on important events in Bentley’s life.
“I mean there was a lot of times I wasn’t there just to see him play ball, just putting myself first,” he said. Tears began to stream down Edwards’ face, and Bookout — who was sitting on the couch with Edwards — was also unable to contain her emotions.
The camera then panned to Edwards’ mother, Jen, who was standing to the side of the stage. She, too, was wiping tears away with a tissue.
Bryant — who asked Edwards if it would be OK with him for her to sit on the couch next to him — wanted to know what his “vision of a healthy co-parenting relationship with Maci” looked like, and “would give Bentley the best experience of both his two parents.”
He said that he wants Bookout “to be okay with just being able to see him”. Edwards added about Bentley, “Hell, I haven’t got to spend any time with him just me in a long time.”
“Hell, I just miss him,” he added.
“What part of the relationship is your heart saying you miss with Bentley?” Bryant asked.
“Just raising him,” Edwards answered.
Bryant asked Edwards if he “would be able to commit more” time to the relationship, and he said, “yeah.”
The “Aftermath” segment was filmed before Edwards was arrested on February 10. He was charged with harassment, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance after authorities uncovered an active warrant that was issued by the Chattanooga police, according to a press release published by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
Edwards has been fighting with his wife, Mackenzie Standifer, whom he accused of cheating and threatened to divorce. He posted a revealing photo of his wife to Instagram, which prompted Standifer to go to authorities.
After Standifer’s complaint, Edwards was arrested on an outstanding harassment warrant issued on February 8, according to the sheriff’s office.
Edwards and Standifer have been married since 2017 and they have two children together: 4-year-old Jagger and 3-year-old Stella.
Edwards has publicly struggled with an addiction to heroin after an MTV camera caught him nodding off while driving to his wedding in 2017.
Bryant Said Edwards’ Relapse Has Been Hard For Bentley
Bryant was surprised to hear that Edwards had relapsed.
“It’s a really tough situation. It’s extremely heartbreaking and tough for Bentley, because he is the one that’s being directly affected,” Bryant told The Ashley’s Reality Roundup.
“[Ryan] was working, he was doing better than he had done in the past. He was communicating with Bentley more,” Bryant told The Ashley, referring to the time between the “Aftermath” was filmed and when his arrest occurred on February 10.
Bryant told the publication Edwards and Bentley were “having one-on-one” father and son time. “Their relationship was actually starting to become a little more substance-based than it had been before,” she told The Ashley.
Bentley was encouraged about the state of his relationship with his father and “enjoying the newness of having more contact and spending more time with his dad,” Bryant told The Ashley. “He had even learned some new things about [Ryan] that were really enlightening for Bentley.”
Bookout Was Working on ‘Releasing’ the Anger She Has Toward Edwards
Before his arrest — and possible relapse — Bookout worked with Bryant during season 2 of “Teen Mom: Family Reunion” to let go of some of the negative emotions she was holding about her ex.
“I want to let go of the anger I have towards Ryan,” Bookout told Bryant on the January 31 episode. “But I don’t feel like I’m angry for myself. I feel like I’m angry for Bentley so I’m not sure I can bury that.”
Bookout said there were times where Bentley wanted to give up on her father, and she had remorse over not picking a better father for her son. “I feel like because of my choice in relationships, it just hurts everybody,” Bookout said during the episode. “Everybody that loves me hurts because of it.”
While promoting the new season, Bookout said she was working on changing her attitude.
“I hope to play a better role, a more positive role, a more supportive role in the relationship that Ryan and Bentley want to have, moving forward,” she told E! News in December. “For a long time, I didn’t really understand how I played a part in it.”
The “Teen Mom” star was happy with the progress she had made.
“I’m really proud of myself because it was not easy,” Bookout told E! News. “We’re still taking steps in the right direction, but I think just maintaining the natural progression and not forcing things is the way to go, and that’s what we’re doing right now.”
Bookout hasn’t issued a direct public statement since Edwards’ arrest. Though she did post some vague messages.