Ryan Edwards ‘Threatened’ Wife Mackenzie’s Life, Police Claim

MTV/Hamilton County Sheriff\'s Office Embattled "Teen Mom" star Ryan Edwards "threatened" Mackenzie Standifer's life, according to an arrest affidavit cited by The Sun and The Ashley's Reality Roundup.

Former “Teen Mom” star Ryan Edwards “threatened” the life of his estranged wife, Mackenzie Standifer, over the phone, police said in an arrest affidavit, cited by The Sun and The Ashley’s Reality Roundup. 

Standifer, 26, recorded the phone conversation and showed it to authorities, the affidavit said, per The Sun.

The officer transcribed the “most threatening part of the video,” and said Standifer “interpreted this as a legitimate threat on her life,” according to the court document obtained by The Sun. The call occurred days before Edwards, 35, was arrested, The Ashley reported.

The officer who wrote the affidavit said Edwards’ voice was “difficult to understand” and described the MTV star as sounding “hushed and raspy voice speak,” according to the court document cited by The Ashley.

“You better f****** lie to the dudes who come and ask you, they’re gonna come and ask you at work,” Edwards said, according to the arrest affidavit cited by The Sun.

Standifer was confused by Edwards’ statement and asked who was coming to her job, according to the arrest affidavit cited by The Sun.

“The people in the club I f****** joined Friday,” he said, per the arrest affidavit reported on by The Sun. “You know it’s a big no no to be married and have your wife disrespect you in that kind of way but I said I’d take the a** whooping because I didn’t want the outcome to be [unintelligible] for you, and that ain’t fair.”

She told police she answered the phone call because she and Edwards have two children together — 4-year-old Jagger and 3-year-old Stella — but she claimed that her estranged husband has a “history of domestic violence issues,” according to the police affidavit, which The Ashley cited in their report.

Stanfider — who has been married to the MTV star since 2017 — told Edwards she wasn’t interested in being with him anymore, according to the transcript The Sun reported on. “Yeah I hear you, but you… look… I guess you didn’t hear me. What’s about to happen to you is gonna be ugly,” Edwards said, per the arrest affidavit cited by The Sun.

Edwards was arrested on February 10, 2023, after authorities found out about an active warrant that was taken out against him by the Chatanooga police,  according to a press release issued by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Police also discovered he had violated an order of protection that was taken out against him by his wife the day before the arrest, the press release said. Police charged him with harassment, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a controlled substance, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.

Police said he was “in possession of drug paraphernalia and two bags of suspected narcotics,” per the press release.

Edwards’ court date is scheduled for March 30, The Ashley reported.

Edwards Was Likely in Possession of Cocaine and Heroin, Police Said

According to the arrest affidavit cited by The Sun and The Ashley’s Reality Roundup, Edwards was in likely possession of cocaine and heroin.

“I searched the inside of his wallet and located a glass pipe and two baggies of white powder,” the officer wrote in the court records, obtained by The Sun and The Ashley. “One baggie appeared to be very white, more consistent with cocaine, while the other appeared slightly darker, more consistent with heroin.”

“The combined weight was 1.8 grams,” the officer continued, according to the arrest affidavit cited by both media outlets. “This will be sent off for testing.”

Edwards has a history of drug abuse. An MTV camera filmed him losing consciousness while driving to his wedding with Standifer. She had to take control of the wheel from the passenger’s seat so they didn’t veer off the road.

Maci Bookout & Taylor McKinney Obtained Restraining Orders Against Edwards in 2018

Maci Bookout — the ex-girlfriend with whom Edwards shares a 14-year-old son, Bentley — and her husband, Taylor McKinney, obtained two-year restraining orders against the MTV star, E! News reported at the time.

Bookout claimed Edwards “left voicemail messages threatening to show up at my house and take my son, [Bentley],” according to court documents, cited by E! News. Edwards “has made threats to show up and hurt me if I don’t answer my phone.”

The “Teen Mom” star claimed Edwards showed up to one of Bentley’s baseball games while he was under the influence of heroin and got in her “face,” the court documents referenced by E! News said.

Bookout was afraid for herself and her children — Jayde Carter, 7, and Maverick, 6 — whom she shares with McKinney.

“I fear for my son’s safety because of these threats and proof that he drives while under the influence,” Bookout wrote in the official documents, according to E! News. “His behavior and actions are getting worse, I am fearful for my three children and myself, and what he may do, based on his threats.”

Mutual restraining orders were granted, but Edwards was still allowed to see Bentley during this time, per E! News.

Edwards Slammed Standifer on Social Media Before His Arrest

Before his arrest, Edwards slammed Standifer via Instagram on two occasions — on January 29 and February 9 — where he accused her of cheating and threatened to divorce her.

Edwards’ first diss was posted under a picture of himself and his wife at a concert.

“I’m not proud of being married to someone that stays out in bars and goes home with other guys,” Edwards wrote in a since-deleted post, according to a screenshot on Reddit. “Don u know what happens when you lay with dogs? …wait look at who I’m talking to. And then blaming it on my addiction. Yea divorce is the right thing.”

He then backtracked his allegations, telling The Sun the following day that he was “wrong” and Stanfider wasn’t “that kind of person.”

A little over a week later, Edwards shared a number of insults toward his wife via Instagram.

“If you guys have ever seen a spineless s*** this is one,” he wrote in a since-deleted caption, posted to Reddit. “They take your money. Sleep with anything that looks at them. But they must have a wife to. God what a joke. It’s sad really.”

Some fans might recall that Edwards has his own cheating scandal back in 2019, when Radar Online reported that Edwards hooked up with a woman on Tinder, just days before Standifer announced she was pregnant with their second child. Shortly after the dating app situation, Edwards was arrested on heroin-related charges.

Edwards has done multiple stints in rehab to get help for his addiction. As noted by People, Edwards missed the birth of his second son, Jagger, because he was in a treatment center.