Teen Mom’s Amber Portwood is getting some surprise support from her ex Andrew Glennon after Gary Shirley alleged she has not paid child support for years.
“My reaction was that it was not true,” Glennon, 40, exclusively told Us Weekly on Friday, December 13. “I regularly witnessed Amber paying throughout our relationship. Oftentimes, I would go with her to hand deliver the funds.”
Glennon and Portwood, 34, started dating in 2017 after meeting on Marriage Boot Camp Reality Stars: Family Edition. (She was a cast member while Glennon worked in production.)
The couple welcomed a son, James, in May 2018 before breaking up one year later. Although the pair faced legal battles during their public split, Glennon said he’s in a much better place with Portwood today.
“Our communication has improved dramatically,” he told Us. “We are able to be on the same page for the sake of our son. [James and Amber] are in constant communication, daily Facetiming and lots of calls.”
Although Glennon continues to keep James away from reality TV because “he deserves his privacy,” a source previously told Us that Teen Mom: The Next Chapter is filming a new season.
The insider noted cameras have captured Portwood and Shirley, 38, not seeing eye-to-eye when it comes to child support over their 15-year-old daughter Leah.
“He’s claiming that Amber has not paid child support for years and he may want to take her to court for back payments,” a source told Us in November. “Because their relationship was so long ago, Gary and Amber never set up formal protocols for payments.”
A source close to Portwood, however, said she has been paying child support.
“Amber has given him cashier’s checks and cash over the years every time she was supposed to. She has some receipts,” the insider explained to Us. “She’s been open with her struggles, and it’s devastating this is happening with the father of her child.”
Fans met Shirley and Portwood during MTV’s 16 and Pregnant. Cameras rolled as the couple welcomed their daughter Leah in 2008. After the couple broke up in 2010, Shirley eventually became the primary parent with Leah living with him the majority of the time.
From Glennon’s perspective, Portwood is a “loving, caring and present” mom. As a result, he wanted to come to his ex’s defense as she deals with the on-camera allegations.
“Normally I wouldn’t get involved in these types of matters as I like living a private life,” Glennon told Us, “but it felt like the right thing to do since I witnessed Amber paying him large amounts of money numerous times, specifically for child support.”
Us has reached out to Shirley for comment. MTV has yet to officially announce a new season of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter.
With reporting by Andrea Simpson
