‘Teen Mom OG’ spoilers find that more than one shot has been fired over the years in the contentious co-parenting relationship of Maci Bookout McKinney and her ex, Ryan Edwards (33).
The latest feud seems to be more revolving around 30-year-old Maci and the 24-year-old wife of Ryan, Mackenzie Standifer Edwards. Recently Mackenzie has accused Maci of exploiting her children on the MTV reality series, Teen Mom, and though Maci co-parents 12-year-old Bentley with Mackenzie and Ryan, she has very little desire to make peace with either of them.
‘Teen Mom OG’: Maci Bookout Puts Making Peace With Mackenzie Standifer ‘Last On The Priority List’
Both Maci and Ryan were introduced to MTV audiences back in 2009 when they appeared on the very first episode of 16 and Pregnant. Shortly after Bentley was born, Maci and Ryan broke up, however, Maci remained close to Ryan’s parents, Jen and Larry Edwards, who were like surrogate parents to the young mom.
Things look very different now, with Maci and husband Taylor McKinney owning the fact that they were part of the reason why the entire Edwards clan was fired from Teen Mom. Recently Maci admitted that she has not spoken to Jen and Larry since the explosive Teen Mom OG Season 9 reunion where accusations were hurled from both sides.
“We haven’t really had any communication between them and us,” the reality star has revealed. “I don’t know if that will change. … It just hasn’t really come up. There’s not really been an opportunity or a necessity for us to have a conversation or mend things or anything like that.”
During the contentious reunion, which aired in April, host Dr. Drew Pinsky asked Larry if he believed the comments he’d made throughout season 9 about Maci and Taylor manipulating Bentley into not wanting to spend time with his father or paternal grandparents.
The accusations shocked Maci and Taylor.
“Watching this show and kind of hearing and seeing how they were feeling, it was kind of shocking to me,” Maci explained to US magazine ahead of the Teen Mom OG season 10 premiere.
After Larry confirmed his feelings about Maci’s manipulation, Maci’s husband turned the tables on the Edwards’, accused them of making Bentley feel “guilty” about his subpar relationship with his dad.
“Ryan has never been there for him, but y’all put it on Bentley!” he exploded during the reunion show.
While neither Maci, Taylor, Jen, or Larry have taken any steps to repair the fractures, Maci did admit that Mackenzie has reached out to her by text. Twice.
While Mackenzie hoped to arrange a sit down with Maci—once in March and once more very recently, Maci says she has chosen not to respond due to past drama, which was on full display throughout the MTV reality series.
“I feel like if I’m going to put in the effort and the work to mend my relationships with [the Edwards family], she would not be where I start,” the 16 & Pregnant alum explained.
Maci defended her statement by saying, “I’m truly not being ugly,” and further explained that Mackenzie is “not really someone I wanna hang out with.”
It seems Maci may be on to something as Mackenzie has since spoken to UK tabloid, The Sun, further claiming that she believes Maci is taking advantage of Bentley, along with her other children with Taylor, 6-year-old Jayde and 5-year-old Maverick.
‘Teen Mom OG’: Maci Bookout Puts Making Peace With Mackenzie Standifer ‘Last On The Priority List’
Speaking with The Sun, Mackenzie attested that she would never return to Teen Mom (which is likely no issue seeing as all the Edwards’ were fired). She then accused Maci of exploiting her kids for money by allowing her children’s (especially tween, Bentley’s) most private moments to be filmed in order to boost Teen Mom OG ratings and earn her place on the MTV show.
“I don’t think it’s OK to use stuff that Bentley has got going on emotionally for a dollar,” Mackenzie continued.
Mackenzie spoke to In Touch shortly after The Sun interview came out and alleged she was misquoted. Mackenzie clarified that her comment was about the show itself, exploiting all the children on the reality series and using “everyone’s very real emotional distress as a way for them to make a buck”.
Throughout season 9, fans watched Taylor and Maci sit down with Bentley for a birds and bees conversation, which anyone can remember is mortifying enough in the luxury of privacy.
Recently, Teen Mom 2 star Chelsea Houska DeBoer left the show, citing it was time, mainly for her 11 year old daughter Aubree. Chelsea didn’t want Aubree to feel like she couldn’t open up to her mother, in fear of the moment being televised to the world.
When it comes to Bentley’s reaction to appearing on the show, Maci said, “He usually watches [Teem Mom OG] with me before it actually airs and that’s just because he likes to be prepared for any questions or anything that he might get at school. Because apparently, middle school girls love to watch Teen Mom.”
Other than that, Maci claims her son is unfazed.
Though Mackenzie clarified that her comments about exploitation weren’t aimed specifically at just Maci, she did have some choice words about the Bookout McKinneys.
“Maci and Taylor are very aggressive people,” Mackenzie alleged but claims that MTV gives them the good edit, and Mackenzie and husband, Ryan, the villain edit.
Lashing out at the Teen Mom OG production staff, she claimed, “The people who run the show hide stuff from you, so you just don’t really know what’s going on. They take stuff out of context and make you look like an a–hole when you were just trying to answer a basic question, not about somebody else.”
Welp, Mackenzie, you don’t have to worry about being taken out of context anymore- especially if you stop giving interviews with tabloids!
Maci, Bentley and the rest of her family (but none of the Edwards’) will appear on season 10 of Teen Mom OG, premiering on MTV on September 7 at 8ET.
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