Teen Mom: The Next Chapter star Maci Bookout and ex Ryan Edwards are “in a pretty good place” amid his legal drama, she exclusively tells In Touch during a video interview.
“We’ve still been communicating. He calls pretty regularly,” Maci, 31, says of Ryan, 35, who was serving time in prison at the time of the interview conducted on July 11. He has since been released and is currently in an inpatient rehab facility, In Touch confirmed on July 14.
Maci adds that “there’s a lot going on,” though she and Ryan are “better than we have been in the past.”
The MTV personality credits their son Bentley, 14, for encouraging her and Ryan to fix their past problems. “After, you know, having some conversations and a few therapy sessions together, I realized that my Relationship with Ryan definitely influenced the relationship that Bentley and Ryan have together,” Maci explains, noting that she “just wanted to do my part in facilitating that.”
The mother of three – who also shares daughter Jayde and son Maverick with husband Taylor McKinney – also updates In Touch about how Ryan was doing behind bars. “He’s doing well. As good as he can be doing,” Maci says. “Nothing new really to report besides that.”
Ryan’s most recent legal troubles began when he was arrested on February 10 and charged with harassment and possession of a controlled substance after he violated an order of protection by his estranged wife, Mackenzie Edwards (née Standifer). He was later arrested on March 1 for stalking and violating an order of protection.
Most of Ryan’s charges stemming from his arrests were dropped during a March 14 court hearing. He was also ordered to complete six months in rehab after he was charged with possession of a controlled substance, which was later dismissed. The former reality star checked himself out of an Austin, Texas, rehab center after just two weeks of treatment and was arrested again on April 7 after he was found unresponsive in his truck.
The father of three was “removed from the vehicle and placed in [an ambulance], where he received Narcan and eventually regained consciousness,” according to an arrest affidavit obtained by In Touch.
He was sentenced to serve 11 months and 29 days in prison during an April 20 court hearing. After serving the first three months of his sentence, Judge Starnes announced that the 16 and Pregnant alum would be given a furlough to complete an inpatient rehab program, according to court records viewed by In Touch.
Ryan’s next court appearance is scheduled for August 14.
Fans have watched Maci and Ryan face several ups and downs over the years as they coparent Bentley. In September 2022, she exclusively told In Touch that she had “zero relationship with Ryan.”
Meanwhile, Maci has also had drama with Ryan’s parents, Jen and Larry Edwards. During the season 9 reunion special in April 2021, viewers saw Jen, 57, and Larry, 62, get into a heated argument with Maci and Taylor, 34, over visitation for Bentley.
However, the family members have since worked through their issues and now have a healthier dynamic. “It’s a genuine, cordial relationship,” Maci previously told In Touch about where they stand.
Season 2 of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter premieres on Wednesday, July 19, on MTV at 8 p.m. ET.