Teen Mom Fans Question Some of Ryan Edwards’ Choices

Teen Mom OG star Ryan Edwards was accused of having “questionable encounters with teenagers” on a viral Reddit thread. Ryan was 20 years old when 16-year-old ex-girlfriend Maci Bookout became pregnant with their son, Bentley. The Teen Mom subreddit reminded fans about the age gap and garnered more than 1,100 upvotes and more than 500 comments. It was one of the top posts on the forum on February 5.

“This was a grown-ass man who was still going to high school parties, hanging out with high schoolers, and having some very questionable encounters with teenagers,” the post started. “It’s clear that Ryan’s failure to launch, therefore, pre-dates Maci and is solely the fault of himself, Jen, and Larry.”

The post went on to blame Ryan’s parents, Jen and Larry Edwards, for spoiling him. “They clearly coddled him straight out of high school, because what parents are OK with their adult son sniffing around high school girls?” the post said. “Jen and Larry should have pushed him harder to grow up, Ryan should have sought friends and social activities with people his own age, and Maci never should have been in the picture.”

Reminder: Ryan Edwards was 20 years old when he knocked up a 16 year old Maci from TeenMomOGandTeenMom2

While most people harped on Ryan and his parents, some were curious what role Maci’s parents played. Most Teen Mom stars have their parents involved in the show, but Maci, now 29, rarely speaks about her mother and father.

Other fans noted that Ryan also has an age gap with his current wife, Mackenzie Standifer. Ryan is 33 and Mackenzie is 24. The couple said their “I dos” in 2017 during an elopement. They had an official ceremony at a later date, which Bentley and Maci were reportedly invited to.

Ryan’s Dad Claimed Maci Was a ‘Trigger’ for Him

Ryan has never exactly been a fan-favorite among Teen Mom viewers, but he and his family received a large backlash after Larry claimed that Maci was one of his son’s “triggers.” It’s possibly why Reddit users started discussing the age difference between him and Maci more than 12 years after her pregnancy.

Ryan has long struggled with substance abuse, been arrested several times and done multiple stints in rehab. In his quest to remain sober, his parents lamented they might have pushed him too hard to have a relationship with Bentley. Larry then mused that if Ryan needs to keep his space from Maci to stay healthy, then he would sacrifice his relationship with Bentley so Ryan could be well.

Larry, 60, said Maci was the “biggest trigger” and “he needs to separate from that.”

“I understand Ryan more now than I have ever understood him before about how important it is for him to focus on what he has and just get away from those triggers because we’ve been to the counseling,” Larry said on Teen Mom OG. “And the triggers are across the river.”

Bentley Feels ‘Neglected’ by Ryan

Season 9 of Teen Mom OG started with Bentley telling Maci he wanted to go to therapy with his father so they could work on his relationship. The counselor suggested Bentley do a few sessions by himself before bringing Ryan into the equation. After their first sit-down, the therapist told Maci and her husband, Taylor McKinney, that their son felt abandoned by his biological father.

“It does seem like there are some very real emotional needs Ryan isn’t meeting in Bentley,” the therapist said during a phone call. “He’s not going to give the attention and interest in his life that Bentley naturally needs and wants from his biological father.”

Bentley “seems to feel neglected by his father and he has a hard time knowing what to do about it,” he added.

To find out what happens next, don’t miss Teen Mom OG when it airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern time on MTV.

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