Teen Mom Stars Amber Portwood and Gary Shirley’s Daughter Leah Looks All Grown Up in Rare Photo-InfoExpress
The kids of Teen Mom stars are now teenagers themselves.
As Amber Portwood and Gary Shirley’s daughter, Leah Shirley, gets ready for a new school year, her proud dad shared a rare look at the 15-year-old on her first day of the 10th grade.
Posting the photo of Leah and his daughter Emilee Grace Shirley, whom he shares with wife Kristina Anderson, Gary wrote, “2 of the most beautiful girls love you both very much!”
For the sibling shot, Leah rocked high-waisted ripped jeans, a black top and a navy jacket. The teen went full glam with long wavy hair and chic clear glasses. Meanwhile, her 9-year-old sister sported a periwinkle blue dress and a big grin.
Amber, who is also mom to son James, 6, with her ex Andrew Glennon, does not have custody of either of her children amid her various legal struggles.
However, she has tried to maintain a relationship with Leah throughout her ups and downs, which included a stint in prison.
"We're working on our relationship and I'm being patient," Amber told MTV cameras in 2022. "Last year, my daughter asked for space and I'm doing my best to be present for her while respecting her boundaries."
However, things only got more uncomfortable during a June episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, when Gary invited Amber to a birthday dinner for Leah. After arriving late to the dinner, Amber lectured Leah on how being a teenager would change their dynamic.
"Do you know, actually, now at your age you're gonna need me more than ever," Amber told her daughter, "because you're about to get real crazy."
Amber later called out Leah, claiming that the teenager caused her to have negative responses.
"Your attitude," she said to Leah, before addressing the rest of the table. "When I'm around her, the worst of me comes—it's not the worst—it's the most sarcastic part of me."
The dinner ended with Leah bursting into tears and asking her fighting parents to "both stop please" before she left the gathering early.
Gary and Kristina have tried to keep Amber in the loop about Leah’s upbringing, allowing the reality star to visit with her daughter when Leah is comfortable. On the most recent season of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, Gary told his friends that Leah wanted to be adopted by his wife, Kristina.
“Trust me, the best thing that ever happened to Leah was Kristina," Gary told the fellow Teen Mom dads on a cast trip during a July 18 episode. "Kristina is a loving parent and Leah's wanting to be adopted by Kristina."