Why did Maci Bookout attend ex-boyfriend Ryan Edwards' court hearing? Teen Mom alum explains reason

Teen Mom fans have seen former cast member Maci Bookout struggle with her relationship with ex-boyfriend Ryan Edwards for years. The latter was arrested in May on several charges, including possession of a controlled substance and a DUI, and was also sentenced to 11 months and 29 days for pleading guilty to harassing Mackenzie Edwards, his ex wife, who was also a part of the MTV franchise.

Maci Bookout shocked fans by attending Ryan’s court hearing on Wednesday, June 6. She told The Ashley that her appearance in the courtroom was as Bentley’s mother, and it was important for her to show up for her 14-year-old son whom she shares with Ryan.

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Teen Mom alum Maci Bookout filed a restraining order against Ryan in 2018

Teen Mom fans had a front-row seat to Maci and Ryan's relationship for over 10 years when they were together n the show. The two first appeared on TV in 2009 as part of 16 and Pregnant when Maci Bookout got pregnant while she was in high school.

While Maci Bookout gave birth to Bentley in 2008, the couple got engaged the year after. However, they broke up and started dating other people. While the two were no longer romantically involved, the duo remained in each other’s lives for Bentley, or so they tried.

Over the years, Maci expressed her disappointment with Ryan Edwards as she felt that she was co-parenting her son with his paternal grandparents instead of Ryan. Following this, she soon married Taylor McKinney in 2016, while Ryan married Mackenzie Edwards the year after. However, the estranged parents’ relationship grew more strained over time due to his absence in Bentley’s life as well as his repeated troubles with the law and drug use.

In 2018, Maci Bookout filed for a restraining order against him after he threatened her and her husband, McKinney. During an episode of Teen Mom OG, Maci revealed that her husband received a disturbing phone call from Ryan. At the time, McKinney said:

"He called me in a fit of rage, screaming, losing his mind, and tells me he’s going to show up over here and put a bullet in my head. He’s gonna come shoot up the house that not only our children live in but his son."

In March 2021, McKinney and Ryan almost got into an altercation about the latter's lack of presence in Bentley’s life. Almost two years after, Maci Bookout revealed that she was able to let go of some of her anger with the help of a life coach while filming Teen Mom: Family Reunion. However, in the following months, his treatment towards Mackenzie did not sit well with Maci.

While she didn’t openly comment on the situation when Ryan took to social media to accuse Mackenzie of cheating on him, she took to Instagram to share a post about narcissistic abuse. In April 2023, Ryan was arrested for a DUI and possession of a controlled substance. He had also violated his probation and left rehab early.

Teen Mom returned with The Next Chapter towards the end of 2022, the episodes of which are now available to stream on Parampunt+.