Leah Shirley opened up to her father on the most recent episode of Teen Mom OG and her words left many fans in tears.
Leah has had a tough time building a relationship with her mother, Amber Portwood, and now that she is older, the impact of her mother’s absence in her life has been felt on a much deeper level.
Leah shared that she wasn’t comfortable spending time with Amber unless it was in small segments of time. She told Gary she would like to start small and eventually build up to things such as sleepovers, but that wasn’t something she was comfortable doing as of right now.
In a previous episode, Leah shared that she felt neglected by Amber, who has often put her relationships with other men before her daughter. Leah has also dealt with her mother’s absence as she served time in prison.
Leah said to Gary, “Being a mom isn’t just ‘I gave birth to this child, I’m a mom'”
She shared that since she was young, her memories of a mother involve Gary’s wife Kristina, who has nurtured her and cared for her in her mother’s absence. She felt that Kristina had been there more for her than Amber had.
Immediately following the episode, fans took to Twitter to share how difficult it was to hear Leah open up about her feelings.
Viewers are heartbroken after hearing Leah’s conversation with Gary
Leah’s conversation with Gary struck a chord in the hearts of many Teen Mom OG viewers. Several were left in tears and were heartbroken for Leah after hearing her perspective.
A Teen Mom OG Twitter account noted how heartbreaking it was to hear Leah talk about her feelings and how badly they felt for her.
A fan agreed that it was heartbreaking to watch but they also hoped the family was attending therapy to help work through some of the issues between Leah and Amber.
Other fans were impressed with the way Leah expressed herself and hoped that Amber would take her daughter’s words to heart. They also praised Gary and Kristina for the way they have supported Leah through everything.
Amber continues to lash out at Gary and Kristina
While many fans have praised Gary and Kristina’s parenting, Amber has continued to lash out at them through social media.
She’s accused Kristina of using Leah to fill a void since she doesn’t get time with her own daughter. Amber has also accused Gary and Kristina of lying about the entire situation and making her look bad.
As Amber has continued to take to social media to bash Gary and Kristina, neither of them have reacted to her rants.
Kristina made a post on Easter referencing “difficult people” that made fans wonder if it was a subtle reference to Amber.
Regardless of Amber’s angry social media tirades, Gary and Kristina continue to support Leah.
Leah continues to process her feelings as her strained relationship with Amber continues to take it’s toll.
Teen Mom OG airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on MTV.