Teen Mom OG star Amber Portwood has lost custody of her 4-year-old son James Glennon.
Amid a bitter custody battle with her ex, Andrew Glennon, a judge has ruled that James will be leaving the state of Indiana for California, where he’ll reside with his dad.
Amber and Andrew’s battle began in 2019 following her arrest for allegedly attacking him with a machete as he held James behind a locked door.
In court documents obtained by The Sun, the judge agreed to Andrew’s request, giving him sole legal and primary physical custody of James and allowing them to relocate to Malibu, California, where Andrew previously threatened to move with their son.
Since her arrest in 2019 for domestic battery, Amber has not had overnight visits with James. That will change, however, as the judge awarded the new custody arrangement, which will be “phased in incremental time frames” and will alternate between California and Amber’s current state of Indiana. The reason for phasing Amber’s time is to acclimate James to the new routine.
According to the new arrangement, Amber will receive three days of visitation, including her overnight stays, first in California, then in Indiana the following month when Andrew is scheduled to bring James back to Amber’s state.
Teen Mom OG star Amber Portwood loses custody of son James
Amber will be permitted five visitation days per month when phase two begins and an “undetermined amount of days set forth” for phase three. Per the arrangement, “mother will have parenting time pursuant to the Indiana parenting guidelines with distance as a major factor based upon the age of the child.”
Amber and Andrew must commit to monthly drug screens
Andrew isn’t completely off the hook in the new agreement, however. The judge has also ordered Andrew and Amber to undergo drug testing over the next six months. Additionally, Amber has been ordered “to participate in individual counseling with the counselor of her selection and follow any recommendations made by the counselor.”
Currently, there is a no-contact order in place between Andrew and Amber. However, once that order is lifted, the Teen Mom OG star will “be entitled to liberal telephone calls and/or FaceTime communication with the child.”
The heartbreaking news comes on the heels of Amber accusing Andrew of refusing to work while she pays his bills. Andrew and James have been living in Amber’s former Indiana home while she’s been renting nearby Airbnb properties and remaining financially responsible for the home she once shared with Andrew and James.
Teen Mom: The Next Chapter is currently in production and will premiere in the near future.