Teen Mom reunion host Dr. Drew Pinsky is defending his decision to interview Maci Bookout’s teenage son, Bentley Edwards, during the Teen Mom: The Next Chapter Season 1 reunion.
Dr. Drew has served as the co-host for the Teen Mom franchise reunions since 2010.
The silver-haired host, who is also a practicing physician, board certified in internal medicine and addiction medicine, interviews the moms at the end of every season of Teen Mom, reflecting on their segments and often delving into their off-air personal lives.
Season 1 of TMTNC saw a first during the reunion, as Maci’s 14-year-old son, Bentley, joined her and her husband, Taylor McKinney, on stage.
Dr. Drew asked Bentley about his strained relationship with his biological father, Ryan Edwards. Unfortunately, Bentley disclosed that he still doesn’t have much of a relationship with his dad.
Although Dr. Drew’s critics felt that Bentley shouldn’t have been on the stage at all, the MTV host says he got Maci’s permission before filming and stands by his decision to question Bentley.
Dr. Drew defends interrogating Maci Bookout’s son Bentley during Teen Mom: The Next Chapter reunion
Speaking with The Sun, Dr. Drew said, “I believed I’d ask Maci ahead of time if it would be okay to go there,” and added that he doesn’t regret interrogating Maci’s son.
“So, no, [no regrets],” he added. “Look, everyone agrees to be open. We all sort of talk about it, and we go out there, and these women very kindly share their lives with you.”
Dr. Drew acknowledged that it’s part of his job as the reunion host to get answers out of the moms, but he is aware there are limits to what he should and shouldn’t ask.
“It’s always difficult,” Dr. Drew continued. “I don’t want to violate somebody’s privacy issues, but if they’re defensive, it’s my job to kind of dismantle those defenses a little bit and kind of figure out what’s really behind that.”
Ryan Edwards’ relationship with son Bentley still strained
Sadly, it seems as though Ryan hasn’t been able to be the father to Bentley that Maci has hoped he would eventually work towards being. Maci recently shared with Page Six that she still harbors anger and hate regarding her co-parenting relationship with her ex, Ryan.
Despite her struggles, Maci has been working on herself over the past year in counseling and also with the Teen Mom Family Reunion therapist, Dr. Cheyenne Bryant, AKA Coach B.
Maci has worked to keep Bentley her main focus and to be a better mom and co-parent for his sake. As Teen Mom viewers have watched over the years, Ryan’s struggles with drug addiction have gotten in the way of him being more present in Bentley’s life.
One of the scariest moments during Ryan’s time on Teen Mom OG was when he drove to his and Mackenzie’s wedding while high. Ryan slurred his words and nodded off several times behind the wheel, forcing Mackenzie to startle him awake and take the wheel at times to avoid crashing. In August 2021, Ryan claimed to be three years sober, despite Maci’s suspicions that he had relapsed.
Ryan was fired by MTV in 2021, along with his entire family, including his parents, Jen and Larry, and his wife, Mackenzie. Since then, Ryan has remained out of the spotlight, living a private life in Tennessee with Mackenzie and their kids.
Teen Mom Family Reunion airs on Tuesdays at 8/7c on MTV.