Amber Portwood is keeping her head up after she lost custody of her 4-year-old son James after a three-year court battle with his father Andrew Glennon. An Indiana judge granted the Teen Mom OG star’s ex sole legal and physical custody of their son and is allowing James to be moved to California from Indiana, where he will reside with Andrew at his family’s Malibu estate, according to documents obtained by The Sun. Shortly after the news broke, Amber went on Instagram Live to tell her fans she is staying “positive” and will “fight this,” per Page Six. HollywoodLife has reached out to Amber’s reps for comment.
In addition to the custody and relocation ruling, the judge requested that Andrew “seek out and consider the mother’s opinion before making any major decisions relating to the child’s medical treatment, education and religion,” per the outlet. The court battle, which began in 2019 after Amber was arrested for domestic battery against Andrew, concluded with Amber receiving overnight visitation rights that will be set in motion through phases to allow James to adjust to the new scheduling.
Amber’s tumultuous relationships with her former beaus and children — she also shares 13-year-old daughter Leah with ex Gary Shirley — has played out on MTV’s Teen Mom franchise for years. At the finale of Teen Mom: Family Reunion in March, Amber said she’ll “never give up” on repairing her fractured status with Leah, who now lives with Gary and his wife. Months earlier, after storming off the Teen Mom OG reunion set during a fight with Gary over Leah seeking therapy, Amber insisted she is in a good place with her daughter.
The reality star also revealed she has been open about her mental health struggles and substance use disorder with Leah. “She’s been asking questions. I’ve always told her the truth, as much as I could for her age,” Amber explained on the reunion. “As she’s gotten older, she’s learned more. With her age right now, she’s kind of like, ‘Well, I don’t like that attitude or behavior. I’m not like that.’ I think she has every right to be mad at me for a lot of things. I let her feel her emotions and I understand that.”