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Teen Mom's Maci Bookout Shares Update on Co-Parenting Relationship With Ex Ryan Edwards

In an interview with E! News, Teen Mom star Maci Bookout McKinney reflects on her own role in her son's relationship with his dad, her ex, Ryan Edwards.

By Mike Vulpo, Corinne Heller Dec 28, 2022 6:50 PMTags
Watch: Maci Bookout on Returning to Teen Mom: Family Reunion

Maci Bookout McKinney is putting her past drama with Ryan Edwards aside for the sake of their son.

The Teen Mom star is working on co-parenting Bentley, 14, with her ex following years of conflict. And her journey is documented on the upcoming second season of Teen Mom Family Reunion.

Maci now hopes to "play a better role, a more positive role, a more supportive role in the relationship that Ryan and Bentley want to have, moving forward," she told E! News exclusively, adding, "For a long time, I didn't really understand how I played a part in it."

She continued, "It's like, Bentley has a phone. If he's not calling or texting Bentley, what does that have to do with me? But on a much bigger scale, I do play a large role in it."

E! News has reached out to Ryan for comment and has not heard back.

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In a rare appearance on the Dec. 20 reunion episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, Bentley shared that he does not see his father very much. And when asked if Ryan was in his son's life, Maci's husband Taylor McKinney noted that the teen's dad "comes over sometimes to Jen and Larry's," referring to his parents.

Instagram / Maci Bookout McKinney

Maci, who also shares daughter Jayde, 7, and son Maverick, 6, with Taylor, enlisted the help of life coach Dr. Cheyenne Bryant to improve her relationship with Ryan, with whom she split in 2010.

"I just wanted to work on myself and I finally got to a place where I felt confident and comfortable in moving forward in the attempt to try to better co-parent or be more supportive of their relationship," the reality star said. "Me and Coach B, we just went to work on that."

Maci continued, "I'm really proud of myself because it was not easy. We're still taking steps in the right direction, but I think just maintaining the natural progression and not forcing things is the way to go, and that's what we're doing right now."

The TV personality added she spent much time and work on "figuring out what needs to be worked through and what's not worth spending time and energy on."

"Also, just figuring out, how can I keep my boundaries, support Bentley's boundaries," she continued, "while not just shutting down completely, emotionally?"

Teen Mom Family Reunion season two premieres Jan. 3. on MTV.

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