Back in early October, just as the current season of Teen Mom OG was premiering, reports surfaced indicating that former Teen Mom OG star Ryan Edwards had checked back into a longterm rehab facility only weeks ahead of his son’s birth with wife Mackenzie.
Although the family has kept tight-lipped about Ryan’s sobriety status, that changed on the Monday, November 5 episode when it was confirmed that Ryan had returned to rehab after a relapse. Despite saying they had quit the show and would not be returning, the episode was the second of the season to feature Ryan’s wife Mackenzie who said “He has checked himself into a longterm…” when a producer, David, asked about Ryan’s whereabouts.
Ryan’s mother Jen further explained, “It’s called a 90-day intensive rehab facility. We can’t talk to him for seven days. They’re pretty strict. Two phone calls a week, 10 minutes [for each phone call].”
Edwards’ father, Larry, added that the reality star “just knew he needed to go.” “He picked the [rehab] place. He wants to do better, he wants to get better,” Larry explained.
Jen added, “It is a relapse or a slip, whatever they want to call it. I think that’s why he realized before it gets out of control he needs to get a hold on it.”
“It was about to spiral bad,” Standifer said. “Right before he left he said his kids deserve to have the healthiest dad. What better time to go than now?”
“If I did not love Ryan I would call him the most selfish a—— ever for missing this,” she said. “[But] if he’s going to miss [the baby] being born but be healthy forever, what more could I ask for?”
The family then explained that neither Ryan’s ex Maci or their son Bentley knew that Edwards was back in rehab, but promised they were going to talk to Bentley about it. “We are going to talk to him,” Jen said. “It makes me sad because he’s going to miss his dad. I’m not sure what Maci’s talked to him about or what he’s heard, but I haven’t told her that he’s back in rehab.”
“I want to talk to Bentley and explain to him: Just because you’re an addict doesn’t make you a bad person,” she continued. “I don’t really know how much to tell a 9½-year-old.” (Bentley was 9½ at the time of filming but turned 10 on Oct. 27.)
After Ryan checked himself into rehab in early October, Mackenzie gave birth to their son Jagger Ryan Edwards on October 9, 2018.
Teen Mom OG airs Mondays (9 p.m. ET) on MTV.