Amber Portwood is engaged to her boyfriend, Gary, Us Weekly can exclusively reveal.
A source close to Portwood tells Us that the proposal took place “within the last two weeks,” adding that Portwood’s engagement ring was crafted from “a family stone that was reset into a new ring.”
“She’s really, really happy,” the source adds.
The pair have already been working on building a solid foundation ahead of tying the knot. “They’ve been in couple’s therapy and talk about everything,” the insider says. “They’re being very proactive in their relationship and are doing the work to prevent problems before they start.”
Us broke the news in January that the Teen Mom star, 34, had a new man in her life. “She met him on a dating app four months ago. They are taking their time getting to know each other, but it’s getting serious,” a source shared at the time, adding that Gary lived locally in Portwood’s hometown of Indianapolis.
The insider divulged that Gary is in his late 30s and does not have children of his own, but he is “very family-oriented” as he cares for his parents.
Unlike Portwood’s exes, Gary had never watched Teen Mom before connecting with Portwood, which apparently allowed their romance to flourish more organically.
“All the guys Amber has dated before she met on social media and were fans of the show,” the source noted. “This new man in her life has actually never seen Teen Mom so she feels she can finally date in the way she’s always wanted to.”
Portwood’s personal life has been documented on reality TV ever since she first appeared on 16 and Pregnant in 2009. She later became a cast member on Teen Mom and Teen Mom OG from 2009 to 2021. She returned to the franchise for 2022’s Teen Mom: Family Reunion and 2023’s Teen Mom: The Next Chapter.
Portwood shares daughter Leah with ex Gary Shirley, whom she was with from 2008 to 2011, and son James with ex Andrew Glennon, whom she dated from 2017 to 2019.
Portwood welcomed Leah in November 2008. In 2011, Shirley was granted full custody of their daughter after a fight between the exes resulted in Portwood’s 2010 arrest. However, the insider told Us in January that the pair now coparent “amicably.”
After James’ birth in May 2018, Portwood and Glennon split following a 2019 altercation, and Glennon gained full custody of James in 2022. James now lives with Glennon in his native California. “It’s a hard situation,” the source said of the exes’ custody arrangement. “She does the best she can to navigate it.”
In 2022, Portwood reflected on her personal struggles after losing custody of James.
“I’ve worked so hard to better myself and improve my relationships with my children,” she told Us in a statement at the time. “While I’ve always been candid about my past substance abuse and struggles with mental illness, a person should have the chance to redeem themselves and not be tethered to their problems from the past.”
Portwood was previously engaged to Shirley during their relationship and to ex Matt Baier from 2015 to 2017, though she has never been married.
