Andrew Glennon and Amber Portwood are opening up about the results of their custody battle!
On Tuesday, an Indiana judge granted Andrew sole legal and physical custody of their 4-year-old son James, whom he shares with the Teen Mom star. He still has to “seek out and consider the mother’s opinion before making any major decisions relating to the child’s medical treatment, education and religion,” per court docs obtained by The Sun. But he was also granted permission to move to California.
The legal win comes after a three-year court battle following Amber’s 2019 domestic violence arrest. In the process, Andrew alleged that the reality star had abused drugs while she was pregnant with and caring for James.
So, given their complicated history and the lengthy legal battle, it’s not shocking to think the star’s ex is happy seeing as things turned out in his favor — but his statement on the matter is quite telling!! Speaking to E! News on Wednesday, the dad said short and sweet:
“We endured the nightmare. Now we get to live the dream.”
“Nightmare”? Yeesh!
That’s gotta sting for the MTV personality to hear! Amber, who is also mom to 13-year-old Leah with ex Gary Shirley, shared a longer message about her unfortunate turn of events with the outlet, insisting she did everything in her power to be “better” for herself and especially her kids. The 32-year-old expressed:
“ worked so hard to better myself and improve my relationships with my children.”
She went on to acknowledge her past issues with substance abuse, adding:
“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.”
Definitely true — but it will take time for her to earn back the trust she’s broken. Taking court-ordered drug tests for the next six months, which Andrew will also have to complete, will hopefully help her do that.
While she didn’t bash Andrew or the judge’s decision, it’s pretty clear she’s bummed by the way things concluded. She shared a word of advice for others struggling in life, saying:
“If your road has not been perfect, but you’ve worked hard to become a better, more stable and caring person today, keep moving forward as I will.”
While the 16 and Pregnant alum lost custody of her baby boy, she did earn a small victory. Since the legal battle began, James has been living with his dad in a house Amber owns in Indiana. She hasn’t been allowed overnight visits since her arrest — but that’s all about to change!
The So, You’re Crazy Too? author was granted monthly visits, including overnights. They’re going to be phased out gradually to make sure James adjusts to the new living arrangements. For the first visit, she’ll have to travel to Cali where James’ new permanent residence will be. The following month, he’ll come back to Indiana. As James gets older, the visitation rules will expand based on local guidelines. Also, once Amber’s no-contact order is up with Andrew (per her domestic violence incident which she completed 2.5 years of probation for in April), she will have access to James via phone calls and Facetimes. That’s much better than nothing!!
We have to say, she’s keeping her cool in light of this tough news!! It’s good to see. Hopefully, co-parenting goes smoothly for the former couple after this mess. Reactions?!
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