A lot happened during the season premiere of Teen Mom OG on Jan. 26, and according to Maci Bookout and Amber Portwood, there’s a lot more drama to come later this season. During an EXCLUSIVE interview with HollywoodLife, the ladies talked about their various struggles long-distance relationships, baby daddy drama, and why one of them ended up urinating on themselves. And yes, that moment will be featured in the show later this season!
HOLLYWOODLIFE: You’ve both been with the show since the beginning — how does it feel going into the show’s 9th season?
MACI BOOKOUT: Honestly, it feels normal until you really start to think about it, and then it feels insane.
AMBER PORTWOOD: Yeah, honestly, you look back and you think about what a journey it’s been, along with the things that I’ve shared, and then you sit there and, you know, you think about all the times that people [or the] media go against you for every single little thing that you do. That’s human though.
HOLLYWOODLIFE: What makes this season different than the ones that came before it?
MACI: I think for this season, and obviously, for the majority of people on this planet, for the first time, we’re all experiencing a global pandemic. So for people to see us going through exactly what they’re going through at the same time, I think will be very interesting and cool — not that the pandemic is cool, but I don’t know, it’s just more real this time. And filming the show was very real this time. So, in my opinion, I think this season will be much, much more authentic, similar to the first seasons of 16 & Pregnant or the early seasons of Teen Mom. And I think that’s going to be cool.
AMBER: It’s more so like a docu-series in a sense, which is probably the best thing ever. Because that just makes you feel more comfortable, more authentic, and viewers will see more of who we really are.
HOLLYWOODLIFE: Maci, you’ll be dealing with more drama involving Ryan, and as we saw in the season premiere, Ryan’s issues really seems to be affecting Bentley more as he gets older. How did you feel when Bentley served his dad an ultimatum and has much progressed since tonight’s episode was filmed?
MACI: I was proud of Bentley for being open and willing to share — even with me — how he was feeling about this, the whole situation with their relationship. And I’m also proud of him for being willing to go to therapy [on his own] to learn and get tools that he can use for life, and learn healthy ways to handle emotions and stuff like that. The journey that he is on, and he’s still on to this day, I’m just really excited for — even just to watch it back. And I think the audience is really going to appreciate this. And I’m super proud of him for being willing to talk about it on the show and talk about going to therapy. For a kid to be brave enough to share that is incredible.
HOLLYWOODLIFE: Amber, we also saw you struggling with a long-distance relationship during COVID in the premiere, as Dimitri started becoming a bit too possessive. What was the most difficult part of all of that for you?
AMBER: I think anytime someone’s going through a long-distance relationship, someone’s going to be a bit possessive or jealous or wondering what the other is always doing because, you know, they’re far away from you. But it was really hard for me because I wanted to focus on other things than dating. That was something that I just didn’t want in my life. I’ve had a lot of possessive people in my life, and I didn’t want that, however, Dimitri is a great guy. We still talk, and we still are dating in a sense — but it’s just been 11 months since I’ve seen him. This way, though, you just get to know somebody a little bit differently. It’s more mindful. It’s more soulful. I feel you can sense their energy [when virtually dating].
HOLLYWOODLIFE: What else can fans look forward to seeing this season?
MACI: I am excited for the audience to see me run the virtual 5K for PCOS Awareness Month and I actually peed on myself. That’s what happens when you try to run a 5K after three children. And hey, and I still finished it. I still finished it. I just poured my water all over me and kept going. Hey, it’s what happens, man. So many women are going to be like, thank you for sharing that. After having children, especially back-to-back, I can’t even jump on a trampoline. I’m going to have to start wearing Depends or something.
HOLLYWOODLIFE: Cast members have come and gone over the years — Chelsea Houska also recently decided to leave ‘Teen Mom 2 — so, how long do you think you’ll each continue with the show?
MACI: I think as long as we still feel like we’re helping people and doing [the show] for a good purpose, I see no reason to leave the show. But also taking into account how it’s affecting my children, my family, and things like that. Right now, I can’t foresee leaving the show as long as I feel it’s for a good purpose and we can continue to help people.
AMBER: This is a good platform that we have been given as a blessing in disguise that we never knew was going to happen. And, you know, one that was going keep on going. And as we get older and wiser because of certain situations, we’re able to help more people because of those things that we’ve gone through. I mean, that’s what really makes it all worth it. So there’s no reason to stop something unless, you know there’s an actual reason. And, you know, Chelsea Houska made her decision because that was her decision. And there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s nothing wrong with that decision just like when Bristol Palin left — there was nothing wrong with her decision. When she left, we were all like, ‘Okay, that’s her decision’, you know? We don’t judge. We’ve just been here for a long time, and we want everybody to know they’re welcome [when they join the show]. If you are a good person, you know, don’t come in hot. Just be a good person and share your story, help people out and make sure that people feel they can understand you and feel like they’re not alone. And try to use your platform for good and not just for yourself. You know, that’s what it is about — not just for yourself. This show is the beginning of a franchise. And now we get to use this platform to help. And we never knew that in the beginning. So yeah, as we get older, and become more educated we can educate others. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.
Want more? New episodes of Teen Mom OG air Tuesdays at 8pm on MTV.