For more than fifteen years, MTV audiences have watched Leah Shirley grow up. First introduced on 16 and Pregnant in 2009, her birth marked the beginning of her mother Amber Portwood’s rocky, highly publicized journey through reality television. Today, Leah is 16 herself—the exact age Amber was when she became a mother—but their relationship looks less like a typical mother-daughter bond and more like a total estrangement.

As captured on Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, the dynamic between Amber and Leah has shifted from messy co-parenting to rigid emotional boundaries.

Amber & Leah

@pookey_bear5

Looking back I'm outraged MTV gave this woman a platform. They should've pulled the plug on her the minute she was charged for DV. That is my personal opinion.

♬ green to blue（马驰骋 Remix） – 马驰骋