Maci Bookout is showing support for ex Ryan Edwards after his arrest — and learning he was on “suicide watch” — in the forthcoming installment of “Teen Mom: The Next Chapter.”
“When you got arrested this last time, they said that ‘he has been on suicide watch,’” Bookout, 31, tells Edwards, 35, in Pvnew’s exclusive preview of the pair’s first on-camera conversation in years.
“Then I was really worried,” she adds. “You need to talk to somebody about that.”
A visibly emotional Edwards then asks, “What do you even tell somebody?”
Bookout tells her former fiancé — with whom she shares 14-year-old son Bentley — that letting a therapist know he is “struggling” could be beneficial for his mental health.
“You’ve gone through all the s—t that I’ve gotta go through, though,” he says, expressing remorse for the way his actions have impacted Bookout and Bentley.
The mom of three — who also shares daughter Jayde, 8, and son Maverick, 7, with husband Taylor McKinney — makes it clear to Edwards that she and others would be devastated if he harmed himself in any way.
“It would be devastating to a lot of people if you weren’t here,” she says, causing Edwards to quietly tear up. “I’d rather you be a pain in my ass but be here than not.”
Bookout further encourages the father of three — who also shares two young kids, Jagger and Stella, with estranged wife Mackenzie Edwards — to check in with her when alarming thoughts creep in.
“Next time, just call me,” she says.
Elsewhere in the clip, Ryan tells Bookout about the Austin, Tx., treatment facility he was preparing to check into for his substance abuse issues. In March, a judge ordered him to go to rehab after he was arrested for numerous crimes involving Mackenzie, 26.
“I don’t even like myself when I get f—ked up,” he says in seeming gratitude for the court-ordered 45-day stay.
Ryan then asks Bookout if he should talk to Bentley about his upcoming rehab stint.
“I think he would like … having that conversation with you because I know he’s been worried about you,” she says.
“He can only imagine what all you’re going through … I think he feels like you’re alone and is like, ’That would suck.’”
Ryan later admits that he feels “anxious” due to his ongoing legal trouble.
“I’m anxious because you’ve either got court every day,” he says, “or you don’t know when police are going to knock on your door or some bulls—t.”
Ryan — who has a long-standing criminal record — was arrested in February after he allegedly posted revealing photos of Mackenzie on Instagram as retaliation.
Police booked him for an outstanding harassment charge after he allegedly sent hostile messages to his wife via a recorded phone call, which she interpreted “as a legitimate threat on her life.”
The authorities also found him at the time in possession of drug paraphernalia and two bags of suspected narcotics, which led to additional charges.
Ryan was subsequently sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in jail unless he went to rehab as part of a plea deal, according to court documents obtained by Pvnew in March.
He was also mandated to wear a GPS monitor, “successfully” complete treatment, have no contact with Mackenzie and not use social media in any capacity relating to her, per the agreement.
Ryan pleaded guilty to harassing Mackenzie, but he scored a minor legal victory as his possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of an order protection and stalking charges were dismissed. Mackenzie ultimately filed for divorce after six years of marriage.
During a recent interview on Pvnew’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast, Bookout revealed that she reached her “breaking point” when Ryan “made stupid decisions and stuff” that landed him behind bars.
“It was tough to navigate because it’s such a new journey for me and for Ryan and for Bentley and also for [my husband, McKinney],” she said.
“So it was a lot of checking in with him, Bentley, Ryan, checking in with myself because we’re all very fragile in this,” she elaborated. “Even still, it’s very new, it’s very uncharted territory.”
However, Bookout was happy to resume filming with Ryan — who had been fired from the “Teen Mom” franchise in 2021 — even if it was “awkward.”
“I think it was a little easier because we didn’t want to rip each other’s eyeballs out of each other’s faces for the first time ever,” she said with a laugh. “Maybe it was weird because we were actually getting along. That was the weird part!”
“Teen Mom: The Next Chapter” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
