Maci Bookout says she reached her “breaking point” as her ex Ryan Edwards’ arrest and subsequent rehab struggles played out in the public eye this year.
“Obviously, when things first went down with Ryan and him having to go to jail and making stupid decisions and stuff, I definitely had a breaking point then,” the “Teen Mom: The Next Chapter” star explains on Pvnew’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast.
“But I think the [therapy] I had done previously … and just making sure that I check in with myself and that I give myself grace and that I let myself … fall apart and then pick myself back up is a game changer.”
The former couple, who made their reality debut on “16 & Pregnant” in 2009, has faced a series of obstacles over the past decade-plus — including a broken engagement, Edwards’ seeming disinterest in fatherhood and his eventual battle with addiction.
In March, a judge ordered Edwards to get help for his substance abuse issues after he was arrested for numerous crimes involving his now-estranged wife, Mackenzie Edwards.
Mackenzie, 26 — who shares two young kids, Jagger and Stella, with Ryan — became fed up with all of the drama and ultimately filed for divorce after six years of marriage.
Amid the turmoil, Bookout began attending Al-Anon meetings, meant for those who have friends, family members or loved ones grappling with addiction.
“Al-Anon, too, really helps a lot,” she tells us, adding that she wishes she “would’ve started earlier” when “Teen Mom” reunion host Dr. Drew Pinsky advised her to take part “like, 50,000 times” over the years.
“It’s just a lot of patience and grace and you really have to know yourself and trust yourself to show up and to give yourself permission almost to lose it every now and then.”
The forthcoming season of “Teen Mom: The Next Chapter” begins with Bookout facilitating a one-on-one dinner with Ryan and their 14-year-old son, Bentley — before the 35-year-old found himself in trouble with the law.
“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, Taylor McKinney],” says the mom of three, who shares daughter Jayne, 8, and son Maverick, 7, with McKinney, 34.
“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 elaborates. “Even still, it’s very new, it’s very uncharted territory.”
Bookout notes that filming the latest “Teen Mom” installment with Ryan — who had been fired from the franchise in 2021 — felt “bizarre” as they hadn’t sat down for an on-camera discussion, save for reunions, in quite some time.
“I don’t even remember the last time we had done that, so that was weird. It was very weird. I was like, ‘This is awkward,’” she recalls with a laugh.
“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,” Bookout continues. “Maybe it was weird because we were actually getting along. That was the weird part!”
“Teen Mom: The Next Chapter” returns to MTV Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.
