Maci Bookout Opens Up About Amber Portwood’s Arrest: ‘It Was A Shock’

Maci Bookout is opening up about Amber Portwood‘s July 2019 arrest and admitted it was a “shock.”

The Teen Mom OG star was arrested for domestic battery last summer after she allegedly attacked Andrew Glennon while he held their young son.

“It was a shock for everybody, but those are the times when us girls wish we lived closer to each other so we could get in the car and head over to each other’s house,” Maci told Pop Culture.

Amber lives in Indiana and her co-stars are scattered across the country. Despite their geographical separation, however, all the women were able to come together for Amber during that time. Maci traveled from Tennessee, Catelynn Lowell from Michigan, and Cheyenne Floyd from California. The three women met up in Indiana to be there for Amber during her court hearing last year.

“The whole situation was definitely tough,” Maci added, talking about Amber’s arrest.

MTV cameras were there for the trip, too capturing the moments that the cast was able to reunite.

Fans have the opportunity to watch the whole thing play out on the new season of Teen Mom OG, including the cast members’ trip to Indiana to support Amber.

On the most recent episode of the show — which aired last week — Maci spoke to her husband, Taylor McKinney, about Amber’s arrest and admitted she felt “helpless.” Although she just desired to help her friend, the mom of three came under harsh criticism from fans who were upset to see Maci supporting Amber. However, according to Pop Culture, Maci decided to protect herself from the harsh criticism and not read what fans posted, something she has been doing for years.

“I never read any of it. I kind of made a pact with myself way back when right after 16 and Pregnant aired, and that was before social media was anything close to what it is today. Don’t Google yourself and don’t read the comments.”

Like Maci, Amber has distanced herself from the online negativity. Late last year, Amber announced she was leaving Instagram for a while to protect her mental health. She only recently returned to the social networking site, posting a new selfie for her fans and letting them know she was “sending love” to them.

The fallout from Amber’s arrest continues to play out on the new season of Teen Mom OG, as fans continue to see her co-stars’ support and reactions.