Teen Mom Maci Bookout says she’s raised Bentley to ‘be an individual’ as Larry claims she ‘convinced’ him not to visit
MACI Bookout claims she is not keeping her 12-year-old son from his father and grandparents, despite their theory that she's "convinced" the pre-teen not to stay in touch.
Bentley's grandfather Larry Edwards spoke out in the first episode of Teen Mom OG's ninth season, explaining his thoughts on why he hasn't seen the child in a month.
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"Sometimes it's pretty easy to convince children or to bend their minds how you want them.
"I don't know what goes on over there. I have no idea," he shared on the reality show.
, 29, has since offered her own opinions on Larry's claim, speaking to yesterday to clear the air.
“I mean, obviously everyone is entitled to feel how they want to feel or [to] have their own opinion.
"But I think definitely throughout the season, the audience is going to be able to see Bentley and his growth and get to know a deeper side of him and how he feels,” the star expressed.
The reality star then countered Larry's statement, adding: “Honestly, if I’m going to respond, it would just be that, I have raised Bentley to be an individual, to be himself and it’s okay to feel however he feels.
"Honestly, I have not raised him to give anybody the ability or the power to influence him, not even me. So there’s that. Really nothing else to say," that she closed.
Bentley's father, Ryan Edwards, 33, was previously not allowed contact with Maci, due to a 2-year restraining order that was recently lifted in May of 2020.
Though the father now has the ability to contact his ex-fiancée, he also mentioned in the first episode that
A show producer asked the troubled father: "So you're technically allowed to reach out to Maci yourself, right?"
"Oh yeah, but I don't believe I will. Because she did an order of protection with about 30 lies last time," Ryan responded, slamming Maci for the restraining order.
"I don't feel the need to speak to her and bring some of that back into my life again," he added.
Larry, 60, then chimed in: "You know I never really thought about it like that, but it's kind of helped me to understand you and where you're at."
"I would love to see him all the time but you know she's always got some crisis and I'm just tired of it. I miss him too," Ryan admitted.
Bentley has also shown interest in attending therapy with his father, due to the constant strain that has been put on their relationship over the last several years.
In the teaser for the new season, Ryan shut down his son's request, and
"Bentley wanted to do counseling," he shared with his new wife Mackenzie.
The Tennessee native then scoffed at the ask, thinking aloud: "Is it all your mama's bulls**t?"
Despite the complaints coming from Ryan and his parents, Maci has assured fans that the decision has been Bentley's alone.
“I couldn’t tell you the last time the words ‘I want to see my dad’ came out of his mouth,” she disclosed to MTV producers.
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“He definitely wants to still see his brothers and sister but we spoke with Jen and Larry with Bentley, he told them he doesn’t want to see his dad anymore until he goes to therapy.
"They shared this with Ryan and it’s been three months. Nothing has happened. I wouldn’t expect anything else to happen.”