Believe It or Not, 'Teen Mom OG' Star Amber Portwood Is a Convicted Felon

It’s been more than a decade since we first met the original cast of Teen Mom OG, and a lot has changed for them since their television debut. Their transition from adolescence to adulthood has been an emotional rollercoaster, to say the least, and this is especially true for Amber Portwood and her ex-boyfriend Gary Shirley.

Although the two seemed to have a promising future, Amber’s behavior became increasingly violent, which led viewers to be concerned about their daughter, Leah. Gary and Amber’s relationship ultimately came to an abrupt end after a domestic dispute that led to years of legal trouble for the reality star. But how long was Amber Portwood in prison?

Viewers were alarmed when MTV aired footage of Amber verbally and physically assaulting Gary, which prompted an investigation by Child Protective Services. Upon searching Amber’s home, the Anderson Police Department discovered crack cocaine and marijuana. Soon after, she was charged and pleaded guilty to two felony counts of domestic battery.

A judge gave Amber a suspended sentence of two years in addition to two years parole, but her legal troubles didn’t end there. After her third and final parole violation, Amber was sentenced to five years in prison, but after 17 months, she was released for good behavior in December of 2013.

Following her release, Amber spoke to In Touch about her time in prison, which she described as “a nightmare.” She shared, “Before prison, I never thought about Leah. I was addicted to drugs and didn’t care about anything else. Prison saved my life — and gave me a second chance at being a mother.”

Since then, Amber has managed to stay out of trouble — with the exception of her 2019 arrest after a heated altercation with her son’s father, Andrew Glennon.

On July 5 of 2019, Indiana police apprehended Amber after Andrew accused her of hitting him and using a machete to break into the room where he was hiding with their son, James. Andrew also claimed that Amber threatened to overdose on prescription medication. Following her arrest, Andrew obtained a no-contact order against her.

Although Amber maintains her innocence, she later pleaded guilty to two counts of domestic battery and intimidation and was sentenced to 906 days of probation and 26 weeks of parenting classes. If Amber violates the terms of her probation, she could face up to five years in prison.

Today, Amber and Andrew are embroiled in an ongoing legal battle for full custody of their son, and recent episodes of Teen Mom OG prove that her relationship with her daughter is also on the rocks.

While the reality star is still working to get her life back on track, according to Amber, who recently enrolled in college to pursue a degree in psychology, there’s no chance we’ll ever see her behind bars again.

You can see Amber on new episodes of Teen Mom OG Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on MTV.