Ryan Edwards and wife Mackenzie Standifer have revealed they will not be returning to “Teen Mom OG” in the upcoming season. The news comes just 24 hours after it was confirmed that Bristol Palin had officially joined the cast according to The Ashley.
Ryan Edwards and Mackenzie Standifer stated that they were excluded from the popular MTV reality series for a couple of reasons, and one had something to do with Ryan’s ex and mom to son Bentley, Maci Bookout. Ryan and Mackenzie told E! during a new interview stated that MTV is writing them off the TV show. The couple explained that one of the reasons is that MTV producers and Maci Bookout are not ready to buy that Ryan Edwards is sober.
“We’re not returning to Teen Mom this season. The network told us they don’t want to show Ryan as a recovering addict,” Mackenzie told E! Online.
The site reportedly alleges that Maci Bookout refused to film Season 8 if Ryan Edwards would be returning. Ashley’s sources claim that Maci doesn’t want Ryan on the show this season because she didn’t want Bentley to watch his father’s struggles with addiction. So, according to the source Maci called a sitdown with the show’s producers telling them that she did not want Bentley to be able to watch his father kill himself with drugs, so if Ryan was allowed to continued to film, she was done filming,”
Forced with the decision, it appears that MTV sided with Maci Bookout on this one. The Bookout, MTV sitdown reportedly took place sometime last week and filming has since commenced sand Ryan Edwards and Mackenzie Standifer.
“They also want to take Maci’s word on how I’m doing,” Ryan said. “Maci’s said she’s not going to film unless I enter rehab again and quit the show. But I’m sober.”
This news tends to be a bit conflicting and confusing to “Teen Mom OG” fans. As previously reported, Ryan has been spending a lot of time with Bentley, nearly every weekend according to his father Larry Edwards. Larry spoke with Radar telling them that all was back to normal, his son is good and Ryan and Bentley are spending weekends together now? So, if Maci doesn’t buy that Ryan is sober, why would she allow him visitation?
Somewhere, someone has their facts confused on this one! Mackenzie Standifer also claims that after MTV told them they would not be returning to “Teen Mom OG” this season, they cut off the couple’s medical coverage.
“The show had been paying for my healthcare and for the baby so they could film the visits and then a week ago they let me know that would no longer be the case,” Mackenzie said.
The Ashley writes; MTV does not generally pay for any of the cast’s medical care since they are all considered independent contractors. If the network was, indeed, paying Mackenzie’s medical bills, that is very rare!
Ryan Edwards hit up his Instagram account for the first time in months to express his anger with MTV, and to proclaim his sobriety.
As previously reported, Mackenzie Standifer has returned sharing a new photo of her growing baby bump. The couple are expecting their first baby together this October, a son, who they will name Jaggar. Will you miss seeing Ryan Edwards and Mackenzie Standifer on “Teen Mom OG” this season?
Emma Taylor 
Sofia Bassett