Amber Portwood says she was set up to fail after she received and took a plea deal in the domestic abuse case she is involved in. The abuse case was the result of an incident that took place on July 5, 2019.
As Mamas Uncut previously reported, the 29-year-old was arrested after she reportedly attacked her then-boyfriend and the father of her son, Andrew Glennon, while Glennon was still holding their baby boy. As a result of the attack, Portwood was charged with domestic battery, criminal recklessness committed with a deadly weapon, and domestic battery committed in the presence of a child less than 16 years old.
Amber Portwood Believes She ‘Was Set Up for Failure’
Portwood is also the mom to her 11-year-old daughter, Leah, who she shares with her ex, Gary Shirley. While the plea hearing took place in October 2019, People reports that fans are just now getting a glimpse at how Portwood handled everything during the most recent episode of MTV’s Teen Mom OG.
Prior to going into the courtroom, Portwood told one of the show’s producers, “I just want it done. I’m so adamant on, ‘Please, just get this done.’ None of this is a victory. This has all been hell.”
In the same episode, a portion of the statement Glennon made in court was also heard, according to People. “That night was one of the scariest nights of my life and my mind replays the moments to no end,” the father recalled. “When I begged you to please stop shouting in front of our infant and your reply was, ‘It doesn’t matter, he’s just a baby.’ Be a mother for once in your life.”
And while Portwood was ultimately granted the plea deal, if she breaks her probation, she could find herself facing a five-year prison sentence, Shirley told MTV’s cameras. Shirley says he believes Glennon’s statement was an attempt to “bait” Portwood into losing her cool on him.
“If she breaks her probation she will do the full five years, she’ll get hit with a felony,” Shirley said. “At that point, he wins custody, [and] whatever child support. Think about that, five years in prison guarantees him almost everything and that’s what he’s trying to do.”
As People reports, part of the plea deal meant Portwood would have to take parenting and anger management classes. She’s also not allowed to share her side of the story publicly, and that, she told Shirley, hurts and annoys her.
“You give somebody 2 ½ years probation but you also say you can’t do a certain thing for 2 ½ years as if you’re ‘possibly’ not going to slip up,” Portwood continued telling Shirley. “I kinda feel like you’re setting that person up for failure. I feel like I was set up for failure as if they wanted me to go to jail.”
It remains unclear how often she’s allowed to see her son and daughter after taking the plea deal.