Teen Mom’s Amber Portwood & Maci Bookout Tease Show’s ‘Authentic’ New Season: I ‘Peed On Myself’
Season 9 of ‘Teen Mom OG’ is so ‘authentic’ that someone literally gets ‘peed on’. And no, we’re not joking.
A lot happened during the season premiere of Teen Mom OG on Jan. 26, and according to Maci Bookout and Amber Portwood, there’s a lot more drama to come later this season. During an EXCLUSIVE interview with HollywoodLife, the ladies talked about their various struggles long-distance relationships, baby daddy drama, and why one of them ended up urinating on themselves. And yes, that moment will be featured in the show later this season!
HOLLYWOODLIFE: You’ve both been with the show since the beginning — how does it feel going into the show’s 9th season?
MACI BOOKOUT: Honestly, it feels normal until you really start to think about it, and then it feels insane.
AMBER PORTWOOD: Yeah, honestly, you look back and you think about what a journey it’s been, along with the things that I’ve shared, and then you sit there and, you know, you think about all the times that people [or the] media go against you for every single little thing that you do. That’s human though.
HOLLYWOODLIFE: What makes this season different than the ones that came before it?
MACI: I think for this season, and obviously, for the majority of people on this planet, for the first time, we’re all experiencing a global pandemic. So for people to see us going through exactly what they’re going through at the same time, I think will be very interesting and cool — not that the pandemic is cool, but I don’t know, it’s just more real this time. And filming the show was very real this time. So, in my opinion, I think this season will be much, much more authentic, similar to the first seasons of 16 & Pregnant or the early seasons of Teen Mom. And I think that’s going to be cool.
AMBER: It’s more so like a docu-series in a sense, which is probably the best thing ever. Because that just makes you feel more comfortable, more authentic, and viewers will see more of who we really are.
MACI: I was proud of Bentley for being open and willing to share — even with me — how he was feeling about this, the whole situation with their relationship. And I’m also proud of him for being willing to go to therapy [on his own] to learn and get tools that he can use for life, and learn healthy ways to handle emotions and stuff like that. The journey that he is on, and he’s still on to this day, I’m just really excited for — even just to watch it back. And I think the audience is really going to appreciate this. And I’m super proud of him for being willing to talk about it on the show and talk about going to therapy. For a kid to be brave enough to share that is incredible.
HOLLYWOODLIFE: Amber, we also saw you struggling with a long-distance relationship during COVID in the premiere, as Dimitri started becoming a bit too possessive. What was the most difficult part of all of that for you?
HOLLYWOODLIFE: What else can fans look forward to seeing this season?
MACI: I am excited for the audience to see me run the virtual 5K for PCOS Awareness Month and I actually peed on myself. That’s what happens when you try to run a 5K after three children. And hey, and I still finished it. I still finished it. I just poured my water all over me and kept going. Hey, it’s what happens, man. So many women are going to be like, thank you for sharing that. After having children, especially back-to-back, I can’t even jump on a trampoline. I’m going to have to start wearing Depends or something.
HOLLYWOODLIFE: Cast members have come and gone over the years — Chelsea Houska also recently decided to leave ‘Teen Mom 2 — so, how long do you think you’ll each continue with the show?
MACI: I think as long as we still feel like we’re helping people and doing [the show] for a good purpose, I see no reason to leave the show. But also taking into account how it’s affecting my children, my family, and things like that. Right now, I can’t foresee leaving the show as long as I feel it’s for a good purpose and we can continue to help people.
Want more? New episodes of Teen Mom OG air Tuesdays at 8pm on MTV.