'Teen Mom' Under Investigation for Domestic Abuse in Front of Child

By John Mitchell Posted Oct 20th 2010 02:00PM

Amber Portwood, the fiery and sometimes violent star of 'Teen Mom,' broke down during a reunion episode Tuesday night after Dr. Drew Pinsky confronted her about the abuse she inflicted -- on camera -- on her former fiance, Gary Shirley. Now, there are reports that she is being investigated for domestic violence by police in Anderson, Ind., and the state Department of Child Services, and could face felony charges for punching Shirley in front of their daughter, Leah.

In Indiana and other states, domestic violence in front of a child under the age of 14 can result in felony charges, Caryn Burton, training director at the Coalition Against Domestic Violence, told HollywoodLife.com. There has also been some talk about whether the MTV camera crew's decision to not intervene in the attacks could merit misdemeanor charges, as it is similarly against Indiana state law to not report witnessed domestic or child abuse.

The story was addressed in-depth this morning on the 'Today' show.

According to Life & Style, whose headline this week refers to Amber as an "Out-of-Control MONSTER," Portwood has become something of a pariah in her hometown since her violent behavior aired on a Sept. 28 episode of 'Teen Mom.' In an editorial entitled "Reality TV Giving Wrong Impression of Anderson" in a local newspaper, The Herald Bulletin, an Anderson-based reporter had a lot to say about Amber's behavior.

"She kicked and punched him seven times before kicking him in the back as he walked down a flight of stairs ... Reality shows prey on featuring people who appear to be undereducated, narcissistic and full of anger," the piece reads. "'Teen Mom' is not the national image Anderson wants. We don't push our loved ones down stairs. We don't take pride that our teenage girls are 16 and pregnant. We don't all drop out of high school."

At the time, MTV told the Herald Bulletin: "Our role in 'Teen Mom' is to document how incredibly challenging and difficult being a teen parent is. In this particular instance, we monitored the situation to make sure no one was in imminent danger and that the child was not there."

However, the child, Leah, was present during at least one of several different altercations between Amber and Gary, and according to HollywoodLife.com, "Failure to report child abuse/neglect is a crime ... Indiana law requires any person who has reason to believe that a child is a victim of abuse or neglect to make an immediate oral report to DCS or to law enforcement."

When confronted about the situation by Pinsky, Amber broke down in tears and claimed to have "blacked out" during the incident, saying she only remembers striking Gary once. For his part, a source close to Gary told RadarOnline that he believes Amber is a "great mother."

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=945855&pid=945854&uts=1287599969

http://www.popeater.com/mm_track/popeater/tv/?s_channel=us.tvpop&s_account=aolpopeater,aolsvc&omni=1&ke=1

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf

'Teen Mom' Snapshots

'Teen Mom' star Maci and fellow teen mom Bristol Palin posed together at an event in New York City on May 5. Check out more 'Mom' photos >>

Getty Images

Getty Images North America

Teen Mom Snapshots

NEW YORK - MAY 05: (L-R) TV Personality from MTV's "Teen Mom" Maci Bookout and Bristol Palin attend The Candie's Foundation Event To Prevent at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Maci Bookout;Bristol Palin

Teen Mom Snapshots

NEW YORK - MAY 05: TV Personality from MTV's "Teen Mom" Maci Bookout attends The Candie's Foundation Event To Prevent at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Maci Bookout

Teen Mom Snapshots

NEW YORK - MAY 05: (L-R) TV Personality from MTV's "Teen Mom" Maci Bookout, Bristol Palin and Brianda Diaz attend The Candie's Foundation Event To Prevent at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Maci Bookout;Bristol Palin;Brianda;Diaz

Teen Mom Snapshots

NEW YORK - MAY 05: (L-R) Farrah Abraham, Maci Bookout and Bristol Palin speak to Dr. Drew Pinsky during " The Harsh Truth: Teen Moms Tell All" Town Hall Meeting sponsored by The Candie's Foundation at Lighthouse International Conference Center on May 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Farrah Abraham;Maci Bookout;Bristol Palin;Dr. Drew Pinsk

Teen Mom Snapshots

NEW YORK - MAY 05: (L-R) CEO of Candie's, Neil Cole, Bristol Palin and Dr. Drew Pinsky attend " The Harsh Truth: Teen Moms Tell All" Town Hall Meeting sponsored by The Candie's Foundation at Lighthouse International Conference Center on May 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Neil Cole;Bristol Palin;Dr. Drew Pinsky

Teen Mom Snapshots

Bristol Palin and Dr. Drew attend " The Harsh Truth: Teen Moms Tell All" Town Hall Meeting sposored by The Candie's Foundation at Lighthouse International Conference Center on May 5, 2010 in New York City. "The Harsh Truth: Teen Moms Tell All" Town Hall Meeting Sposored By The Candie's Foundation Lighthouse International Conference Center New York, NY United States May 5, 2010 Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage.com To license this image (17257527), contact WireImage.com

Teen Mom Snapshots

Bristol Palin attends " The Harsh Truth: Teen Moms Tell All" Town Hall Meeting sposored by The Candie's Foundation at Lighthouse International Conference Center on May 5, 2010 in New York City. "The Harsh Truth: Teen Moms Tell All" Town Hall Meeting Sposored By The Candie's Foundation Lighthouse International Conference Center New York, NY United States May 5, 2010 Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage.com To license this image (17257536), contact WireImage.com

Teen Mom Snapshots

Tags: Amber Portwood, teen mom

Comments

(475)

Wednesday 20 October

By dzerjinsky

Vote down Vote up Report this

The proper term is "wigger", not white trash....

By B.V.

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Amber has been out of control for a long time. People who verbally and physically abuse others do not get better unless something really bad happens. What will it take for her to change? She needs anger management and Leah should not be living with her. The baby ultimately pays the price. She brings convicted felons around her child, and she keeps a filthy home. In one episode they show the "new boyfriend" doing all the cleaning. She is a scary individual who clearly stated she has no interest in finishing her education. Gary in a way enables her because he does not take proper action nor make her pay the consequences. She only shows motivation to "go out". The show is not taking appropriate action for the domestic violence they film! Amber should be prosecuted accordingly. Those "blackouts" she is claiming are no excuse.

By veruca2323

It's about time she was investigated, that child needs to be given to her Dad and Amber needs to never see her again!

By samantha

i think that amber is not fit to be a parent ... i watch the show..... and i think that the babys father should have custidy of the baby

By Enddy Sani

imagine if she was a guy and the victim is a woman. No question ask there, right? Sexism. Charged her already! She can't remember? All the reason this is more serious.

By Lorena

Gary run don't look back she isn't worth being degraded on tv for. You will find someone who can love you. Amber hope you lose your daughter because god only knows what you could do to her.

By JoeyO'H

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

I don't want the garbage on MTV. Far from music televison.
Portwood should be charged and convicted of domestic abuse. She is a cruel, miserable human being. She is Unfit to be a mother as much as she is unfit to be a human being.

If it were a mam smacking her around, he'd be in jail already. Double eged sword. She is a piece of crap!

By N506

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Oh, honestly...can't you people find something worth reporting?
Today's teens are disgusting pigs; fighting with each other all the time.

By Candy

Amber has got very serious problems and she needs major help or to be put in a hospital. I feel sorry for Gary and Leah. She is lucky that she is with a man that doesn't hit back. Maybe if she wants to fight and hit like a man she should get a good dose of her own medicine by finding a man that will hit her back and she if she likes it.

By rick

Does anybody else think mtv should cancel teen mom and 16 and pregnant cause all there doing is glorifing pregance teens are sitting saying if i get preg i can be on mtv. shut it down mtv!

By megan

i agree that some kids are getting pregnant now just so they can be on MTV. but still if they are willing to do this just for MTV they were probly going to end up doing it sooner or later. but i like the show Teen mom cuz it follows the first 16 and pregnant i think they should of just stoped with the first show of 16 and pregnant and just stick with the Teen mom

By laurenknight93

No, I don't think they should shut the show off, I don't think it makes girls want to go out and get pregnant, that is what the show is supposed to be about, it shows the struggles teens go through from the moment the find out they are pregnant to every road ahead of them, whether it's adoption or keeping the baby and learning to be a parent. Although I do think that they should do a better job at picking some of the teens, because not all teens are "white trash" little skanks that just go crazy, some are very hard working, and I do think the camera crew should've stepped in, also, I think that if a teen girl watches this show and starts thinking that she wants to go get pregnant, then she is dumber then the teens on here.

By David

Yeah she's going through some tough stuff, albeit some of it probably her own fault, but why is no asking the question: what on Earth does it have to with MUSIC? The station that airs this show is still called Music Television right? Has everyone just fallen asleep?

By Mz Princess

I was a single teen mom and never acted the way I have seen these girls act. Just the previews alone make me cringe! Bad image for good, hard working single young moms. Grow the hell up!

By Tony

What kind of a wimp is Gary letting Amber or any woman hit him and get a way with it?? In a case like that when a guy is hit by a woman he should give her one warning not to do it again. And if she does he needs to be a man and beat her till she learns. A real man never lets a woman hit him and walk. I only had to hit a woman twice in my life. One was a drucken girlfriend who hit me 3 times after being warn. She got off easy I just slam her against the kitchen wall and thru her across the floor. She never hit again and the other beat my wife when she said she was going to take me to the cleaners in my divorce. My divorce was settle right there and then with afew good punches...

By Apryl

You are a loser just like her. Maybe put you both in a room so you can beat the crap out of each other. The world would be a better place without people like you two. Do you feel like a man hitting any woman? A REAL man walks away.

By bmmg39

Apryl, spare me this nonsense about "real men walk away." Has it not occured to you that sometimes the man DOES walk away, and the woman FOLLOWS him? Or that the man is attacked in his own HOME? Does she get to keep his home after he leaves his abuser rather than fighting back or having her arrested?

By Liadan

Gary is a real man. Real men walk away from a fight, they don't hit a woman ...ever! There is never an excuse for that.

Unfortunately, he is also an enabler for not reporting her to the police. He needs to put his daughter first and file for full custody with supervised visitations for Amber. Its only a matter of time before that anger is turned towards the child.

Hey, she can finally get the time to get her HS diploma in jail!

Win-Win for all.

By jackie

SHE IS PATHETIC!! LOCK HER UP!!!

By rairaimunster

Wait a second.
I was knocked up at 16. I still have my child (who is about to turn 4) and a husband. I have a job, AND I am a full-time college student.
I own my car, I pay my own bills.
I'm not white trash thank you very much.

Page 4 of 24