Ryan Edwards Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office/Splash News
Teen Mom OG alum Ryan Edwards has been sentenced to jail after pleading guilty to harassing estranged wife Mackenzie Edwards, Us Weekly can confirm.
The Tennessee native, 35, was sentenced to 11 months, 29 days in jail, per court documents obtained by Us on Thursday, April 20. Additional conditions of Ryan’s guilty plea include having to “wear a GPS monitor” and “complete rehab treatment.” He is also not allowed to have “contact with [Mackenzie] except as allowed by circuit court” and is not to post anything on social media “relating to [Mackenzie].”
The documents note that the former MTV star is “suspended on good behavior” and was placed on probation, meaning there is the potential for early release to a halfway house or to be under house arrest.
US Sun/Mega
The former MTV star’s sentencing stems from his February arrest, during which he was booked on several charges, including harassment, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance, after violating an Order of Protection sought by Mackenzie, 26, with whom he shares 4-year-old son Jagger and 3-year-old daughter Stella.
Earlier this year, Ryan — who is also dad of 14-year-old son Bentley, whom he shares with ex Maci Bookout — accused Mackenzie of being unfaithful to him via a series of derogatory Instagram posts, including uploads that showed revealing images of her. According to a press release from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Mackenzie sought an Order of Protection against the former reality star on February 8, which Ryan allegedly violated when he contacted her father, Bob Standifer, one day later. He was arrested the next day, where he was searched and also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.
“During today’s conversation with Mackenzie, it was discovered that Ryan had violated the Order of Protection by contacting her father on February 9, 2023 advising him to let Mackenzie know he would be at the residence that same day to gather his belongings,” the press release read at the time. “During the course of looking into the issue of breaking the Order of Protection, HCSO deputies learned that Ryan had an active warrant for Harassment which was taken out by the Chattanooga Police Department. Mackenzie was listed as the victim in that incident. That warrant was taken out on February 8, 2023.”
Mackenzie, who also shares son Hudson with ex Zachary Stephens, filed for divorce from Ryan on February 27, Us confirmed.
Ryan has been arrested twice more since his February legal woes. In March, he was booked on stalking charges against Mackenzie as well as violating her order of protection against him. On April 7, he was arrested for simple possession of a controlled substance and a DUI after he was found “unconscious and unresponsive” in the driver’s seat of his truck. Per the arrest affidavit obtained by Us at the time, the father of three admitted that he “snorted a powder before waking up in the back of an ambulance.” He was found with a bag containing a “crystal type substance,” per the report, as well as a “second small bag of what appeared to be a blue powder” and a rolled-up receipt.
According to The Sun, when sentencing Ryan to jail on Monday, Judge Gary Starnes noted that the TV personality “is not a bad person, he just got addicted to hard drugs.”
However, the judge believes it is in Ryan’s and the public’s best interest that he serves time in jail rather than be sent to rehab for the time being.
“He’s an extreme danger to himself, he died [when he overdosed in his truck] on Broad Street and had to be brought back to life,” Starnes said, directly addressing Ryan, who has been open about his substance abuse problems over the years. “You would’ve been dead. You should realize that. He’s a danger to the public by driving his truck on drugs.”
The judge added: “Rehab won’t be good because he won’t do it. He needs to grow up, you know that. You have three kids. You may have some problems with your wife, but you have three kids. I’m trying to save your life.”
Ryan’s next court date is on June 12 for his possession and DUI charges.
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If you or anyone you know is facing substance abuse issues, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free and confidential information 24/7.
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