After a series of arrests earlier this year, Teen Mom OG alum Ryan Edwards is being sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in prison. The news comes roughly a month after a judge ordered him to spend at least six months in rehab treatment, but the problems continued and now he’s spending time in jail.
In March, Edwards pled guilty to harassing his ex-wife, Mackenzie Edwards – as part of his guilty plea, the judge dismissed three other charges for stalking, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The other charges are related to his string of arrests earlier this year.
Edwards was arrested three times between January 24 and March 1 – all of which were related to his substance abuse and treatment of his ex-wife. Several weeks after his second arrest, Mackenzie filed for divorce and eventually gained custody of their two children – son Jagger, 4, and daughter Stella, 3.
Most recently, Ryan Edwards was arrested on April 7 when he was found unconscious and unresponsive in the driver side of his vehicle, which was running and in drive, according to the police. He admitted to snorting a powder before waking up in an ambulance – emergency responders ended up saving his life.
Edwards was arrested for DUI and possession of a controlled substance after police found a crystal-like substance and blue powder in his possession in the vehicle. He was supposed to be in rehab at the time, but he clearly had no interest in going and, as promised by the judge, he’ll now serve time in prison.
Ryan Edwards and Mackenzie Edwards were married for six years before she filed a divorce in February. They met in May 2016, got engaged in December 2016, and tied the knot in May 2017 – they had a second wedding ceremony in November 2017 after Ryan went to rehab for his substance abuse.
The couple share two children with one another – their son Jagger was born in March 2018 and their daughter Stella was born in January 2020. Ryan also shares a teenage son with his ex-girlfriend Marci Bookout, while Mackenzie shares a 9-year-old son with ex-husband Zachary Stephens.
What Did the Judge Say to Ryan Edwards?
Ryan Edwards clearly needs help if he wants to live a quality life – one that’s free of harmful substances and harmful behavior. While Judge Gary Starnes originally thought rehab was the answer – referring to his comments made last month – it appears Starnes had a change of heart with his recent arrest.
“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,” Judge Starnes said to Edwards in court on Monday – while sentencing him to 11 months and 29 days in jail.
Starnes went on to admit that Ryan Edwards isn’t a bad guy, but credits his string of behavior to his addiction to hard drugs. “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,” he said – adding he needs to realize what’s at stake.
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While his sentencing was related to his February arrest, when he harassed his ex-wife and even trashed her home while on probation, Ryan Edwards still has to face a court date on June 12 for his most recent possession and DUI charges. In the meantime, he’ll have some time to think about things while in prison.
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