Andrew Glennon has explained why he rage-quit Teen Mom OG, but despite his serious misgivings, he appeared on this week's episode.
He wanted to share his side of the story, and the ways that his life with Amber became a "horror show."
Andrew Glennon made an appearance on Teen Mom OG, finally, because he had told production that he wanted to "tell his side of the story."
Fans already knew that Amber was arrested in July of 2019 after attacking Andrew.
He called the police and reported that she had hit him with a shoe while he was holding their son. Amber ultimately pleaded guilty.
Despite reportedly holding a machete during part of the incident, Amber was only sentenced to 2.5 years of probation.
Production asked why Andrew didn't want to be interviewed at the house, but Andrew explained his reasoning.
"Being in the house," he expresses, "it's not good for my health."
Andrew adds: "It gives me anxiety."
That is both a common and very understandable response to the trauma that stems from domestic violence.
"It's such an odd situation I'm in," Andrew admits.
He characterizes his predicament and the incident that sparked it: "It's a f--king horror show."
"I never saw that girl before," Andrew expresses, "the person I saw that night,"
"I've never seen and it scared the s--t out of me," he shares.
"I don't call the cops for no reason," Andrew emphasizes.
"When someone you love attacks you," he laments, "you're so conflicted."
"You have love and you have fear," Andrew explains to those lucky enough to have never experienced that horror for themselves.
"And," he continues, "it's like the simplest solutions become the most difficult."
Andrew admits that he doesn't know how many records he made of Amber's toxic behavior.
"I sent them all to my sister," Andrew explains.
He expresses his lack of desire to relive his trauma: "I can't listen to that s--t after living it."
Keeping a record can be very smart, but no one is eager to relive the horror that has left their soul scarred.
Andrew has been criticized by Amber's diehard fans for releasing anything at all, accused of trying to profit from her crime.
"For money? No, there's been no money from the press," Andrew clarifies.
"I almost regret giving them everything," he says, admitting to personally leaking the Ring video, "but look we all make mistakes."
"I've made mistakes," Andrew acknowledges.
"And I think in this whole process," Andrew assesses introspectively, "all I wanted was ownership."
By that, we think that he means that he would have liked more control over how the story broke and in what order.
"But," he laments, "it didn't happen."
Very few people can control how and when a story breaks. Even fewer can manage how fans respond to it.
Most of all, Andrew regrets that he now has "a broken family."
Unfortunately, so many people feel this way, even when they themselves did nothing wrong. They feel as though they have "failed."
When it comes to raising baby James as a single dad, Andrew says that he is just taking things "one day at a time."
Our society all but fetishizes two-parent households, but Andrew would not have done James any favors by remaining with Amber. Quite the opposite.
Of course, not everyone sees it that way.
Amber's other baby daddy and ex, Gary Shirley, sided with her -- even though he has also been a victim of her violent abuse.
He accused Andrew's outspokenness as being "financially motivated," despite having no evidence to support that claim.
Gary rhetorically asked his wife, Kristina: "Why keep throwing gasoline on a fire that's burning?"
Gary also accused Andrew of deliberately antagonizing Ambera nd "trying to destroy her."
We're not sure what's going on in Gary's mind. Sometimes, those who have been abused develop a victim-blaming mentality.
For example, Gary seems to think that Andrew should be trying to help Amber at this point.
"Everything he's doing is the opposite of helping you," Gary told Amber.
Amber confided in Gary of feeling like she was at her breaking point.
She told him that she has "a lot of guilt of not being aware of myself" in the moment.
"I really do feel ashamed," Amber claimed.
"When I hear those audios, I was ashamed," she said. "I feel disgusted."