‘Teen Mom’ Star Catelynn Lowell Baltierra Praises Maci Bookout for Her Parenting Amid Ryan Edwards’ Legal Troubles (Exclusive)

No matter how much time passes, parenting never gets easier. As Maci Bookout continues raising her 14-year-old son, Bentley, the Teen Mom star has found herself struggling to co-parent with her ex Ryan Edwards as he faces legal issues and addiction battles. 

But as MTV cameras continue to roll, Bookout is receiving some support through co-stars and friends Tyler Baltierra and Catelynn Lowell Baltierra.

"Ty and I have said this to Maci hundreds of times, but we're just so proud of her," Lowell exclusively told The Messenger. "The way that she is so open with her kids, how she explains everything, how she picks up on things really fast. She's just doing the best she can, and that's what we all try to do."

Baltierra said he's impressed with how Bookout's husband, Taylor McKinney, has stepped up to help the entire family.

"Taylor is just the GOAT," Baltierra said. "He's by her side. He's an amazing stepfather. He's an amazing father. He supports everything that she does. I got nothing but good things to say about those two. I think they're killing it as parents."

In recent weeks, viewers have witnessed Edwards struggle to cope with his divorce from Mackenzie Edwards. After the pair broke up, Edwards was arrested for allegedly violating a restraining order. He also confessed to a producer that he relapsed while coping with his split.

From Baltierra's perspective, he's impressed with Bookout for taking the initiative to educate herself about addiction to be the best parent possible. 

"To have Ryan go through some of the those types of things and not be raised in a dynamic to deal with that ever in life, I think she's handling it great," he said. "I think she's being curious and trying to learn about addiction and how do you navigate all this stuff, and I'm really proud of her for taking on that challenge of learning so that she can be a better mom to her kids."

Lowell added, "I'm just so proud of her. She's such a great mom." 

Teen Mom: The Next Chapter airs Wednesday nights at 8/7c on MTV.