'Teen Mom' Star Amber Portwood Pleads Not Guilty To Assault

Portwood was arrested and charged with felony domestic battery and child neglect Monday.
By James Dinh

"Teen Mom" stars baby Leah and Amber Portwood
Photo: Scott Gries

"Teen Mom" star Amber Portwood pleaded not guilty Tuesday (December 28) to felony domestic battery and child neglect charges, TMZ reports.

Portwood, who was arrested Monday, is being held on $5,000 bail and is expected to be released later Tuesday. The state of Indiana has prohibited the 20-year-old from having any contact with her daughter, Leah, or the alleged victim, Gary Shirley.

During the last season of "Teen Mom," MTV cameras followed Portwood and three other young women in their quest to manage motherhood. Portwood's turbulent relationship with on-and-off fiancé Shirley, 24, reached a boiling point when she punched him in the face in front of their then-1-year-old, Leah. Additional episodes of the series displayed Portwood abusing Shirley both physically and verbally, twice with their child present. According to The Associated Press, Anderson, Indiana, police began investigating Portwood after a September episode of "Teen Mom" depicting an altercation.

According to CBS News, Portwood claimed that the events described in police documentation never occurred in front of Leah.

Portman agreed to be monitored by child protective services for six months in November. However, later that month, state officials charged the 20-year-old mother with three counts of domestic violence, due to her behavior on the series. In late November, Leah became a ward of the state of Indiana before returning to her mother shortly after.

During the reunion episode after season two of "Teen Mom," the 20-year-old mother opened up about her behavior on the series, saying, "I have no clue why I hurt Gary. I sort of do, but it's kind of beyond myself. I can't help myself. I have to get help and then help myself. I never notice how bad I am until I see it. And I feel so terrible. And it's like, did I really do that? The people who are around me, how do they feel? I don't remember it being that bad at the time. How did Gary feel? What the hell was I doing?"

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655022/20101228/story.jhtml

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