Ryan Edwards and his soon-to-be ex-wife Mackenzie are (finally) making some progress in their divorce and custody battle.
The Ashley can exclusively reveal that– at a court hearing held on February 3— a Tennessee judge ordered the Teen Mom dad to pay Mackenzie child support for their two kids, Jagger and Stella, starting this week. The judge also used the hearing to rule on several other topics that the estranged exes have been legally battling over, including the Motion for Contempt that Ryan filed against Mack earlier this month, and their disagreement about Ryan’s pregnant fiancée, Amanda Conner, being allowed around Jagger and Stella.
According to court documents obtained by The Ashley, the judge granted Mackenzie’s request that Ryan be made to pay child support for their two children, whom Ryan admitted in his Official Affidavit to only seeing for 26 days out of the year. The judge ruled that Ryan has to pay Mack $1553 each month. (As The Ashley previously reported, Ryan stated in his court Affidavit that he currently makes $16,000 a month via his ‘Teen Mom’ paychecks and pay from his mechanic job.)
The court order states that the amount of child support that Ryan will pay could change “after testimony of the parties regarding past and current incomes.”
Back in October, Mack accused Ryan of refusing to pay child support for their kids. That month, Mackenzie sued Ryan for temporary and back child support, and asked the judge to make Ryan pay.
The next order of business handled at the February 3 court hearing was whether or not Amanda would be allowed to be present when Ryan had visitation with Jagger and Stella. As The Ashley previously told you, the exes were unable to agree on divorce/custody terms during their mediation session in December.
According to The Ashley’s sources, “Ryan and Mackenzie agreed on everything…except how Ryan’s girlfriend Amanda would be worked into the kids’ lives. That was the dealbreaker. Mackenzie and Ryan went back and forth a few times with offers, but Ryan refused any offer that didn’t immediately include Amanda being able to be around the kids,” the source said. “Mackenzie suggested a slow transition into letting Amanda be around the kids and letting Ryan have them unsupervised.”
Ryan currently visits with Jagger and Stella twice a month. These visits allegedly take place every other Saturday to Sunday at his mom Jen’s house. The judge ruled that the visitation schedule would remain the same for the time being– with the exception that Amanda is no longer barred from being around Jagger and Stella.
“Amanda Conner may participate in Father’s visitation with the minor children,” the court docs read.
Ryan and Amanda— who recently got engaged— are expecting their first child together, a girl, within the week.
Finally, Ryan’s Motion for Contempt from last month was addressed at the hearing. As The Ashley previously reported, Ryan asked the judge to charge Mackenzie with contempt, alleging that Mack sold (or got rid of) items that had “significant monetary and/or sentimental value” to him, despite a court order in place forbidding either party from doing so until their divorce is settled.
In the motion filed by Ryan’s lawyer, Mackenzie was accused of selling or getting rid of items including a car jack, kayak, jet ski, lawnmower, hunting rifle, sectional couch, race car/motor/transmission and various tools including a plasma cutter, two welders, generator, pressure washer and other items. In the motion, it was stated that the items had “significant monetary and/or sentimental value” to Ryan.
Mackenzie “intentionally, willfully and/or maliciously disposed of the following marital property,” the motion filed by Ryan claims. “[Mackenzie] made no attempt to discuss the sale, gift or transfer of these assets with [Ryan or Ryan’s] counsel.”
In the court docs, a judge ordered the Contempt motion be continued until February 24. However, in the meantime, the judge ruled that Ryan “should be given access to the marital home to inspect the premises and inventory the contents of the home.” (We can assume that he would be using this opportunity to look for the items– such as the “sentimental” jet ski— that he claims Mack sold or disposed of.)
The judge ruled that Mackenzie and Ryan’s lawyers would figure out a day that worked for both parties for Ryan to go to Mackenzie’s home. She will not be allowed to be there when Ryan is there (most likely due to the active restraining order in place); however, Mack will be allowed to designate a person of her choosing to be present.
“Mrs. Edwards shall [e]nsure that locked areas, including but not limited to closets, toolboxes and safes, shall be made accessible to Ryan Edwards to view and photograph the contents,” the documents state.
On Tuesday, Mackenzie filed a Motion to Compel, which asks the judge to order Ryan to do something, although The Ashley is not sure what action she’s asking the judge to make Ryan take.
Mack and Ryan are next due in court on February 24.
