Maci Bookout was always something of a “golden child” on Teen Mom. On the surface, it always seemed like she was one of the best moms on the show. She had the perfect little family, the perfect marriage, and a seemingly normal life.
But now, it seems like things might be taking a turn for Maci. For one, she and her husband might not be as happy together as we once thought they were.
RELATED: Maci Speaks Out About Ryan
Maci married Taylor McKinney in October 2016. The two of them started dating four years before that, in 2012. They were together for about 3 years before they welcomed their first child together, Jayde Carter, in May 2015.
After that, they had another baby together. Their son Maverick Reed was born just a year later, in May 2016.
The couple got married a couple of months after that, and everything seemed perfect. But not too long ago, Maci admitted that they’ve been having some problems.
Maci and Taylor Struggle with Communication Issues
Last year, the couple went to Colombia to film for season 3 of MTV’s Teen Mom: Family Reunion. The show started airing earlier this year, in March. What’s interesting is that the trip didn’t exactly meet Maci and Taylor’s expectations.
In April 2024, Maci talked to E! News about what filming in Colombia was like for them. She said that walking into it, she thought that it would just be a really fun holiday for her and Taylor, where they would get to relax away from the kids.
Maci was looking forward to hanging out with their friends and overall just having a good time. She thought that the show was really just a big excuse for a vacation.
So, she was quite surprised when she got there, and things were very different. She admitted: “I’m not sure we were expecting all of the work we were going to have to do when we got there.”
Maci and Taylor soon realized that this wasn’t just going to be a fun, relaxing trip for the two of them. They were confronted with some of their relationship issues. But luckily, they were also helped along the way.
Maci admitted that one of the things they really struggled with was communication. She said that this had been their biggest issue for a long time.
Then, she added: “And honestly, it still is. I feel like we’re still working on what a healthy communication routine looks like.”
She said that there’s a chance that this may never change, and admitted that both she and Taylor are competitive and stubborn people. So, they might never figure out how to communicate without any issues.
Maci Posted a Cryptic Message on Instagram
The main thing is that they’re willing to work on their marriage regardless. They’re not giving up, and Maci considers that a win.
It also seems like their trip to Colombia helped them with some other things in their relationship. Maci said that this was the first time in a long while that they got to spend so much time with each other one-on-one.
She said that the trip felt like a reset button for them. She realized that she really liked spending time with Taylor. It made their relationship stronger.
Does that mean that their relationship is perfect now? Not exactly. As Maci said, they haven’t really resolved all of their communication issues just yet.
In February 2024, which was months after the couple filmed in Colombia, Maci posted something cryptic on her social media. Some people online thought that she was suggesting that there was trouble in paradise for her and Taylor.
Maci took to her Instagram Stories that month, and she shared a very pointed message.
It said: “Someone once said if you love your children, don’t break their mother. Their mother is their primary source of strength & emotional support. I feel like some of y’all need to see this.”
The screenshot of this post was later shared on Reddit. People wondered if this meant Maci and Taylor were having marital problems.
They assumed that the message was aimed at Taylor, and wondered what he could’ve done that Maci felt had broken her. But not everyone was convinced that this post was actually about Maci’s husband. Rather, some people thought that it might’ve been about her ex.
Ryan and Maci Had a Tumultuous Relationship
Maci was once engaged to the father of her first child, Ryan Edwards. Ryan and Maci had their son named Bently together in 2008.
They got engaged a year later, in 2009. But in 2010, they decided to go their separate ways.
They had a very tumultuous and difficult relationship together. Later, Maci would even file for a protection order against him.
It’s safe to say that these two have been through a lot. This is why some people are convinced that Maci’s post was actually about Ryan and not Taylor. The two of them have always had issues, so it would make a lot of sense.
But one user explained why they thought that the post wasn’t about Taylor in a different way. They wrote: “Maci always seems very apathetic toward Taylor, so I can’t imagine her feeling as if he’s ‘broken’ her.”
It doesn’t seem like Maci’s followers have a lot of faith in her marriage to Taylor, which makes a lot of sense. One thing that people just can’t seem to be able to forget is that Maci admitted that she and Taylor fought when they drank adult beverages.
They’ve clearly had their issues, too – things that go beyond simple “communications problems.” Some people are also worried about Maci’s relationship with drinking. Not just because it can cause drama between her and Taylor, but because she seems to be a big drinker in general.
Maci Has a Habit of Day Drinking
One of the things she did that people thought was especially strange was when she included drinks in her engagement photoshoot. She and Taylor went for a “retro glam” look. But, in one of the photos, they also decided to feature bottles of Bud Light.
This seemed like an odd choice to make. What did the drink have to do with their engagement?
People on Reddit have also pointed out that Maci seems to be in the habit of day drinking. For example, in one scene, she was on the phone with her friend.
RELATED: Teen Mom’s Maci’s Marriage Troubles
She was relaxing outside as she told this friend that she’d just dropped off her kids at daycare. This means that it was still pretty early in the day.
Most likely, it was still morning. But Maci was already drinking from a can of a certain adult beverage.
It’s not even like she just drank the one can. There were three more empty cans right next to her as well. So it seemed like she was on her fourth drink, even though it was still early in the morning.
Maci Has Shown Signs of Addiction
Some people also suspect that Maci was drinking while she was pregnant with her third child. She announced her pregnancy just six weeks after she shared a photo of herself with an adult beverage. This obviously raised a ton of red flags.
Some Teen Mom fans also believe that they’ve noticed a change in behavior in Maci. In the earlier seasons of the show, she seemed to be kind of on top of things. But later on, it started to look like she was slipping.
One theory is that it became harder for her to hide that she had a drinking problem. Maci was accused of slurring her words and having glossy eyes in some scenes.
These are obviously signs of a potential addiction. That being said, we don’t know for sure if Maci is struggling with drinking or not. It’s definitely a possibility, but as of right now, nothing has been confirmed.
This also goes for her alleged marriage troubles. While it’s possible that she and Taylor might be having issues, as far as we know, they’re still going strong.
Maci admitted that they’re not always the perfect couple. But at the end of the day, they are willing to put the work in. If this continues, they might just spend many more years being happily married.
