Teen Mom 's Gary Shirley Honors His and Amber Portwood's Daughter Leah on 14th Birthday

Gary Shirley is celebrating his little girl.

The Teen Mom star penned a birthday tribute to daughter Leah, who he shares with ex Amber Portwood, in honor of her 14th birthday.

"Wishing my very awesome daughter Leah shirley a very happy birthday, she's a very smart young lady & I couldn't ask for a better kid," Gary wrote on Instagram Nov. 12. "I love you Leah so very much."

Gary's birthday shoutout for his daughter comes one year after Leah's 13th birthday celebration was filmed for Teen Mom: The Next Chapter. As seen in the Sept. 6 episode, Amber attended the event for her estranged daughter.

"We're working on our relationship and I'm being patient," Amber said during the episode. "Last year, my daughter asked for space and I'm doing my best to be present for her while respecting her boundaries."

As for how Leah felt about the encounter, Leah told her dad during the episode, "I want us to be friendly together and not have any issues or anything."

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It's been a rocky road for Gary, Amber and Leah. In November 2021, Gary revealed that Leah started therapy during the Teen Mom OG reunion, which led Amber to get up and leave the taping.

However, after that reunion was filmed, fans watched Amber invite Gary to be her plus one for Teen Mom Family Reunion, which aired in January. Reflecting on attending the gathering together, Amber exclusively gave E! News a look into her and Gary's relationship as co-parents.

"With me and Gary together, we like to have fun," she said. "Half of the time we just talk crap to each other or we get into fights or we are friends with each other. We never know, honestly. It depends on how he wakes up or I wake up—or maybe just how I wake up."

More recently, Amber found herself "devastated and heartbroken" after losing the custody battle for her 4-year-old son James, who she shares with ex Andrew Glennon, in July.

"I've worked so hard to better myself and improve my relationships with my children," the Teen Mom star told E! News at the time. "While I've always been candid about my past substance abuse and struggles with mental illness, a person should have the chance to redeem themselves and not be tethered to their problems from the past."

She added, "I'll never stop fighting for my children who I love more than anything."

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