After Monday’s episode of Teen Mom OG caused an uproar among fans for showing a star’s fiancé driving under the influence, MTV has issued a statement condemning the incident. During the episode, beleaguered dad Ryan Edwards appears to nearly fall asleep at the wheel while driving his fiancée Mackenzie Standifer to their elopement. Standifer eyes Edwards cautiously from the passenger seat, asking him why he was swerving, and even takes hold of the wheel as he seems to drift off to sleep. Fans were furious with the scene, calling on MTV to hold Edwards responsible. “When Ryan Edwards kills a family while MTV knowingly lets him drive intoxicated on drugs while they film it, they won’t care,” one viewer tweeted.
Now, the channel has released a statement. “MTV does not condone driving under the influence,” an MTV spokesperson told People. “Ryan’s erratic behavior was due to actions that he took without anyone’s prior knowledge.” During the scene, Standifer accuses Edwards of taking Xanax, but he denies taking the prescription, saying, “Um, I don’t … I don’t have any.” Edwards has reportedly since checked into rehab.
