Amber Portwood and Gary Wayt AMI/MEGA/Courtesy of Bryson City Police Department
In the days following the nationwide manhunt for Gary Wayt — when Amber Portwood reported him missing after their “emotional” conversation — the pair have called off their engagement.
“They’ve decided that it’s over between them and their engagement is off,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “They have too much to overcome to move forward together.”
The insider notes that there has “been some closure” for former Teen Mom star Portwood, 34, adding that the twosome have communicated and Wayt, 39, is “not ghosting her.”
“Amber took off the engagement ring and it’s the best thing,” the insider continues of their split. “She is sad and she cares about him, but she is willing to see that he is not the right guy for her. She wants to be with someone who accepts her fully.”
The source notes that Portwood and Wayt’s engagement news “created some family tension.”
“Gary’s family was looking her up online and looking at her past and not everything they saw online was true,” the insider adds. “And it was hard for Amber because she’s been trying so hard to move past it and move forward.”
Gary Wayt and Amber Portwood Courtesy of EB
While this is a “very difficult” time for Portwood, the source notes that she’s a “strong person” and “is going to be OK.”
Earlier this month, after Us exclusively revealed the news of the duo’s plans to wed, Portwood reported Wayt missing. Prior to his disappearance, Portwood and Wayt had traveled to North Carolina for her brother’s wedding.
“They were spending several days in the Smoky Mountains,” an insider revealed earlier this month. “On Sunday, June 9, they had a conversation that turned emotional. Gary left in the car without her, and in the process, he left his cell phone behind.”
The source added that Portwood had been “beside herself and worried about him” since their conversation in the days when she didn’t know where he was or if he was safe.
On June 11, the Bryson City Police Department confirmed via Facebook that Wayt had last been seen two days earlier in Bryson City, North Carolina.
Three days after the update, the department altered their missing persons Facebook post about Wayt to confirm that he “has been located.” There were no more details provided, and the case has been closed.
Back in January, Us exclusively reported that Portwood and Wayt had been seeing each other after connecting on a dating app months earlier. “They are taking their time getting to know each other, but it’s getting serious,” an insider said at the time.
