Of all the Teen Mom success stories, perhaps no happy ending is more unlikely than that of Gary Shirley.
Gary’s relationship with Amber Portwood was notoriously tumultuous, but these days, he’s found domestic contentment with wife Kristina, with whom he shares 2-year-old daughter Emilee.
But Gary’s life is not without complications, and on this week’s episode of Teen Mom OG, Gary went under the knife for a procedure that he hoped would protect his wife’s health.
Gary’s heart may have been in the right place, but some fans have taken issue with his reasoning.
Take a look:
Gary the Great
After a rocky start, Gary has become an unexpected fan favorite in recent years.
Doing It For Her
Gary’s marriage to Kristina Anderson is among the more stable ever portrayed on the show, and on Monday night’s episode, Gary engaged in what he viewed as a supreme act of sacrifice on his wife’s behalf.
Kristina’s Procedure
Kristina underwent a tubal ligation (read: had her tubes tied), but still became pregnant last year, eventually suffering a miscarriage.
Sacrifice
And so, Gary underwent a vasectomy in order to ensure that didn’t happen again.
Good For Him?
While it’s admirable that Gary was willing to go under the knife in order to protect his wife’s life, some fans felt he expected too much praise for the act.
Necessary Reminder?
“I did this for you. So you didn’t have to get pregnant no more, hopefully,†he told her.
Thanks For the Insight
“I think emotional pain sometimes can be very devastating and hard,” he added. “That emotional pain of the baby was pretty intense.”
We Get It
“Why keep on putting you and your body through that if we’re done having kids? That’s not right,” Gary continued, as though the situation required further explanation.
The Last Great American Hero
“If I would have known you could have one miscarriage, I would have done it from the get-go — if I knew the future. I didn’t. No more. Safe,” he went on.
He Does Go On
At this point, even Kristina was getting fed up with Gary’s self-praise and reminded him that he was undergoing the procedure “for us” and not just for her.
Balls to the Wall
“The only thing that hurt was the numbing, and then I think the cutting of the vas deferens,” Gary reported following the procedure.
No More Little Garys
“That’s what it felt like, like I got kicked in the balls,” he added.
Shoutout to Shirley
To be fair, Gary absolutely did the right thing. But he probably would’ve gotten a lot more credit from fans if he had done without patting himself on the back so hard.
An Emotional Episode
Of course, Gary wasn’t the only one who got emotional in response to Kristina’s miscarriage.
Sad Amber
While her relationship with Gary couldn’t have been more dramatic, Amber Portwood is on good terms with both her ex and his wife.
Opening Up
And so, after hearing Kristina’s story, Amber revealed for the first time that she once suffered a miscarriage herself.
A Painful Chapter
“I didn’t hear the heartbeat or anything like that,†Portwood said after hearing Kristina’s story.
Less Severe
“I didn’t even go to the hospital actually. I’m so sorry you had to go through that,” Portwood revealed.
Two of a Kind
On social media, both Gary and Amber were criticized for making Kristina’s pain all about them, but we’ll say this in their defense — it always felt as though they were trying to lessen her pain. Unfortunately, they did it by talking about themselves a lot.