Mackenzie McKee is sharing her thoughts about the mixed blessing of reality TV fame with someone who definitely understands her plight.
McKee sat down with Kailyn Lowry for the latest episode of Kail’s Coffee Convos podcast, and fans were stunned by some of what she had to say.
For starters, it seems the reports of Mackenzie joining the cast of Teen Mom OG were a bit premature.
McKee is reportedly still in the running to replace Farrah Abraham on the wildly popular series, but the casting is far from a done deal.
And that’s not the only bombshell from McKee and Lowry’s in-depth interview.
Just wait until you hear what Mackenzie has to say about her life in the months after Teen Mom 3 got canceled…
Return of the Mack?
After Farrah Abraham was fired by MTV and Viacom, it was widely rumored that Mackenzie had been chosen as her replacement. We now know that the deal hasn’t yet been sealed – but that doesn’t mean McKee won’t be returning to TV very soon.
Mackenzie in the Spotlight
Mackenzie is set to star in a one-off special that will focus entirely on her life and family. She opened up about her mixed feelings toward fame in a new interview with Kailyn Lowry.
A Sad Insight
“Right when we finished, my life went into a very dark place,†Mackenzie said of the period after Teen Mom 3 was canceled. “It was like the worst it had ever been. I got married, and that was beautiful, but then it went back to being bad.”
A Blessing In Disguise
“My relationship with [my husband] Josh got worse, and I just kept thinking to myself, ‘I’m so glad this isn’t on TV right now because this is the hardest time in my life,'” McKee added.
Credit to Kail
Mackenzie went on to say that she has the utmost respect for Kailyn and the other ladies of the Teen Mom franchise. “It makes me respect [the ‘Teen Mom’ casts] so much more,†she told Kail. “You guys went through the hardest times of your life being on TV for years with no break.â€Â
Hard Times
So what was so difficult about life after Teen Mom 3? Well, it seems that in addition to being forced out of the spotlight, Mackenzie was faced with tremendous difficulties in her family life.
Mackenzie’s Mother
“My mom got suddenly diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer,†Mackenzie said. “She has so many masses in her lungs that they stopped counting at 40. One of them is the size of an orange. Then the cancer went to her brain. It was kind of a shock because she doesn’t smoke, she doesn’t drink, she’s a marathon runner.”
A Baffling Diagnosis
Mackenzie and her mom, Angie Douthit, are both fitness fanatics (Mackenzie makes her living as a trainer and nutrition expert), and both were stunned by Angie’s diagnosis. “She ran five miles in the morning, filmed three hours of cardio with me for my business and did a Crossfit workout that night,” McKee told Lowry. “The next morning we find out she has Stage 4 lung cancer.”
Remaining Optimistic
Despite the grim diagnosis, McKee says she’s optimistic about her mother’s future. “She has had two rounds of radiation and lost her hair pretty much immediately…she does the new chemo pill, and she had a checkup the other day and the mass that was the size of an orange is half the size that it was,†Mackenzie said. “We’re getting good results.â€Â
A TV Special For a Special Mom
Mackenzie says her upcoming TV special will focus largely on her mother and the ways in which her illness has inspired her to help others.
#AngieStrong
“As soon as that hit, she was an inspiration, she started to doing speaking and spoke out to people. So MTV decided to do a special about her story and her battle with cancer,†Mackenzie said of her mother. “It’s just a huge inspirational story. Have your tissues ready for this special.â€Â
Other Troubles
Sadly, her mother’s diagnosis isn’t the only difficulty that Mackenzie has encountered in the wake of TM3’s cancelation. She’s also endured a number of rough patches in her marriage to Josh McKee.
Better Days
Fortunately, Josh and Mackenzie were able to weather the storm. “We are still married with three kids,†McKee said. “Me and Josh had a very rocky marriage when it was just the two kids. We were like hot mess express all the way, couldn’t get ourselves together. We could not even stand each other most of the time.â€Â
Third Time’s the Charm
Mackenzie says she and Josh worked hard to overcome their issues, and while their marriage is far from perfect, she insists they’re much better off these days. “It was harder having a rocky marriage with the two kids than it is [now] with the three with a good marriage,â€Â
A TV Natural
The interview served as a reminder not only that Mackenzie has endured quite a lot in her young life, but also that she’s refreshingly candid when speaking about her own struggles. It’s a combination that would make her a natural fit for one of the current Teen Mom series, but it seems McKee’s TV future remains uncerrtain…
Playing Coy
“I actually can’t answer anything because everything is up in the air right now,†Mackenzie said when asked about her potential role on TMOG. “I woke up and read all these articles [about me joining the show] that I didn’t even know about! I know people saw cameras filming in the background on my Snapchat and thought, ‘It’s true, she is on OG’ and I’m like, ‘No this is for my mom’s special.’â€Â
Missed Connections
“I’ve missed sharing my life. I’ve always enjoyed sharing my life,†McKee told Kail. “There’s a lot that I can’t answer, but I would absolutely love to be part of the family again. It’s in God’s hands, if it happens, it happens.” But there’s one person who would probably prefer that Mackenzie remain out of the spotlight…
Mack vs. Bri
Briana DeJesus was awarded the spot on Teen Mom 2 that Mackenzie had been vying for, and McKee opened up about her feud with her former co-star, saying, “I think people think I hate Bri when I don’t. Me and Bri chatted about it and were like, ‘We’re really close, let’s not let this get to us.’” But that doesn’t mean there’s no bad blood between McKee and DeJesus.
Mackenzie Strikes Back
“Then her TV thing airs and she says, ‘Mackenzie’s salty and says blah blah blah about me having multiple baby daddies’… I did not say any of that. It was ridiculous,†Mackenzie said. “We haven’t talked since … “The last time me and Bri talked she told me that I am a nutcase and that I need to get my tubes untied.” Sounds like MTV should just give Mackenzie and Briana their own spinoff!