Apparently Matt Baier has moved on from Amber Portwood. Just months after their breakup, the infamous Teen Mom star is married.
Not dating, not engaged, but married.
This comes as quite the surprise, to put it mildly, given where he and Amber were earlier this year – even earlier this summer.
So who is Matt’s wife (!) and how did this come to be? How will Portwood – now expecting a baby of her own – respond to this bombshell?
Join us as we attempt to get to the bottom of who Matt Baier married, why she agreed and what this means for the Teen Mom universe …
The Longtime Couple
A seemingly mismatched pair from the start, Amber Portwood and Matt Baier had been together for several years before calling it quits this summer. To put it mildly, he had baggage, and they had major trust issues.
A Shaky Foundation
Matt, a Teen Mom superfan, also famously flirted with Jenelle Evans and Farrah Abraham online before making a connection with Portwood and somehow entering a serious relationship with her. Many saw him as a walking, talking red flag from the beginning, and that’s even before we learned about his past …
Gary Does His Research
A good thing too. Gary Shirley, the father of Amber Portwood’s daughter and noted Matt Baier critic, famously confronted her on Teen Mom OG with a dossier of sorts on her new partner. This contained the almost too crazy to believe revelation that Matt has at least seven children from at least two previous relationships (some other accounts claim that he has eight or nine kids … he has never denied that it’s one of these large amounts).
Standing By Him Just the Same
While learning about Matt’s past – something he blamed on years of addiction – caused Amber to call off the couple’s wedding at the time, she did not end the relationship. If anything, they seemed to come out stronger following the intense backlash he received, as she frequently lashed out at his critics.
You Have No F–king Idea!
Amber even wrote the foreword for Matt’s book, which actually exists, and in which he defiantly tells his life story. It was the ultimate show of unity from the couple, who announced plans to marry once again.
The Wheels Come Off
Alas, Matt’s penchant for shadiness reared its ugly head again earlier this year, as he was caught in a number of compromising situations – with the Teen Mom: OG cameras rolling no less.
Xanax-Gate
On what turned out to be a pivotal episode, the gang was in New York City to do press for the show, and poor Catelynn Lowell was on the verge of having a panic attack, so Matt handed her a Xanax. This was bad for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that it’s kind of illegal, and furthermore, Matt has claimed to be sober for years. Why would he have this on hand?!!
The Fallout
Catelynn claimed she never took the Xanax – as in ingested it. She took it from Matt, physically, to show Amber proof of his shadiness. Amber got upset, all the while Baier awkwardly asked her repeatedly “Do you forgive Daddy?” Amber didn’t forgive Daddy. She called off the wedding, again.
Dodging a Bullet
Clearly it was for the best. Matt’s thoughts on how he viewed his future with Amber were candidly revealed later in that same episode – seemingly unbeknownst to him, the cameras are always rolling.
The Final Straw
Incredibly, Amber actually made Matt take a lie detector test because she suspected him of cheating. Asked if he has engaged in any sexual activity or communications with anyone other than Amber since October 10, 2014, Matt said no. That’s a good start. Asked if he had made “sexual advances” toward an unidentified female, however, he answered no again … but failed.
Breakup Confirmed
“I’m trying to do a lot of work on myself because I realize now the downfall of our relationship was my fault,” he explained in August of THIS YEAR, confirming their split after all of this had played out in a public forum. “When you’re thrust into the spotlight like that, it can affect you. My mistake was taking our relationship for granted.”
Time to Move On … IMMEDIATELY
It’s hard to say what’s more incredible, how long Matt was a part of Amber’s life – her family, even – or how quickly he moved on to someone else. The dude got married YESTERDAY. Who is his wife?!
The Newlywed
According to The Ashley’s Reality Roundup, which broke the story late Tuesday, the former Teen Mom villain exchanged vows in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he has been living since the split with Amber, with a woman named Jennifer Conlon.
This Really Happened
It’s not just a rumor. A marriage certificate was filed for Matt and his now-wife Clark County, Nevada. According to the County website, said certificate “is proof that a marriage ceremony was performed in Clark County.â€Â
Who is Jennifer Conlon?
Jennifer Conlon is 35-year-old waitress at a Vegas restaurant. She’s also (of course) a single mother of two daughters of her own. It’s not clear how long Matt and Jennifer have been together; but, according to online records, they’ve been living at the same address for at least a few months.
Baier With Him
Conlon, Baier reportedly told E! News, is “not a public figure … we kept our relationship private,” he says, adding that he never formally proposed to her either. “It was one of those situations where it just kind of felt like the right thing. We really get each other. We both have overcome a lot of stuff. It felt like the right thing to do. It just kind of happened that way.” Sounds promising.
Speaking Out
Conlon recently opened up about Baier in a surprisingly candid interview with Radar Online.
A Strong Connection
“When you meet somebody and you have a connection, you know it in your heart,†Conlon told the site. “It’s not something you question.” Uh … it’s probably something you SHOULD question, Jen.
A Simple Decision
“It felt right to us. Getting married is something we wanted. We decided it was time, so he asked me to marry him,” Conlon added.
A Wonderful Man?
Asked about Baier’s seriously sketchy past, Conlon had this to say: “Matt is a wonderful man. What people think of him and how he’s portrayed, that’s not the man he truly is. He is everything and more. He’s generous and loving.” Whatever you say, Jen!
Undeserved Attacks?
Conlon added that she feels Baier is unfairly maligned by the media, adding: “It’s unfortunate that people think differently. Matt is a good man, yet he gets attacked in a way I don’t understand. That’s not the person in front of me. His actions don’t show that.â€Â
The Past is the Past
Asked if she’s worried she’ll receive the same shabby treatment as Baier’s many baby mamas, Conlon replied, “His past has nothing to do with the relationship. The life we have now is what we have now. Matt is a wonderful partner, friend and someone who listens. I take a person for who they are today and what they do now.â€Â
Blindsided
As for the obvious question of how Portwood reacted to the news … it’s not clear if she knew about it any earlier than we did. “Amber is not aware that he got married,†a source tells The Ashley. This can’t go over well.
Holding Out Hope
The situation is all the more bizarre given that they JUST went on Marriage Boot Camp to potentially salvage their romance, during which he said “I’ll hold out hope for a reconciliation. But if nothing else, I hope we can stay friends. We started off as best friends and that’s what I miss the most from her: her friendship. To not have that is painful. When something happens, my natural instinct still is to call her and tell her everything. She was my family.” Don’t hold out too much hope for her to pick up …
Takes One to Know One?
Not that Amber is in a position to criticize necessarily … nor is she unhappy. She met Andrew Glennon while he was working as a crew member on Marriage Boot Camp, and is now dating him and expecting his child. She insists there was no overlap with Matt and that she didn’t cheat, but this much is clear: Baier and Portwood did not rest on their laurels as single people.