As to be expected, there was plenty of drama at the Teen Mom OG Reunion.
There was just one thing missing: Mackenzie McKee.
Fans on social media asked her why she didn’t attend.
It turns out that Mackenzie just plain wasn’t invited. That’s … not actually that shocking.
Reunion specials, whether they are called that or go under another label, are a reality TV staple.
Despite the extra effort involved, they can be worthwhile — giving viewers an update and letting stars process their journeys.
For the participating members of the cast, these specials can often be more lucrative than individual episodes.
To be excluded from one of these specials usually means that something went down.
It can be a temporary problem, it can be due to a major rift in the cast, or it can mean that someone is being iced out of the show.
In this case, Mackenzie McKee was a no-show, on set and in the cast photos taken without her.
This week, Mackenzie shared a short video to TikTok of her doing her own photoshoot.
With her castmates doing their own thing, it’s kind of sad in comparison.
Alongside the photo, she shared a caption that was more or less about not relying upon others for validation.
Obviously, Mackenzie’s fans and followers were curious.
Why the frick-frack wasn’t she at the Teen Mom OG Reunion? Is she okay? Is she fired?
Mackenzie provided an answer … albeit not a very informative one.
“I was not invited,” Mackenzie wrote simply.
Her words were accompanied by a shrugging emoji.
That was not all that she had to say.
Mackenzie later remarked that she was choosing to take this as a learning experience.
Since she had been excluded, she would hold onto this feeling.
That way, she will endeavor to not exclude others since she knows how that feels.
That’s actually very nice … but does not explain what is going on. Like, at all.
One popular theory floating around on the internet is that MTV is leery of Mackenzie after her racism scandal earlier this year.
Referring to the first woman Vice President in United States history as a “colored woman” is simply unacceptable.
Obviously, Mackenzie’s comment was intended as a politically motivated attack.
She probably didn’t mean to use language reminiscent of how bathrooms and drinking fountains were labeled during segregation.
(Of course, intentions only matter up to a point when it comes to racism — unintentional racism is still racism)
That theory doesn’t quite check out in our books.
For one thing, that scandal went down back in January, around the time of the inauguration.
MTV would have had plenty of time to figure out something to do about Mackenzie other than ghost her for the Reunion.
Another thing that doesn’t make sense is … look who was invited.
Amber Portwood isn’t just a trainwreck.
(Well, she’s that too)
Amber is also a domestic abuser.
She has two baby daddies, and has been arrested after attacking both of them, many years apart.
So we can’t argue that MTV has lofty moral standards. Or, you know, any moral standards.
For that matter, they have the gall to bring back Farrah Abraham.
We don’t give a flying flip about what she does to or with her body, so the cosmetic stuff and sex work are totally fine.
The issue with Farrah is that she’s an aggressively terrible person.
If you’re disinviting Mackenzie over a many-months-past racism scandal, you’re not going to re-hire Farrah … right?
That would make even less sense than rehiring Farrah does on its own.
Instead, it feels like it might be about something more practical.
Suddenly, we are reminded of Mackenzie’s truly unhinged post from half a year ago, complaining about the vaccinated Teen Mom OG crew.
Clearly infested with brainrot, she complained that being around vaccinated individuals was adversely impacting her body.
Is it possible? No. Is it reasonable? No.
With that in mind, many fans are speculating that Mackenzie was in some way refusing, or expecting to refuse, to abide by COVID restrictions.
As a very wise woman once said: “When you do clownery, the clown comes back to bite.”
is Mackenzie icing herself out of the franchise because she’s more comfortable believing nonsense than protecting herself and others?