Gary Wayt went missing, and for a few days in June 2024, the internet basically convinced itself of the worst. One minute he was the "new guy" on Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, proposing to Amber Portwood on a couch with a ring he’d picked out himself, and the next, he was a face on a missing persons poster in North Carolina.
It was bizarre.
People were speculating wildly. Was there foul play? Did the "Teen Mom" curse strike again? Honestly, the truth was way less "true crime" and way more "I need to get out of here right now." If you’ve followed Amber’s journey since 2009, you know her history with the law and her past partners isn't exactly a secret. But for Gary Wayt, the realization of what he was signing up for seemingly hit him all at once in a cabin in Bryson City.
The disappearance that shook the Teen Mom fandom
Everything kicked off during a trip to North Carolina for Amber’s brother Shawn’s wedding. By all accounts, things were fine—until they weren't. On June 9, 2024, Gary walked out of the vacation rental.
He didn't take much.
He left his cell phone behind. He took his keys and his wallet, hopped into his grey 2009 Nissan Rogue, and just... drove. For anyone watching from the outside, a 39-year-old man leaving his phone behind while heading into the rugged terrain of the Great Smoky Mountains is a massive red flag. Amber was understandably frantic. She went on YouTube and TikTok, tearfully begging for help. She kept saying they were "very in love" and that there was no "blowout fight."
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But the Bryson City Police Department was on it. They put out the alert, and for three days, the search was active. Then, the pings started coming in. Not from the mountains of North Carolina, but from a Verizon store and a Walgreens over 900 miles away in Oklahoma.
Why he actually ran
So, what happened to Gary Wayt that made him drive halfway across the country without a GPS or a phone? According to the details that spilled out during the Teen Mom season finale and subsequent reports, it wasn't one single fight. It was a slow-burn realization.
Amber eventually admitted they had an "emotional discussion" before he left. The catalyst? Gary’s family. Apparently, his parents—who are Vietnamese—had done what any concerned parents would do: they Googled their son’s new fiancée.
Imagine that Google search.
They didn't just find a reality star; they found a Wikipedia page detailing a 2010 domestic violence arrest, a 2019 incident involving a machete, and a stint in prison. They weren't thrilled. When Gary brought these concerns to Amber in that cabin, the conversation turned heavy. Amber’s take on it was that he felt stuck between his family’s traditional values and his feelings for her.
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Others, including some vocal fans and critics, suspect he was simply overwhelmed by the "Amber experience." Reality TV cameras, a volatile past, and the pressure of a sudden engagement can make anyone want to hit the open road.
The aftermath and the "Gary 2.0" nickname
When Gary finally called the police from a restricted number on June 14, he confirmed he was safe and sound. He wasn't kidnapped. He wasn't hurt. He was just gone. The case was closed immediately.
The breakup followed almost instantly. You can't really come back from a "missing person" stunt like that. Amber "took off the ring," and the engagement was officially dead by late June.
- June 9: Gary leaves the cabin in Bryson City, NC.
- June 11: Amber reports him missing; police release his photo.
- June 13: Sightings reported in Oklahoma.
- June 14: Gary calls police to confirm he is safe; case closed.
- Late June: Engagement officially called off.
The fans started calling him "Gary 2.0" (a nod to Amber's original baby daddy, Gary Shirley), but he didn't stick around long enough for the name to really stick. He effectively ghosted the entire production. He didn't want to be a character in a storyline anymore. He wanted his life back.
Where is he now?
Gary Wayt didn't waste much time moving on. By August 2024, less than two months after the North Carolina drama, rumors surfaced that he was already engaged to someone else. Some sources claimed he proposed at a restaurant in Seattle.
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Amber’s reaction was surprisingly chill. She told Us Weekly a simple "Congratulations."
It seems both parties realized they were a bad match. Amber has since been spotted dating someone new—a guy from North Carolina with a "mountain accent" who reportedly has a steady job and stays out of the limelight. It’s a recurring pattern for the MTV star, but maybe this time the pace is a bit more sustainable.
The whole Gary Wayt saga serves as a pretty stark reminder of how heavy the baggage of reality TV fame can be. When you date someone with fifteen years of "bad moments" documented on national television, the "getting to know you" phase usually happens via a search engine, not a candlelit dinner. Gary chose the exit ramp.
If you're following this and wondering how to vet a partner without things ending in a multi-state police search, here’s the takeaway:
- Check the history early. If someone has a public profile, look into it before you're in a cabin in the woods.
- Watch for the "rush." Gary proposed after just a few months. That’s usually a sign that the honeymoon phase is masking some deeper incompatibilities.
- Listen to the "emotional discussions." If a partner’s family is a dealbreaker, that’s a conversation for month two, not the week of an engagement.
Gary Wayt is back to being a private citizen, and for him, that’s clearly the win.