In series 7, Maxine, increasingly disillusioned by Carl's immaturity, secretly aborts her and Carl's unborn baby, but she would later tell Carl, which infuriates him enough to make him end their relationship. She moves in with Ian Gallagher (Gerard Kearns) after her breakup with Carl. She later takes Ian to a party at her parents house under the pretence that Ian is her doctor boyfriend. She tells Ian that her family sees her as a "fuck-up." After witnessing the disparaging remarks from Maxine's father about his daughter, Ian defends her. This leads to an unexpected romance between Ian and Maxine, which in turn leads to a fight and a strained relationship between Ian and Carl as well as Maxine and Carl, Maxine and Micky Maguire (Ciarán Griffiths).