The Untold Truth Of Jenelle Evans

This article contains references to domestic violence, drug use, addiction, and miscarriage. 

Jenelle Evans was first made famous during her teen years when MTV picked her up for the widely popular and highly controversial reality show "16 and Pregnant." Evans debuted her baby bump in the Season 2 premiere in 2010, as she gave viewers a glimpse into her chaotic relationship with her former boyfriend, her wild partying ways, and ultimately her decision to allow her mother to raise her son in her place. 

Following her first reality television show stint, Evans went on to appear in a spinoff of the initial show, "Teen Mom 2." This series showcased the star and other young moms' journeys in parenting as they navigated life and love with kids. Reality television aside, Evans has certainly stayed busy over the years, expanding her brood, beefing with costars, and keeping fans talking at every turn.

Evans doesn't do things by the book and has an unapologetic approach to life. She embodied this attitude in an Instagram post announcing a reconciliation with her husband, David Eason, in 2020, "I don't care what they say, I love you no matter what. Here's to new beginnings." Despite going through her fair share of struggles, like temporarily losing custody of her children, this young mother just keeps on trucking while doing things her own way. While much of her personal life is played out for cameras, the untold truth of Jenelle Evans helps to create a fuller picture of the former MTV reality star. 

As an adult, Jenelle Evans' relationship history has been rocky, to say the least. As a child, she sadly didn't have the most stable relationship role models to follow, either. In a 2016 interview with Radar, her mom, Barbara Evans, revealed that she and Jenelle's father, Robert Evans, divorced during her childhood. She explained that the family lived out of hotels for months after their home burned down in 2000 — by which time Robert had allegedly distanced himself from them and offered no support. "My ex-husband ... didn't offer us a place to stay," she said. "When we had that fire, and he didn't offer my kids anything, not a meal, not a sandwich, not a crumb of food, or clothes, that says it all right there." Jenelle lost contact with him when they moved to North Carolina in 2004.

In a 2016 blog post (via Us Weekly), the self-proclaimed daddy's girl expressed how she continues to harbor hurt and questions regarding why her father checked out of her life. "To this day, I have no idea whether it was the best choice for me to cut ties with him like my mother tried to make me do or if my father just didn't want anything to do with us anymore," she wrote. "This thought is always on my mind, but until I get to speak to him, it will never be answered. Maybe one day we will reconnect once again."

As a young woman, Jenelle Evans experienced drug addiction as well as issues with indulging in reckless sexual behavior. Both of which, she has openly addressed over the years. Speaking to E! News, Evans revealed, "I think my low point was with my drug issue and the whole heroin thing. I almost overdosed and died. I was trying to run away from my problems." Her dangerous cycle of substance misuse, risky behavior, and eventual withdrawals led her to check into a detox center and a rehabilitation facility in 2013. A source close to the reality star told Radar, "Jenelle was just partying and doing drugs and doing really stupid things with guys, and she couldn't stop." The source added that the star had experienced a rough couple of months prior to rehab, including a miscarriage.

Drugs weren't the only dangerous habit that Evans found herself drawn to during her teenage and young adult years. In her intimate memoir, "Read Between the Lines: Diary of a Teenage Mom," the reality star confessed that in her bid for affection, she had an unhealthy, compulsive attitude toward hooking up. "I don't think I was really addicted to sex. I think I was addicted to love," she wrote. "I would do anything to keep a guy with me, so I used sex as a manipulation tool. I gave them what they wanted to get them to stay with me."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Most fans of MTV reality television know that Jenelle Evans is currently married to her often controversial husband, David Eason. They wed in 2017 and are proud biological parents to their darling daughter Ensley. Over their courtship and marriage, they have hit a few rough patches, even splitting for a time. Two years after getting hitched, the reality star revealed details of their split on Instagram (via E! News). "The kids and I have moved away from David. Nobody gets into a marriage expecting it to end, but I know what is best for me and for my kids," she wrote. "Today I've filed papers to start that process. I appreciate the support from everybody who has asked me how I am." 

Despite the time apart, as of September 2022, the two remain together, choosing to fight for their marriage instead of divorcing. Evans might not be divorced from Eason, but she has been divorced before. Prior to Eason, Evans was wed to Courtland Rogers. However, they were married for only six weeks before she filed five assault charges against her husband including one charge of battery of an unborn child, per Radar. She experienced a miscarriage shortly after. Per In Touch, Evans claimed that her ex-husband was physically abusive toward her. While police records indicated several violent incidents, none apparently matched the allegation in her memoir. Rogers refuted her accusations to Radar, stating, "I never in my life have hit her."

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Jenelle Evans has three children with three different fathers. In 2009, during her teen years, she gave birth to her first son, Jace, who was conceived with her former boyfriend, Andrew Lewis. This relationship, pregnancy, and birth was a focal storyline for MTV's "16 and Pregnant." Evans relinquished custody of Jace to her mother soon after he was born. As of September 2022, she was still fighting her mom for full custodial rights to her son. Her second child, Kaiser, was fathered by her former fiance, Nathan Griffin. Kaiser's parents split when he was young, and Evans moved on to her second husband, David Eason, with whom she welcomed her third child, a daughter named Ensley.

After baby number three, she decided to tie her tubes and call it quits on the baby-making. Evans explained to Us Weekly that the decision was heavily based on several debilitating medical issues that she had endured for years. "I decided to get this procedure because I had a really bad problem of irregular bleeding, which led to ultrasounds, then led to my OBGYN suggesting exploration surgery and tubes being tied," she explained. "She told me my IUD made my lining very thin, which isn't good." The reality star added that she also had several ovarian cysts and polyps removed during the procedure. "In the long run, it was the best decision for my health and gave me a lot of answers to many problems I was experiencing."

Jenelle Evans may not be adding any more biological babies to her immediate family, but there are already plenty of other children in the Evans-Eason-others orbit thanks to previous relationships. In addition to the daughter he shares with Evans, David Eason is also a father to two other children. His daughter, Maryssa, was born from a previous relationship and is often included in family snaps on Evan's Instagram feed. Eason also has a son, Kaden, from another ex-girlfriend. According to The Sun, Kaden lives with his mother, Olivia Leedham. She has retained full custody of the boy after Eason was accused of domestic violence and of endangering his son's life while his ex was pregnant with Kaden. He denied the allegations.

Evans' eldest children have biological siblings as well. Per Ok! her former boyfriend, Andrew Lewis, texted his ex to let her know that Jace had a little brother he could now say hello to. A former roommate of Evans' explained her reaction to the news. "She was very confused and hurt. Not only did Andrew go and have another baby with another girl, but he also named that baby Jake, just one letter different from his first son, Jace!" Evans' middle son Kaiser also has a sister named Emery, born to another woman. So, lots of dads, moms, and kids belong to this intricately blended reality TV family.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Raising three kids while in tip-top shape is a challenge for most. Keeping up with three busy little ones while struggling with health woes is the pits. Jenelle Evans knows this all too well, as she has been battling a series of health concerns during her twenties. She landed in the emergency room in 2022, where doctors ruled out some causes of her frightening chest pains while simultaneously looking into underlying triggers, such as autoimmune disorders.

The hospital stint arrived on the heels of a fibromyalgia diagnosis for the reality star. According to Mayo Clinic, the condition can include debilitating symptoms such as fatigue, chronic mood swings, and widespread musculoskeletal pain. Evans told E News, "I now know why my body is acting the way it does, and it explains a lot. I never knew what fibromyalgia was until my doctor diagnosed me." In the interview, she elaborated that because her condition can be limiting, she explains to her young kids that their mom will have good days and bad days. The mother of three is also focused on managing symptoms by fueling her body with foods that don't aggravate the condition and limiting ones that do.

Jenelle Evans might barely recall a time when MTV's cameras weren't involved in her life. Over the years, reality television fans have watched her go from a pregnant teen to a wife to a mother to three. As they say, though, all good things must come to an end, and it seems as if Evans and MTV have finally reached the finish line in their working relationship. 

In 2022, the network announced a new series, "Teen Mom: The Next Chapter," which would combine alums from "Teen Mom OG" and "Teen Mom 2" into one super-show, per People. While MTV reportedly wanted Evans to join the new cast, it turns out that she will not be a part of the new project because both parties couldn't agree on a contract. For her next steps, Evans' manager told People that the star had matured and was enjoying a rare moment of stability. "Her family is very happy, aside from her health issues," they said. "... Her marriage is stable. They are, I think in every way, pretty healthy right now as a family." 

This isn't the first time MTV and Evans have gone their separate ways. In 2019, Evans was fired from "Teen Mom 2" because her husband, David Eason, shot and killed the family dog for reportedly biting the couple's young daughter in the face. Evans told Us Weekly she was surprised at getting the ax but understood the decision, insisting she still loved the network. 

So many stars of the "Teen Mom" franchise have proven they are more than just mommies by launching lucrative businesses. Evans very much wanted to be a part of the business-savvy moms club, but her ventures didn't pan out as well as some of the others did. In 2022, she unsuccessfully tried launching a clothing line. Per The Sun, fans were left underwhelmed by a sneak peek of her collection with Sew Sew You with some complaining the fabric and designs looked cheap and unflattering. Shortly after, Evans took to TikTok to emotionally claim that the company had canceled the collection due to "haters."

A few years earlier, Evans tried her hand at the beauty biz, creating JE Cosmetics and focusing on eyebrow kits. Per Radar Online, that idea also went south. As to why the business didn't flourish, well, there are two sides to the story. It could have been because of the high number of dissatisfied customers, or if Evans is to be believed, it was because she was doing everything solo, sans a strong team needed to make things run smoothly. She told The Sun, "Basically, I stopped it myself. I still have stuff to sell, and I was still actually selling products, but it's really hard to keep up with without a team. I was the one packaging everything, shipping it all, restocking it."

The reality stars of MTV's "Teen Mom" franchise not only throw their energies into starting businesses, but they also put pen to paper, detailing their experiences as young mothers in memoirs. Several of the show's cast members, including Farrah Abraham, Kailyn Lowry, Maci Bookout, and Jenelle Evans, have become published authors as a side hustle. In her own book, entitled, "Read Between the Lines: From the Diary of a Teenage Mom," Evans chronicled a variety of heavy subject matter including her relationship with her father, woes with her mama, her first love, and life with David Eason.

Readers got an in-depth look at many of Evans' past relationships, many of which were quite troubled. While fans of Evans know much of her story, from her years of appearing on reality television, her book allowed people to create a fuller picture of the star through her own perspective and her words. Per Goodreads, the book received mixed opinions from "Teen Mom" fans. One reader called Alexis noted that the tome was riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes while another called Vanessa began their review, "Oh my, what a train wreck of a book." Meanwhile, some other reviewers challenged the poor reviews, with one by a fan called Hilary noting, "It was not super eloquent or groundbreaking ... [but] it was an engaging read."

Jenelle Evans isn't one to hold back on her opinions, and her tongue has gotten her in trouble once or twice ... or more. Over her years working with MTV, the star has found herself in a few verbal squabbles with other ladies of the franchise. Per Radar, when Brianna DeJesus made the mistake of commenting in a 2019 interview that she didn't think Evans would return to "Teen Mom," the former pal's friendship reportedly hit the rocks for it. Per In Touch, Evans once also jabbed at Farrah Abraham over her penchant for going under the knife, as well as her unusually strict bathroom policies — wherein she reportedly doesn't allow the "Teen Mom" crew to use her home facilities during filming.

Even Amber Portwood wasn't safe from a good old tongue lashing after she'd suggested Evans was immature and self-centered. "You had a machete, a whole incident ... but then you want to sit here and say how bad I am," she fired back at Portwood on Instagram Stories (via Ok!), referring to the star's alleged domestic violence incident of 2019. 

Finally, there is her lengthy feud with Kailyn Lowry, who believed that it was Evans who told the world of her 3rd pregnancy. The two went at it time and time again until Lowry decided to bury the hatchet, formally apologizing to Evans for her misunderstanding of the situation. On Instagram, Lowry explained that her ex had been the one engaging in loose-lipped behavior all along. 

There is no shame in Jenelle Evans' plastic surgery game. In 2018, she indulged in an Instagram Stories Q&A session with fans (via In Touch) to clear up misconceptions about what work and how much work she has done to her body. She admitted to having breast enhancement surgery six years earlier, going from a size B to a size D, and having fillers in 2016. She considered going under the knife to alter the appearance of her chin but eventually decided against it telling Us Weekly, "I've just been really insecure about my chin for a long time, I just thought it was really pointy, and ever since getting older, my face is growing."

Evans isn't unique in her quest for cosmetic adjustments. Many of the "Teen Mom" alums have had a tuck or tweak here or there. Jade Kline had a Brazilian butt lift, Briana DeJesus is no stranger to plastic surgery, and Farrah Abraham is almost as famous for her cosmetic alterations as she is for her reality television appearances. 

All those years starring on reality television and engaging in side hustles had to leave Jenelle Evans with a small fortune, right? Well, not exactly. As of 2022, the former "Teen Mom" star was estimated to be worth $30,000, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Evans admits to not being of millionaire status, telling 107.5 KZL radio (via Cheat Sheet) that she has likely made close to half a million dollars through MTV. Indeed, according to Radar, Jenelle reportedly made $75,000 per season at the start of her career. She also enjoyed small perks, like gift cards to popular eateries. Though these don't exactly pay the bills. 

The income Evans has pulled from her years of working with MTV has allowed her to settle down with her family in a modest home in North Carolina. Per The Sun, the property boasts a modular home with plenty of acres, a she-shed, and an inground pool. At home, the Eason family enjoys growing their own vegetables, raising livestock, and living the country life.