The Tragedy Of JD Vance's Mother Beverly Aikins Is So Sad

The following article includes references to addiction and child abuse.

As anyone who's read "Hillbilly Elegy" or watched the film adaptation will know, JD Vance's childhood was a tragic one. His mother, Beverly Aikins, struggled with serious addiction — and even though she's gotten clean and sober in more recent years, there can be no denying that her substance use has left a lasting effect on her family. 

Speaking to The New York Times in September 2024, Aikins shared that her addiction began during her nursing career. After taking a prescription pill for a headache, she enjoyed how the medication made her feel and soon began stealing other, stronger medications while on the job. She wasn't just taking prescription medicines for herself, though. As Aikins revealed to the Washington Examiner, "I sold drugs from the hospital I was working at, in particular morphine. I stole morphine." Ultimately, she ended up being caught, and though the hospital initially sent her for treatment, when she admitted to having relapsed, she was dismissed. That wasn't all. Aikins' nursing license was also suspended, taking away the one opportunity she had to give herself and her kids a better life. 

In addition to losing her source of income, Aikins also admitted to the Washington Examiner that her suspension put her into a very dark place. "I hated it. I hated myself. My whole identity was in being a nurse. I felt like that was my calling. I just thought the opportunity was gone," she shared. Sadly, her addiction had become so strong that she couldn't stop using drugs, which in turn made her feel as though returning to her calling was never going to be a possibility for her, anyway. "I had graduated to heroin. I just thought I would never be a nurse again," she said. Sadly, Aikins' addiction is just part of her heartbreaking story. 

It bears mentioning that Beverly Aikins' life pre-addiction wasn't exactly harmonious. On the contrary, as JD Vance shared in "Hillbilly Elegy," Aikins had grown up in a very abusive household, with both of her parents prone to violent outbursts. 

According to JD, his grandfather would grow violent toward his daughters after drinking. His mamaw Bonnie Vance was violent, too — though he referred to her as a "violent non-drunk" (via New Yorker). In addition to being subject to abuse by her parents, Aikins also witnessed the violence they inflicted upon one another. In one particularly harrowing instance, Bonnie had threatened to kill Jim if he returned to their home drunk. When he did, she set him on fire. Horrifyingly, it was one of Aikins' siblings who put the fire out. The child was aged just 11.

Aikins' upbringing likely influenced the way she treated her own children, and she ended up having an abusive relationship with her kids. JD has spoken at length about a harrowing car ride where his mother threatened to kill both him and herself. In an interview with Megyn Kelly for NBC News, he recounted, "I said something, or some conversation topic really ignited her temper, and then she just sped up. And she kept on saying, 'I'm just gonna crash this car and kill us both.'" Aikins eventually did take her foot off the gas, if only to hit him, and JD was able to run for help. Aikins was arrested, though JD's feelings on that were mixed. As he told Kelly, he was relieved to be alive. However, relief was quickly replaced with devastating loneliness, and the memory has remained so palpable that he continues to tear up when thinking back on it. 

Another heartbreaking reality of Beverly Aikins' life? She's been incredibly unlucky in love.

Though not much is known about JD Vance's half-sister's father, it is known that Aikins had been just 19 when she gave birth to Lindsay Lewis Ratliff. However the relationship ended, she later married JD's father, Donald Bowman, and welcomed her politician son. That relationship didn't last long, either. The family was abandoned by Donald just a few years later, and by the time Vance was 6, Donald and Aikins had officially divorced. She later moved on with Bob Hamel — and that had some complicated ramifications for a young JD. Despite the "D" in his name initially being short for Donald, Aikins and Hamel didn't want him to bear his biological father's name anymore, so that got changed to David. His last name also became Hamel ... until that marriage ended, too. Suffice it to say, a young Vance wasn't thrilled. As he wrote in "Hillbilly Elegy," "One of the worst parts, honestly, was that Bob's departure would further complicate the tangled web of last names in our family" (via People). 

Vance hasn't said if his name changed again with Aikins' subsequent marriages, but he did eventually take on his mother's maiden name. Even so, the naming issue was still just part of a bigger problem for him personally. "Of all the things I hated about my childhood, nothing compared to the revolving door of father figures," he wrote in his memoir (via People). Vance also admitted that he had serious trust issues when it came to men because of how many partners came and went during his early years. It's not clear if Aikins has settled down with anyone else in her later years.

Given everything JD Vance and his sister went through as kids, it should probably come as no surprise that they ended up not speaking to their shared parent for a time. In fact, Beverly Aikins has said that she and her son had essentially no contact during the time when he was writing "Hillbilly Elegy." She shared with The Movie Times that even when it came to details about her, Vance had consulted with other family members, rather than her. 

However, that's not to say he snubbed her completely. In fact, Aikins shared that just before the book launched, he made a point of visiting her to give her a heads-up. "He did come to Middletown and talk to me and say, 'Mom, I have to tell you that I wrote a book ... and you're not very favorable in the book. But just know that I love you and I want the best for you,'" she recounted. Aikins wasn't unhappy about it, though. Quite the opposite, she told him she was proud of him for doing it and that if he needed to write about his experiences, she was behind him all the way. Sweetly, she also went out and bought every single copy of the book at her local Barnes & Noble — as well as their re-stock. 

Vance was moved by just how supportive Aikins had been, but it turned out it was the content of the book that helped them mend their strained relationship. "I never knew his pain until I read the book," she admitted, adding that it being published had fostered a ton of healing for her, Vance, and Lindsay Lewis Ratliff. We love to see it!

Sticking with "Hillbilly Elegy" and the fact that it helped Beverly Aikins reconnect with her kids, it's worth noting that she credits the book for fostering more openness with both of her children. As she told The New York Times, "It helped us grow as a family, and it opened up a line of communication that we never really had. Addiction in our house was like the elephant in the room. Nobody ever said anything about it. We do now." 

Aikins has also said that reading the book and subsequently watching the movie forced her to look back on her life — a particularly important step for her, as she admitted to The Movie Times that she genuinely hadn't realized how horrific the situation had been for her kids. "It caused me to grow up a lot," she said.

Even with all the healing that has since taken place, it is worth noting that even now there are times when she doesn't realize just how vivid her kids' memories of their difficult childhoods are. Such was the case when they watched the Netflix adaptation of the book together, and she didn't understand why they were crying as much as they were. "'Mom, you were out of it all those years. You don't even remember,'" she recounted them saying in her interview with The New York Times. "It's like, 'Oh, yes, okay. Go ahead and cry ... It's a movie! Quit crying,'" she added. Baby steps, we guess!

Beverly Aikins may have been open to reading and later watching her son's heartbreaking retelling of his childhood, but that's not to say she's open to consuming just anything. In fact, she told The New York Times that avoiding what's been said about her son, or even the news in general, is an important part of staying clean and sober (something she's understandably proud of). "I just choose to ignore that," she said. It's worth noting that even when it comes to positive news, she prefers to stay out of that, too. "In ignoring the bad, I also have to ignore the good. I can live in my own little bubble and be comfortable," she said. Hey, whatever works.

Of course, taking steps to avoid outside news doesn't mean Aikins is a recluse. Quite the contrary, despite previously tanking her career with her addiction issues, she earned her nursing license back, and works at a treatment facility specifically for people with addiction issues. On an even bigger scale, though, she told The New York Times that she'd like to use her newfound position to help others dealing with substance abuse. "I want people to know to reach out, to try to get help, and that recovery is hard but it's so worth it," she said. 

Something tells us JD Vance's fans would be only too happy for Aikins to take up more space. After all, when Vance gave her a shout-out at the 2024 Republican National Convention, the crowds went wild for her, becoming especially enthusiastic when the author-turned-politician shared that he hoped to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of his mom getting clean in the White House. It's been one helluva ride, but we're happy to see things looking up for Aikins. 

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues or may be the victim of child abuse, contact the relevant resources below:

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

• TheChildhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.