Jenelle Evans rose to fame when she was just a teenager, as she starred on 16 and Pregnant in 2010. Later, the 33-year-old went on to appear in several spinoffs of the series including Teen Mom 2 and Teen Mom: The Next Chapter. The birth of her eldest son, Jace Vahn, in 2009 changed the course of Jenelle’s life forever and made her a household name for reality TV fans.
Jenelle and her family had a brief scare after Jace was first reported as a runaway on August 15, 2023. “As a boy mom, kids can act up and rebel as I’m sure the majority of us all once did as kids too. Jace, got in trouble at school, we decided to take his phone away and that’s when he decided to run off,” the mother-of-three told TMZ in a statement at the time.
She went on to assure the outlet that the incident was not related to her marriage to David Eason. “Jace is a good kid and we’re not dealing with anything that most families don’t deal with while raising children, this has absolutely nothing to do with my situation with David, we do not argue in front of our children or fight in front of our kids,” she continued. “This is a teenage boy being a teenager mad that we decided to take his phone away.” Jace was later confirmed to be located and safe with his mother a few hours later, as reported on the Brunswick Co. Sheriff’s Department Facebook. Jace was also reported as a runaway two more times over the course of the month.
In October 2023, it was reported that Jenelle and David were being investigated and, as a result, could be charged with assault and neglect after Jace’s three runaway attempts. TMZ reported that after Jace ran away, he reportedly told law enforcement that his stepdad David had assaulted him. He also reportedly appeared to have visible marks on his neck and arm, which made the investigation more serious. There’s also a claim that there’s video of the alleged assault and cops have it in their possession. He is reportedly set to go to trial sometime in 2025.
That month, news broke that David was reportedly charged with alleged child abuse, according to TMZ. The outlet reported that it was a misdemeanor charge. Jenelle ferociously hit back via social media the same day, defending her husband. “You would think police wouldn’t make a one sided police investigation,” she wrote in part. “They didn’t conduct interviews, didn’t ask any information from the parents. This seems like a very bias situation like everytime before.”
Below is everything to know about Jenelle’s three children.
Jace Vahn
The MTV alum’s eldest son, Jace, was born in 2009 amid her high school years. Jenelle welcomed her first child with her then-boyfriend Andrew Lewis, however, the two broke up soon after Jace’s arrival, as reported by People. At the time of Jace’s birth, Jenelle and Andrew made her mom, Barbara Evans, the legal guardian of the child. The father was not involved in his son’s life from that point on.
Years later, in March 2023, Barbara gave her daughter custody of Jace after over a decade of not doing so. Jenelle took to Instagram on March 18 to share a video of herself signing the paperwork to be her son’s legal guardian once more. “#MyHappyEnding , ITS OFFICIAL! Thanks everyone for the support! Words cant descibe [sic] how happy i truly am. Our family is complete now! Thank you mom,” she captioned the emotional video at the time.
Much more recently, the proud momma took to Instagram on August 2, 2023, to celebrate her son’s 14th birthday. Jenelle celebrated the moment by sharing two photos alongside Jace. “14 YEARS OLD EVERYONE! #HappyBirthday to Jace! You’re growing into a such polite young man. I’m happy as long as you’re happy! @jace_vahn,” she captioned the celebratory post. Many fans took to the comments to react to seeing the teen all grown up. “I can’t believe he is so big happy birthday,” one fan gushed, while another added, “Omg he’s so grown up! Awww Jace!”
Kaiser Orion Griffith
Five years after Jenelle gave birth to her first child she then welcomed her second son, Kaiser Orion Griffith. Her second kiddo was born on June 30, 2014, amid her relationship to her now-ex, Nathan Griffith. The former lovebirds ended up calling it quits on their romance in Aug. 2015, notably shortly after Kaiser’s first birthday. Since then, Jenelle and Nathan have battled over custody of their little one several times, per People.
Jenelle has primary custody over the nine-year-old, while his father has him “every other weekend,” per the mag’s 2020 report. She once shared with People about her experience of being pregnant with Kaiser. “One time I almost lost it during pregnancy, it was my second son, Kaiser,” she told the outlet. “The epidural just didn’t work and they came in and fixed it, [but] it didn’t work again. So, they just said ‘Welp, we just got to do it.’ So, I did it natural birth, and it was the worst pain in my life.”
She recently took to Instagram to share family photos with all her kiddos, including Kaiser, for Easter 2023. “Easter vibes, and sunny skies! #HappyEaster,” she captioned the adorable snapshots at the time. David’s daughter, who he welcomed during a prior relationship, was also pictured.
Ensley Jolie Eason
Just a few months before David and his wife tied the knot, they welcomed their daughter Ensley Jolie Eason, on January 24, 2017. She is Jenelle’s first and only daughter and many of her fans are constantly commenting about how much they look alike. Jenelle lost custody of Ensley and Kaiser for a brief period in 2019 after David reportedly fatally shot their pet dog for biting her daughter.
Later, she took to Instagram to pen a statement about her kids that June. “It’s the little things in life. With everything that has been going on lately, I’ve come to realize a child’s love for their mother will never fade. No distance, not time, no person can change that special love,” she wrote at the time, per People. She regained custody of the two children in Jul. 2019.
Most recently, Jenelle took to Instagram on Aug. 4 to share a family selfie along with other photos taken by her kids. “Let your kids take pictures for you,” she captioned the sweet carousel of snapshots. Many of her 3.1 million followers took to the comments to compliment her on her adorable family. “You said ‘copy & paste’ with Ensley,” one admirer joked, while another added, “Your daughter is your twin. Kids look so grown and happy.”
