Where is Shayanna Jenkins now? Aaron Hernandez's 'soulmate' is raising her children and gearing for marriage
If there’s one thing that REELZ special telecast, 'Aaron Hernandez: Life Inside' brings to light other than the life, death, and killings of convicted murderer and former NFL star Aaron Hernandez, it’s the story of his soulmate and childhood sweetheart, Shayanna Jenkins. Amid the shocking twists and turns in his sensational trials is Jenkins, the love of his life and the mother of his daughter continue to stand up for him, no matter what.
The couple met and started dating while attending Bristol Central High School in Connecticut. Although they broke up when he went south to play for the Gators at the University of Florida, they rekindled after he was drafted by the New England Patriots. Hernandez's and Jenkins's love story came to a tragic end after Hernandez was prisoned and later committed suicide.
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Even though Hernandez was bisexual, he considered Jenkins as his soulmate and his love for her was genuine. The couple grew up in the same neighborhood and spent their childhood together. Fast forward to 2012, they celebrated their pregnancy and engagement — all until things started to crumble.
In 2013, a year after their engagement, Aaron got linked to the fatal shooting of Odin Loyd, the boyfriend of Jenkins's sister Shaneah Jenkins. When he was charged with murder, Jenkins continued to support him even at the expense of her own relationship with her sister. Both the sisters became estranged following Hernandez’s arrest, and they only looked directly at each other once throughout the 2015 trial that turned things upside down for the longtime lovers.
On April 19, 2017, Hernandez hanged himself in cell 57 of a Massachusetts Correctional Facility, where he was serving time for the murder of Lloyd. He was found hanging from a bedsheet attached to a window in his cell in Unit G-2 of the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center at about 3.05 am, the state Department of Correction said in a statement. The agency said Hernandez had tried to block the door to prevent officers from entering.
During an interview with 'Aaron Hernandez Uncovered', on Oxygen, Jenkins described why she chose the former NFL superstar over her own family. “This is someone you love ... and you think about your future and what’s happening,’’ she said. “I wasn’t going to let him experience it alone. I was going to stick by his side every step of the way.’’
Where is Shayanna Jenkins now?
Shayanna Jenkins is now trying to recover from her past and has plans to marry former football player Dino Guilmette. Jenkins has two children, one of which she shares with Hernandez, Avielle and the other one, Giselle, whom she had with Guilmette in 2018.
On January 16, 2020, she posted, "I wanted to let all of you sweet sweet souls know I have tried to read every message sent on IG and through email (positive and negative)" Shayanna wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday. "The amount of support and positive energy is again unreal! I'm sure you will all understand how imperative it is to take some time away from social media."
She captioned the post with: "#stayhumble😘."
In 2018, she revealed on Instagram that she was expecting another baby. "Many of you have had speculated that I may be expecting another miracle which is very accurate , I wanted to take time and process and post when I was ready to. I wanted to have a moment for myself alone with my daughter ... we are beyond excited about the new addition and chapter we will soon begin . I couldn’t be a luckier woman to have such a perfect little girl that’s prepared to become the best big sister , and even more blessed to welcome another babygirl to our home . BabyG we are very excited to meet you !!! Mommy and sissy will continue to wait patiently for your arrival. I thank everyone for the continued support and appreciate the respect for our privacy that has been shown."
Jenkins often shares pictures with her daughters. Here are some of the best pictures that she recently posted on Instagram.
The special show will air on Sunday, February 14, at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT on REELZ.