Politics
Teen Mom Jenelle Evans says broken bond with mom Barbara will NEVER be repaired amid custody war over her son Jace, 11
TEEN Mom Jenelle Evans tells The Sun that the fight with her mother Barbara over custody of her son Jace, has left their relationship broken beyond repair.
In an exclusive interview the former MTV star tells The Sun that the ongoing legal battle over her oldest son, who fans watched grow up on the show, has broken any chance of reconciling with her mom.
Jenelle Evans (with her son Jace) is fighting her mom for custody[/caption]
Barbara Evans has had custody of Jace since he was a toddler[/caption]
The former Teen Mom 2 star tells The Sun: “Things have been pretty rocky at her house with Jace for the past two years.
“There hasn’t been a major change. We agreed for Jace to live with me and she took back her word like a week later.”
Now she says she’s dealing with the situation in court: “I am going through a custody battle with my mom now.”
Jenelle says of getting Jace back: “I think it’s just time.”
The 29-year-old mother of three says Jace has had behavioral issues while living with Barbara.
As The Sun previously reported, Jace allegedly started fires while in Barbara’s care.
Jenelle and her mother have had a tumultuous relationship through the years[/caption]
Jenelle and Barbara have been able to repair their relationship in the past[/caption]
Jenelle says her relationship with her mother is broken for good[/caption]
Jace allegedly also burned Barbara’s carpet when he was angry, according to Jenelle in the court filings.
When asked about the incidents specifically, Jenelle says: “I can’t really say too much, because of the pending court case. I will say that Jace wasn’t on his best behavior at my mom’s house, and that’s one of my big concerns right now, his behavior is just bad.
“I don’t know if it’s because he’s getting older and is becoming a rebellious teenager, but I know everything is fine at my house. He loves it here and he loves spending time with his siblings & spending time as a family.”
Jenelle adds: “I think it’s time to just come here with the conflict going on at my mom’s house. It’s unnecessary for them to be together full time.”
Jenelle, who is launching a podcast in the coming weeks says her life is more stable now that she and her husband are getting along better.
Jenelle started fighting for custody of Jace in court in January[/caption]
Jenelle says Jace loves spending time with his siblings[/caption]
She also says her husband, David, has been helpful in raising Jace[/caption]
She and husband David Eason briefly separated in 2020.
Jenelle says: “Jace loves going out on the boat with David, and David teaches him about hunting and fishing. He’s around a guy, and has a guy’s perspective and is not always around my mom.
Jenelle adds: “Because his dad isn’t around, it’s good he has a father figure of some sort.”
It also is tough at Barbara’s home with Jace’s schooling, she says.
“It’s also hard for her to help with school a lot because she doesn’t get the new school stuff that they teach.”
While they battle it out in court, Jenelle says they have a locked in visitation schedule.
Jenelle says she is in a better place these days[/caption]
“Right now I get him every other weekend, and two months out of the summer & whenever he gets spring break I get him. The only time he is with my mom is when he is at school.”
While she and Barbara are splitting custody, Jenelle says, they are not on speaking terms.
Jenelle adds: “We will probably not ever repair our relationship, but if I do get custody I will continue to let Jace have a relationship with her.”
“They’ve been together for such a long time, and I don’t want to be petty and be petty against Jace just because I have something against my mom.”
Things between her and Barbara started heating up in January of this year, as Jenelle filed an emergency petition for custody of her 11-year-old son.
In North Carolina court papers, which were first obtained by The Sun, Jenelle filed for sole custody of her troubled son on January 28, 2021.
Barbara currently has primary physical and legal custody of Jace, as Jenelle has visitation with him every other weekend, after she signed over custody of her son to her mother in June 2010.
Fans of Teen Mom 2 have seen Jace since his birth- he is now 11[/caption]
According to the custody filing, Jenelle claimed there has been a “substantial change in circumstances affecting the welfare of the minor child” that warrants a change in the custody agreement.
The former Teen Mom 2 star claimed Jace is “at risk of bodily injury” in the care of his grandmother, which is why she is filing for emergency custody.
Jenelle alleged Jace has had “increasingly worse behavior problems that cause him to be physically aggressive, out of control and unsafe.”
The YouTuber claimed Barbara told her she “cannot control the minor child’s behaviors.”
Barbara was instructed by his health care provider “multiple times” to call a crisis hotline or go to the Emergency Department if Jace’s “aggression escalates,” Jenelle alleged in the filing.
Jenelle noted an alleged December 19, 2020 incident where Jace and Barbara “argued throughout the day.”
The court papers claimed: “The minor child physically assaulted [Barbara] twice causing injury to [Barbara.] The Minor child also burned the carpet because he was angry with [Barbara].
Jenelle wants Jace to live with her and his siblings[/caption]
Jenelle also says her mother doesn’t know how to deal with Jace’s school work[/caption]
“The minor child has a history of starting fires in the home of [Barbara].”
Jenelle claimed her mother “did not contact the crisis line or seek any treatment or professional help for the minor child during this incident.”
The JE Cosmetics owner alleged Barbara reached out to Jenelle for help with Jace.
Jenelle claimed that on December 20, 2020, she picked up Jace to bring him to live with her primarily at the consent of Barbara.
Jenelle, who is also mom to Kaiser, 6, with ex-fiance Nathan Griffith and Ensley, 4, with husband David Eason, said Jace’s behavior “improves substantially” in her care and that they “do not struggle with conflict or aggression.”
She said her son stayed with her until January 18, 2021, when Barbara allegedly backed out on their new custody agreement for Jace to live with her full time and demanded he be returned to her home.
The filing continued: “[Barbara] cannot manage the minor child’s behavior without assistance from [Jenelle] and the conflict in [Barbara’s home] has resulted in domestic violence between [Barbara] and [Jace].
Jenelle says Jace should be back with her and his siblings now[/caption]
“It is not safe or healthy for the minor child to remain in the custody of [Barbara] as [Barbara] is not properly treating the minor child’s mental health or managing his behaviors.”
Jenelle said she is “fit and proper” to have sole legal and physical custody of Jace, while Barbara is “not fit and proper to have the care, custody and control of [Jace] due to her lack of ability to properly care for the child and ensure he has a safe home environment.”
She then brought up Jace’s father, Andrew Lewis, claiming he “abandoned” their son and has “failed to maintain any contact with [her] or the child since before the child was one year old.”
She asked for any visitation between Barbara and Jace to be “therapeutic in nature until they are able to appropriately manage the conflict in their relationship.”
Jenelle requested the court issue an emergency custody order for Jace to be transferred to her care “immediately.”
Jenelle signed over custody of Jace in 2010 when her mother filed for primary custody of the then-toddler.
At the time, Jenelle had been arrested for possession of marijuana, and breaking and entering.
Barbara has had custody of Jace since he was a toddler[/caption]
She completed a stint in rehab for marijuana use while on probation for the bust.
In May 2019, the children, along with David’s teen daughter Maryssa from a previous marriage, were removed from their care by Child Protective Services.
This came after David admitted to shooting and killing the family’s dog Nugget for nipping at their daughter Ensley.
After a series of court hearings, the children were returned in July 2019.
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The shooting resulted in Jenelle’s firing from Teen Mom 2.
David was fired a year prior for homophobic social media comments.
Jenelle and Barbara remain estranged today, though she has posted with Jace.
