Meet Shayanna Jenkins, Aaron Hernandez’s fiancée and mother of his children, post-tragedy
Aaron Hernandez, the athlete for the NFL Patriots, is someone who is hard to forget. Despite having only been a member of the squad for three seasons prior to his terrible and unexpected death, the former tight end made a significant influence on the football fan base. The football player’s former fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, has found herself back in the spotlight several years after his tragic suicide in 2017.
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Here’s all you need to know about the 34-year-old, from how she met the star in elementary school to how she had a child with him.
Shayanna Jenkins, Aaron Hernandez’s former fiancée
Not everything in the love tale of Aaron Hernandez and Shayanna Jenkins ended happily. Despite having first connected in Connecticut’s primary school, the couple’s relationship did not truly take off until much later. His boyhood buddy and high school sweetheart supported him throughout his ascent through the ranks of the NFL, even moving to Massachusetts to live with him after he received a $40 million contract with the New England Patriots in the early 2010s.
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The pair, who had been dating intermittently, announced their impending parenthood in 2012. They concluded it was time to settle down since this was a “life-changing” event. Hernandez and Jenkins had intended to marry in 2014 after becoming engaged before the birth of their daughter Avielle, however, circumstances seemed to interfere and their marriage never took place.
After Hernandez was found guilty in 2015 of murder, Jenkins took over as the family’s only provider. It was unclear, nevertheless, what her career path was. Indeed, it came to light just a year ago that she had been employed by PEOPLE since 2022. Her position at the media organization had not been made public, yet. The 34-year-old concealed her personal life from the public in 2018, but her business life eventually came to light.
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It was then revealed that Jenkins and her partner Dino Guilmette would be welcoming their first child. Despite her distance from Hernandez, the 34-year-old made sure he would always play a significant role in their daughter’s life.
Aaron Hernandez and Shayanna Jenkins commemorate Avielle’s special day.
Shayanna Jenkins gave her 11-year-old daughter Avielle a picture collage on her Instagram last year in a since-deleted post. In addition to the photo, she included a video of everyone having a great time at the child’s birthday celebration. Her mother’s caption undoubtedly made her feel a little more sentimental, even if it was already a momentous day for her young daughter.
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After all, the 34-year-old captioned the post, “Happy Birthday my Beanie! You have been such an inspiration to watch grow. Your dedication and hard work is something I’ll always admire – first one in, last one out (just like your daddy.)”
Though there may be other connections between Avielle and her father, Aaron Hernandez, their shared birthday of November 6th has to be the most significant.
Jenkins also made the decision to flatter the 11-year-old by saying, “Keep being the amazing young lady you are, and never lose that smile! Your sister and I love you more than you’ll ever know. Daddy would be so proud of you.”
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The 34-year-old, who still adores her ex-fiance, expressed her outrage on social media about the jokes made about Hernandez during the most recent Tom Brady roast. It’s possible that the mother of two has moved on from her romance with Hernandez of a year ago. But it appears that he will always be a part of her life.
