If you followed the fall of the New England Patriots, you know the name Aaron Hernandez. But the woman standing right behind him in every courtroom shot—often stony-faced or wiping away a stray tear—is who people are still googling years later. Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez. She wasn't technically Aaron Hernandez's wife, though she legally changed her name to match his. They were childhood sweethearts, the kind of "forever" couple that high school movies are made of, until things turned into a real-life horror show.
Honestly, the loyalty she showed was baffling to most of the world. Her fiancé was on trial for the murder of Odin Lloyd, a man who was dating her own sister, Shaneah. Imagine that for a second. Your partner is accused of killing your sister's boyfriend, and you choose the partner. It didn't just cause a rift; it basically nuked her relationship with her family.
The "Ride or Die" Reality
People use the term "ride or die" lightly. Shayanna lived it. During the 2015 trial, she sat on the defense side, literally feet away from her sister who was sitting with the victims. It was cold. It was loud. It was a visual representation of a family torn in half.
The most controversial moment? That mysterious box. Prosecutors were convinced Aaron had her get rid of a box from their basement the day after the murder. They thought it held the gun. Shayanna testified she threw it in a "random dumpster" but couldn't remember where. She got immunity for that testimony, which kept her out of prison, but the shadow of that box follows her to this day.
Even after Aaron took his own life in a prison cell in 2017, she didn't walk away from the name. She went to court to legally become a Hernandez. She kept his memory alive on Instagram, posting tributes every birthday and anniversary. You’ve got to wonder what goes through someone’s head to stay that committed when the rest of the world has already moved on.
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Where is Shayanna Jenkins Now?
Life didn't stop in 2017. Shayanna moved to Rhode Island to try and find some version of a normal life for her daughter, Avielle. She actually had another daughter, Giselle, in 2018 with a man named Dino Guilmette. For a minute, it looked like she was finally getting a fresh start, a quiet life as a licensed insurance broker.
But the "Aaron Hernandez wife" tag is hard to shake, and money issues have kept her in the headlines.
The Trust Fund Battle
In 2023, things got messy again. There’s a trust fund for Avielle, funded by Aaron’s NFL pension and social security. A court-appointed trustee started waving red flags about how Shayanna was spending that money. We aren't talking about small change. We're talking about:
- Over $10,000 spent on "bank service charges" (mostly bounced checks).
- Roughly $27,000 on clothing.
- Nearly $24,000 on home goods.
- A controversial $10,000 request for dance lessons that the trustee initially blocked.
The trustee, David Schwartz, basically argued that Shayanna was using the kid’s inheritance as her own personal piggy bank. Her lawyers fought back, saying Avielle was "thriving" and that the spending was just part of maintaining the lifestyle Aaron would have wanted for her. A judge eventually ordered her to get financial training. It's a stark reminder that even years later, the fallout of Aaron’s life is still hitting the people he left behind.
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The CTE Connection
You can't talk about Shayanna without talking about the brain. After Aaron died, his brain was sent to Boston University. The results were terrifying. He had Stage 3 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Researchers said it was the most severe case they’d ever seen in someone his age.
Shayanna sued the NFL. She argued that the league knew the risks and didn't protect him, effectively turning him into a different person. While many people see Aaron as a monster, Shayanna sees him as a victim of a brutal game. It’s a perspective that most fans find hard to swallow, but for her, it’s the only way to make sense of the man she loved vs. the man the world saw.
What We Get Wrong About the Story
Most people think she was just a "gold digger" or a silent accomplice. But if you look at the transcripts and the interviews, it's more complicated. She was a woman who met a boy at 13 and stayed with him through a $40 million contract, a murder conviction, and a suicide.
She's often criticized for her silence or her "forgetfulness" on the stand. But if you're in her shoes—caught between your sister and the father of your child—is there even a right move? She chose her "chosen family" over her biological one, and she’s been paying the social price for it for over a decade.
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Actionable Takeaways from the Hernandez Saga
The story of Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez is a dark masterclass in the complexities of legal and financial planning after a high-profile tragedy.
1. Trust Fund Oversight is Vital The 2023 legal battle shows why independent trustees exist. If you’re setting up a fund for a minor, having a neutral third party ensures the money actually makes it to the child’s adulthood.
2. The Impact of CTE is Real Regardless of how you feel about Hernandez, the BU research changed how we look at contact sports. If you have kids in high-impact sports, monitoring for behavioral changes is more than just a health check—it’s a safety requirement.
3. Loyalty Has a Limit The rift between Shayanna and Shaneah Jenkins is a permanent scar. It serves as a reminder that the legal choices we make in a crisis can have social consequences that no amount of money or "loyalty" can ever truly fix.
Today, Shayanna mostly stays off the radar, save for the occasional social media post. She's a mom trying to raise two girls in the shadow of a very large, very dark legacy. Whether you see her as a victim of circumstance or a woman who enabled a criminal, her story is far from over.
Next Steps for Readers:
- Review your own estate planning: If you have children, ensure you have a designated conservator and a clear understanding of how trust funds are managed in your state.
- Educate yourself on CTE: Check the latest findings from the Concussion Legacy Foundation to understand the long-term cognitive risks associated with professional football.