Jenelle Evans, the former Teen Mom star, found herself in controversy during this year’s Thanksgiving celebrations, as she faced fresh criticism for sharing family photos while her oldest son, Jace, 14, is in the custody of Child Protective Services (CPS). Despite the difficult circumstances surrounding Jace, the reality star’s decision to share her seemingly joyous holiday on social media has sparked criticism and sparked debate about her parenting choices.
Jenelle Evans took to Instagram on November 23 to share photos of her Thanksgiving celebrations with her husband David Eason and their two younger children, Kaiser and Ensley. The photographs depicted a seemingly joyful celebration, with smiles and affectionate moments captured. This public display of happiness, however, elicited criticism from Evans’ followers, who criticized Evans for seemingly ignoring the serious issue of her son Jace being in CPS custody.
According to OK! Magazine , CPS removed Jace from Evans’ home in late September following an alleged assault by his stepfather, David Eason. One person commented on the post, writing, “All while one child is away and separated from family. I couldn’t imagine smiling and posing for photos like this.” Another person stated, “Kinda weird you’re perfectly fine celebrating Thanksgiving without your oldest but hey live your life queen,” while a third said, “This is what u call no shame.”
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A touching detail in the Thanksgiving photos drew a lot more attention. Fans noted in a Reddit post that Jenelle’s son Kaiser, 9, wearing a thin gold pendant necklace. The pendant featured both Jace and Kaiser’s names, as well as a heart cut-out to represent the brothers’ bond. Fans speculated on the significance of Kaiser wearing the necklace, with some speculating that it was a ploy to portray a united and happy family amid the CPS custody situation, as per The Sun .
Jace’s removal from Jenelle Evans’ home in September was not a one-time occurrence. Following an alleged assault by David Eason, the teenager allegedly fled his mother’s home for the third time. CPS had retained legal custody of Jace and had placed him in the care of his grandmother, Barbara, with the option of making the arrangement permanent.
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However, Jace ran away from his grandmother’s house over the weekend, prompting a frantic police search. According to sources, Jace was found in a local hospital, indicating the gravity of the situation.
On November 17, David asked in a mysterious Facebook post, “Where’s Waldo? Why is he already hiding and I haven’t even opened the cereal box yet?” David has not confirmed whether the post was related to Jace’s disappearance, as reported by The Sun.
Concerns about Jace’s mental health have been heightened by reports that therapists are refusing to work with him due to potential backlash from David and Jenelle. David’s public criticism of one of Jace’s long-term therapists highlights the difficulties the adolescent faces in obtaining proper mental health care. According to the reports, David has previously ridiculed Jace on social media.