Jenelle Evans is defending her parenting decisions.
Following online speculation about the whereabouts of the Teen Mom alum's son Jace Evans, she shared that he is now living with his dad Andrew Lewis in Florida due to his ongoing behavioral problems.
"Jace is now staying with his father but also his grandmother on his other side, whom he has not seen since he was a baby," Jenelle—who now lives in Las Vegas—explained in a May 13 TikTok video. "You guys are looking at it as a negative situation, but everyone behind closed doors is looking at it as a positive thing for him."
The MTV star has been open about how her 15-year-old's mental health journey—including his ADHD diagnosis, major depressive disorder and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)—has taken a toll on the entire household.
"With defiant disorder, it's very hard to deal with," she said. "Kids act out on purpose because they want attention. They have no remorse. They have no empathy for what they did."
Although Jenelle—who is also mom to Kaiser, 9, from a previous relationship, and daughter Ensley, 7, with estranged husband David Eason—had been navigating Jace's health struggles alongside her mom Barbara Evans for years, they chose to keep it behind closed doors.
"We never wanted to put it in front of the media and explain it because it was Jace's privacy," she explained. "Now we've gotten to the point where it's happened too many times, multiple incidents for years and years and years. Something had to be done."
The 33-year-old said that the situation came to a head following an altercation with Jace—who previously lived with his maternal grandmother in October 2023—that led her to call Andrew.
Instagram/Jenelle Evans
"I said, 'Hey, I need help,'" she recalled. "I was in a panic attack. I was crying my eyes out. I was like, 'For once, I need your help. I need you to take over this situation because all of us have put forth effort as much as we can give.'"
"Separating the chaos to protect my two younger kids is very important, also for him to protect himself," Jenelle added. "When you're co-parenting, if both sides of the family can come together to help solve these issues before they turn into adults and really get themselves in trouble—it's really important."
Despite the criticism surrounding the decision, Jenelle said she's doing what's best for her entire family.
"You can say all you want," she emphasized. "You can say I'm not taking care of my kids. Being a mother is doing the best interest for your child and I am doing the best interest for my child."
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