Who Is Aaron Hernandez's Fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins? Inside Her Relationship with the Late Athlete and Their Daughter’s Disputed Trust Fund

Shayanna Jenkins and Aaron Hernandez got engaged a year before the athlete's arrest in the killing of Odin Lloyd

Shayanna Jenkins will "always" love the late Aaron Hernandez.

The pair first met as kids and went on to date in high school. Hernandez proposed in 2012, right around the time Jenkins gave birth to their daughter, Avielle.

Having signed a $40 million contract with the New England Patriots, Hernandez seemed to have it all — a successful football career and a happy home.

Related: American Sports Story: The True Story of Aaron Hernandez’s Rise and Fall

In 2015, Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder and additional firearm charges. Two years later, he died by suicide in prison but Jenkins has always maintained his innocence.

"I want Aaron to be known as innocent because he was," she told Dr. Phil in a 2017 interview. "He was full of life, so sweet, very lovable, would do anything for anyone ... He’s the love of my life. I want him to be known for what he is instead of what people are speculating. They want to make him out to be this monster and he’s not."

Following his death, Hernandez has been the subject of two series — Netflix's 2020 documentary Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez and FX's American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez, which premiered in September 2024.

So, who is Aaron Hernandez's fiancée? Here's everything to know about Shayanna Jenkins and her relationship with the disgraced NFL player.

She and Hernandez were high school sweethearts

Jenkins and Hernandez, both from Bristol, Conn., met in elementary school. They later dated in high school but split when the football star attended the University of Florida.

Related: See the American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez Cast Side-by-Side with the Real-Life People They Play

They reconnected after Hernandez was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2010.

She and Hernandez got engaged in 2012

Hernandez proposed to Jenkins in 2012. At the time, they were expecting their first child, Avielle.

Related: All About Aaron Hernandez's Daughter Avielle Janelle Hernandez

Jenkins supported the former football player throughout his trial and time in prison but the couple were not married at the time of his death.

She has two daughters

Jenkins is a mom of two.

She and Hernandez welcomed their daughter, Avielle, on Nov. 6, 2012, which was also the former football star's birthday. According to Jenkins, Hernandez was a "loving" father until the very end.

On June 16, 2018, Jenkins gave birth to her second daughter, Giselle.

“Aaron had demons; we all know that,” a former teammate of Hernandez’s said in May 2018. “But he really was devoted to his daughter. Boy, did he love her. I think he’d be very glad to know that she was going to have a little sister.”

She testified in Hernandez’s trials

Hernandez was arrested on June 26, 2013, and charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd — a semi-professional football player Jenkins' sister was dating. Lloyd's body was found in an industrial park after being shot six times. The murder weapon was never found.

In May 2014, while awaiting trial, Hernandez was indicted again — this time in connection with a 2012 double homicide. He was eventually found guilty of murdering Lloyd and found not guilty of the double homicide.

Jenkins was a key witness in Hernandez's first murder trial. Per courtroom reporting by CBS News, Hernandez allegedly called Jenkins the day after Lloyd's death and asked her to remove a box, which was covered in a trash bag, from their basement and dispose of it. Without looking inside the box, which prosecutors believe might have contained the murder weapon, Jenkins dumped it in a "random dumpster."

She shared this version of events on the witness stand, however, it was not the testimony she gave a grand jury ahead of the trial. Initially, she said nobody asked her to remove the box from the house and said she couldn't remember where she disposed of it.

Jenkins was ultimately indicted for perjury but prosecutors granted her immunity due to the importance of her testimony. The perjury charges were eventually dropped, per ESPN, and Jenkins went on to testify at Hernandez's double murder trial.

"I testified to the truth," she told Dr. Phil. When asked about the box and her lack of curiosity about its contents, Jenkins said: "I’m glad I didn’t [open it]. I’d rather be in the dark."

She doesn’t think Hernandez died by suicide

Hernandez died by suicide on April 19, 2017. However, Jenkins maintains that her fiancé didn't take his own life.

"I don’t think this was a suicide,” she told Dr. Phil, explaining that Hernandez was "excited to come home" following his acquittal in the double murder trial and a pending appeal of his original murder conviction. "That would make me doubt that he took his own life. The feedback I was getting from our last talk had nothing to do with suicidal thoughts."

Hernandez left behind suicide notes addressed to Jenkins, Avielle and his lawyer.

She has addressed rumors about Hernandez’s sexuality

Days before Hernandez's death, rumors began to swirl about the former football player's sexuality — including claims that he had multiple affairs with men. Jenkins has addressed these rumors over the years, stating that she didn't know if her fiancé was gay or not.

"If he did feel that way, I wish that I was told. I would not have loved him any differently. I would have understood. It’s not shameful," she said on Good Morning America in 2020.

That same year, a source close to the athlete told PEOPLE that Hernandez believed Jenkins was "his soulmate." The insider added: “Aaron was attracted to men, but the relationship that he had with her was 100 percent genuine. He loved her."

She is an insurance broker and event planner

According to Jenkins' Instagram profile, she is a licensed insurance broker with Symmetry Financial Group.

Jenkins also has her own event-planning business called Mommy and Me, which she launched in May 2024.

She has been accused of misusing her daughter’s trust fund

Following Hernandez's death, a trust fund managed by the former NFL star's attorney, David Schwartz, was set up for Avielle.

In recent years, Jenkins, the conservator, has come under fire for requesting reimbursements for expenses that appear unrelated to Avielle — for example, a $12,000 charge for HomeGoods.

Jenkins and Schwartz came to a point of contention in September 2023 when she asked to be reimbursed $10,000 for Avielle's competitive dance lessons and was denied. Approximately $150,000 in funds is issued to Jenkins each year to cover her daughter's daily expenses.

"There is every reason to question whether and how the Conservator is applying the significant resources that should be available to pay for Avielle's daily needs, including dance lessons, especially since all of her basic housing security and educational expenses are paid from the Trust," Schwartz's legal team stated in a filing obtained by PEOPLE.

As a result, Schwartz has requested that Jenkins be removed as conservator.

She honors Hernandez on social media

Every year on the date of Hernandez's death, April 19, Jenkins pays tribute to her fiancée.

"Today we think of you with heavy hearts and positive memories! Although you aren’t here physically Avielle and I speak about you often and keep you in close spirit," she wrote in April 2019. "We love and miss you very much! May you continue to Rest In Peace."

In 2024, she wrote, "You are truly loved & missed" alongside a selfie of the couple.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

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