The troubled childhood of Jenelle Evans’ eldest son has taken another devastating turn. Sixteen-year-old Jace is currently receiving treatment at an inpatient mental health facility following a February 22 incident that sent seven police officers rushing to his grandmother Barbara Evans’ North Carolina home. The call, described as a “troubled teen disturbance,” marked the latest crisis in a life that has unfolded under reality TV cameras since birth.
Late last month, dispatchers received a call from Barbara Evans’ residence in North Carolina. The nature of the disturbance remains unclear, but the response was significan; seven law enforcement officers arrived at the home where Jace has been living with his grandmother.
Sources close to the family confirm the situation was serious enough to trigger immediate intervention. In the days following the police response, Jace was admitted to a mental health facility where he remains today. How long treatment will last remains uncertain, but those closest to the family emphasize that his health and stability now come first.
Jenelle’s representative offered only a brief statement: “At this time, we have no comment on the matter. We’re unable to discuss this issue because it involves confidential personal matters.”
Jace’s story began on MTV. Jenelle was just 17 when she gave birth in August 2009, a moment captured for 16 and Pregnant. Soon after, she signed custody over to her mother Barbara, a decision that launched more than a decade of legal battles between mother and daughter.
For most of his life, Barbara raised Jace while Jenelle navigated arrests, multiple relationships, and additional children. In March 2023, after 13 years, Jenelle finally regained custody. The reunion lasted barely six months.
In September 2023, Jace ran away from Jenelle’s home and later told police he’d been assaulted by Jenelle’s then-husband David Eason. The alleged incident led to felony strangulation charges against Eason and sent Jace back to Barbara’s care.
The texts Jace shared publicly in August 2025 painted a painful picture. In one exchange, Jenelle wrote, “You’re the one saying you’re going to have my custody taken. F*** YOU.” When Jace mentioned Eason, he wrote, “I never lied … he tried to.”
Jenelle called the messages out of context, claiming they surfaced after she disciplined him. “My children are my whole world,” she wrote. “Jace posting our private texts was his reaction to being rightfully disciplined.”
Jace carries diagnoses that explain some of what viewers have witnessed. At age 10, doctors identified ADHD. In 2023, evaluations added major depressive disorder and oppositional defiant disorder.
Jenelle described the challenges in a May 2025 video after Jace briefly moved to Florida to live with his biological father Andrew Lewis. “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.”
The Florida arrangement lasted weeks. By fall 2025, Jace had returned to North Carolina, back to the grandmother who raised him, reportedly helping as she recovered from a stroke.
Timing complicates everything. Jace’s hospitalization coincides with Jenelle’s very public reunion with Eason. Though their divorce finalized in July 2025, the pair have been spotted together repeatedly in recent weeks. Jenelle insists they’re simply coparenting their daughter Ensley.
“David has been back recently to visit Ensley in Vegas, but now he’s back in North Carolina,” she told Us Weekly March 7. “I’m in a happy place in life and so are my kids. I’m glad to show a healthy coparenting relationship to them.”
The timing raises questions. Eason faces trial on those 2023 strangulation charges, charges Jace was expected to testify about. Some observers wonder whether questioning Jace’s mental stability could influence those proceedings.
For now, Jace remains in professional care, away from cameras, custody battles, and social media posts. His grandmother Barbara, who raised him through infancy, toddler years, and now adolescence, has stayed publicly silent.
The family’s statement says nothing about next steps. No timeline for release. No mention of where he’ll go after. Just the quiet acknowledgment that a 16-year-old who never asked to be famous needs help that no reality show can provide.
