Jenelle Evans Says Ex David Eason's "Disgusting Secrets" Led to Her Seeking Sole Custody
Jenelle announced her permanent separation from her second husband in March 2024.
Published Aug. 22 2024, 1:42 p.m. ET
MTV OG Jenelle Evans has dealt with several highs and lows since she first appeared on Teen Mom 2 in the early 2000s. The reality TV star continues to share her life on Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, whether things are going well or bad. In 2024, Jenelle revealed that her personal life had fallen back into the latter category.
In March, she filed for a permanent separation from her husband of six years, David Eason. Now, Jenelle is seeking full custody of her and David's daughter, Ensley, and has taken him to court for sole custody of their child after deeming him an unfit parent.
Keep reading for details on Jenelle's and her ex's custody battle.
Jenelle Evans' custody dispute with her ex, David Eason, began in August 2024.
Jenelle has repeatedly discussed her separation from David on her social media accounts. On Aug. 10, 2024, she left a cryptic Facebook post about her ex having "secrets" she held onto to protect him during their marriage.
"What’s even more sad about all of this is that I hold so many disgusting secrets for him and want to share my story," Jenelle wrote. "But the timing isn’t right for the public to know."
The reality star received over 1,000 comments from fans wondering why she chose to bash David now that they're no longer together. One user scolded and advised her to "always be the bigger person" as she and David sort out their issues. Jenelle responded to the fan by saying she believed her estranged husband shouldn't be around her or anyone else's kids.
"He's not one to be trusted and not one for any child to trust," she stated, telling another fan, "Nothing compares to the secrets I found out after we were separated."
Several fans also advised Jenelle to contact professionals rather than Facebook. One user told her to hire an attorney, which she said was already in the works.
"It already has been reported to police, FBI, and custody court," she declared. "My children are protected now, and these are just emotions I have now that everything is done."
Jenelle was awarded temporary sole custody of her and David Eason's daughter due to him being "not fit and proper to have custody."
Jenelle's promise to take her frustrations with David to court turned out to be true. In August 2024, court documents from the exes' custody hearing obtained by The Ashley Reality Roundup showed that a judge gave the MTV star "temporary sole and legal custody" for Ensley. The hearing was in North Carolina, where Jenelle and David currently reside.
“The best interest of Ensley would be served for sole physical and legal custody to be awarded to Ms. Eason today, with there to be supervised visitation [held off] unless and until a psychological evaluation [for David] has been completed,” the judge stated during the hearing.
The judge also expressed concerns over David's living arrangements. While he didn't appear in court, the hearing revealed David currently lives in Jenelle's boat. He was has charges pending for an alleged physical attack on Jenelle's eldest son, Jace, from October 2023.
"Based on the evidence and testimony presented here…the defendant [David] does not reside in a place that would be safe and suitable for the minor child,” the judge stated in the court docs.
Jenelle also wants David to allow Ensley to film Teen Mom: Next Chapter with her, Jace, and her son, Kaiser. She said in court that David refuses to release his consent for Ensley to be on the show as leverage to obtain items like his dirt bike from his former property with Jenelle.