Teen Mom’s Jenelle Evans Reveals Reason for Son Jace’s Move to Florida

The Teen Mom 2 alum took to TikTok on Tuesday to address the backlash she’s faced after revealing she let her 15-year-old son Jace move to Florida to live with his biological father, Andrew Lewis.

“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,” Evans said. “You can say all you want. 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.”

Reports emerged earlier this week that Jace had flown to Florida to live with Lewis, prompting fans to question Evans’ parenting and her decision to let Jace live with a man who’s largely been absent for most of the teen’s life.

But according to Jenelle, the move was a necessary one.

“He was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 10,” she revealed in her TikTok video. “And most recently, in 2023, he was also diagnosed with major depressive disorder along with his ADHD and defiant disorder or ODD.”

She continued, “With defiant disorder, it’s very hard to deal with. Kids act out on purpose because they want attention. They have no remorse. They have no empathy for what they did.”

Evans went on to describe her son’s ongoing mental health struggles as a long-standing “secret” in the family, before explaining why she hadn’t publicly shared these issues until now.

“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.”

That something, was calling Lewis and asking for help, during what Evans said was a moment of panic.

“I had a panic attack and I ended up calling Andrew crying and I was like, ‘I don’t know what to do anymore. I need help,'” Evans recalled. “And he said, ‘Let me help you. Let me help you.'”

In addition to her ex, Lewis’ mother is also part of Jace’s new support system in Florida.

“Together we came to this agreement that it would be the best option for him right now,” Evans went on to explain.

And while it’s the right decision for Jace right now, Evans, who also shares son Kaiser, 10, with ex Nathan Griffith, and daughter Ensley, 8, with estranged husband David Eason, said by no means has it been an easy one.

“We’ve tried everything we could,” she maintained. “Right now, he needs to be in a situation where both households are safe.”

While some fans wondered why her mother, Barbara Evans, who had custody of Jace for much of his early life, didn’t step in again, Jenelle said bluntly: “She couldn’t handle it anymore.”

The move comes after some headline-making incidents from the teen, which included Jace running away from home, amongst other things.

But even with the backlash, Evans said she feels like she’s making the right decision for her son in this moment.

“I feel like when you’re coparenting, if both sides of the family can come together to help solve these issues before they turn into an adult … it’s just really important,” she said. “I put all the drama aside and said, ‘Let’s just do this.'”

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.