Teen Mom alum Jenelle Evans is defending her decision to allow Jace to live with his 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, 33, explained via TikTok on Tuesday, May 13. “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.”
Earlier in the week, reports surfaced that Jace, 15, flew to Florida to stay with his father — who has been absent from most of his son’s childhood.
In her latest TikTok video, Evans — who currently resides in Las Vegas — explained that she needed some help as Jace continues struggling with mental health disorders.
“He was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 10 and most recently, in 2023, he was also diagnosed with major depressive disorder along with his ADHD and defiant disorder or ODD,” she explained. “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.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, ODD also includes a frequent and ongoing pattern of anger, irritability, arguing and defiance toward parents and other authority figures.
Evans described her son’s mental health diagnoses as a “family secret” that many relatives kept private for years.
“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.”
Evans recalled the moment she called Lewis and tearfully asked for help while experiencing a panic attack. Together, the pair decided it was best for Jace to move to Florida, where he could spend time with Lewis and his mom.
Maybe some of you moms out there can relate to my story ❤️ #ADHD #ODD #MentalHealthAwareness
“We’ve tried everything we could,” Evans — who also shares Kaiser, 10, with ex-boyfriend Nathan Griffith and Ensley, 8, with estranged husband David Eason — said. “Right now, he needs to be in a situation where both households are safe.”
Jace has previously made headlines for going missing or running away from home.
Some fans also questioned why Evans’ mom Barbara was briefly granted temporary custody of Jace before Evans regained control. (In her latest TikTok, Evans said her mother “couldn’t handle it anymore.”)
Moving forward, Evans is optimistic that she can continue working with Lewis to create a safe home for their son.
“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 adult…it’s just really important,” Evans said. “I put all the drama aside and said, ‘Let’s just do this.’”
