Kriti Mehrotra
It was back in 2013 when everything turned upside down for NFL tight end Aaron Hernandez as he was arrested for the homicide of his friend and fiancée’s sister’s boyfriend, Odin Lloyd. However, as explored in FX’s ‘American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez,’ it was his sexuality that took center stage as time passed because many believe that to be the catalyst of his actions. He never publicly confirmed or denied anything before his death by suicide in 2017, yet it has been alleged his paranoia about being completely himself consumed him from the inside out.
Aaron Hernandez Reportedly Came Out to His Mother
While many innuendoes to suggest that Aaron Hernandez might be gay or bisexual were made during his time in the spotlight as a New England Patriots tight end, he never once addressed them openly. In fact, the most he revealed regarding his personal life in the early 2010s prior to his arrest for murder in 2013 revolved around his romance with Shayanna Jenkins and the daughter they shared. However, in the days leading up to his demise while serving his life sentence at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, he allegedly came out as gay for the very first time to his mother.
According to records, George Leontire, Aaron’s openly gay attorney, knew from early on that his client was also a part of the community and could see that it, unfortunately, caused him “immense pain.” That’s because he not only grew up surrounded by an anti-gay culture but also believed he turned gay owing to the intense sexual abuse he endured as a child, starting when he was 6. Nevertheless, per the athlete’s elder brother, Dennis Jonathan Hernandez AKA DJ, he somehow got the courage to tell his mother his deepest truth in a way like never before in 2017. “[Aaron’s] like, ‘Mom, you’re going die never knowing your son,'” he told Dr. Oz in 2020. “Then, all of a sudden, they have this conversation, and they’re both flooded with tears across from each other.”
DJ also stated that since it all happened during a prison visit, their mother’s heart was shattered because she could do nothing but witness Aaron deal with what seemed like the weight of the world on his shoulders. Furthermore, it’s imperative to note that even Shayanna Jenkins has since come forward to assert she never cared much about her late partner’s sexuality — she claims she would have stood by him either way because what mattered to her was his caring, kind, loving soul. As if this is not enough, she also said in an interview with ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ that she doesn’t really like answering any questions about this matter because Aaron himself is not there.
“You can’t describe someone’s sexuality without them being here,” Shayanna said. “Although I have had a child with Aaron, I still can’t tell you what he was feeling inside; no one can. [He was] certainly a man to me. There was no behavior that made me think differently.” She added, “If he did feel that way or if he felt the urge, I wish that I — I was told… I would not have loved him any differently. I would have understood. It’s not shameful and I don’t think anybody should be ashamed of who they are inside, regardless of who they love. I think it’s a beautiful thing, I just wish I was able to tell him that.”
Read More: Dennis SanSoucie: Where is Aaron Hernandez’s Ex-Teammate Now?
