Sumith Prasad
The ninth episode of FX’s crime drama series ‘American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez’ explores the relationship between Shayanna Jenkins, the fiancée of Aaron Hernandez, and her sister, Shaneah Jenkins. When the football player gets arrested for killing the latter’s boyfriend, Odin Lloyd, cracks start to appear in the bond built by the two siblings. Shayanna even causes distress in Shaneah when she decides to remain loyal to Aaron when he is tried for the murder of her sister’s partner. In reality, the two sisters and their relationship were at the center of the spotlight the case received when the murder trial began.
Shayanna and Shaneah Jenkins Grew Estranged After the Murder of Odin Lloyd
Shayanna and Shaneah Jenkins appeared close when they were growing up in Connecticut. Many people who were close to them only had nice things to say about the two siblings. They seemingly continued to cherish the bond even after Shayanna, the eldest of the two, was engaged to Aaron Hernandez. By then, he had become a star player for the New England Patriots. While he lived with his fiancée in North Attleborough, Shaneah attended a law school in Boston. Since the two sisters lived not very far away, Aaron did spend time with Odin as well. The siblings’ lives were turned around on June 17, 2013, the day the semi-professional football player was killed by the NFL star.
According to Shayanna’s testimony, she followed Aaron’s instructions and got rid of a box from her house the next day after borrowing Shaneah’s car. Nearly two years later, the two sisters faced each other in a courtroom for the murder trial of the NFL player. While Shayanna sat behind her fiancé, Shaneah remained distant from her. She also sat with Odin’s family, including his mother and sister. In her testimony, the elder sister clarified that she had grown “estranged” from her sibling. The trial proceedings were visibly hard for Shaneah, who couldn’t control her tears after her sister took the stand. They remained separated when Aaron was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Shayanna and Shaneah Jenkins Have Chosen to Keep the Nature of Their Relationship Private
Since Aaron Hernandez was found guilty of murdering Odin Lloyd, Shaneah Jenkins has stayed away from the spotlight, which makes it difficult to determine the nature of her relationship with her sister, Shayanna Jenkins. The latter’s interactions with the press and public have been mostly limited to her memories of her late fiancé and the accomplishments of her two adorable children. Because of these reasons, The Cinemaholic couldn’t independently confirm whether the two sisters have reconnected following the conviction and subsequent untimely death of Aaron.
Shayanna Jenkins and Shaneah Jenkins aren’t estranged anymore.
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Having said that, we have found a photograph of Shaneah and Shayanna together, which suggests that they are no longer estranged. From what we can share, the image was seemingly taken within the recent years or, in other words, after the conclusion of Aaron’s trial. Therefore, it appears to us that the two sisters were able to rebuild their relationship privately after a highly tumultuous period in their lives. Considering that they had to deal with the scrutiny of the press and the public for years, it is understandable why they likely reconnected within the comfort of their privacy and family.
In one way or another, both Shayanna and Shaneah were deeply affected by the murder of Odin. Since then, they found a way to move forward in their respective lives. While the elder sister is nurturing a family with her two beloved daughters, including Aaron’s child, Avielle Janelle Hernandez, in Rhode Island, the younger sibling is practicing as a lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia. Considering the warmth and value of familial relationships, we sincerely hope Shayanna and Shaneah have been finding love and solace in each other to lead new chapters of their respective lives.
Read More: Brian Murphy: Where is Aaron Hernandez’s Agent Now?
