Teen Mom 2 star Jace Evans opened up to mom Jenelle Evans about how he’s feeling since moving back in with the reality star amid her split from husband David Eason.
“I feel a lot safer without David,” Jace, 15, said during a preview clip from the Thursday, September 12, episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter.
Jenelle, 32, thanked her eldest son for helping out around the house with chores and taking care of his younger siblings before apologizing for not ending her marriage to David, 36, earlier.
“I’m sorry, it didn’t happen sooner but I was trying,” she told Jace during a heart to heart moment. “I remember you saying, ‘I want all the drama to stop. [Child Protective Services] has been in my life since I’ve been little. I’m sick of them coming in and out.’ And you said you just want this all to be over with me.”
Jace assured the 16 & Pregnant alum that he’s “fine” now that David is “gone.”
The clip, which was shared by MTV’s official Instagram page hours ahead of the episode’s premiere, cut to a montage of throwback scenes showing Jenelle and mom Barbara Evans arguing over custody.
“I just wanted everything to like, just calm down. Get on a good point,” Jace told his mom. “Everyone get on a, you know, good thing with everyone.”
He went on to say that at the time he resented the Read Between the Lines author, “But now that we’re all out of all this like crazy drama, it’s just calm. Everything is good now.”
“You know, I’ve made tons of mistakes all my life, but I just want you to realize like my intentions were never bad. I always tried hard to fight for you,” Jenelle said. “I just feel like you were robbed from me as a baby, you know.”
Jenelle signed over custody of her infant son to her mother in 2010. Over the next decade, she and Barbara, 71, were in and out of court battling over custody of Jace. The MTV star regained custody of her son in March 2023 and shared the exciting news with her fans.
“My mom and I decided together to grant full custody back to me because we want to build our relationship back as mother and daughter,” she told Us Weekly at the time. “It’s time for Jace to be back with his siblings and living with a mother and father.”
While Jenelle also added that Barbara felt Jace needed “to be around a father figure,” his relationship with David was tumultuous from the beginning. After this third runaway attempt in as many months, Jace claimed he ran away because his stepfather “assaulted” him in September 2023. The mother of three – who also shares son Kaiser with ex Nathan Griffith and daughter Ensley with David – initially defended her then-husband.
Visible marks were found on Jace’s neck and arm when he was taken to the hospital and David was charged with misdemeanor child abuse. However, the charges were later dropped.
Jenelle filed to legally separate from her husband on February 23, citing their date of separation as February 16 “with the intent that the separation be permanent.” Jenelle claimed David’s “erratic” behavior, “substance abuse” issues and refusal to work led to their split.
“Throughout the duration of the marriage of the parties, the defendant has exhibited concerning and at times disturbing behavior towards the plaintiff,” she stated.
