Teen Mom star Jenelle Evans said her son Jace has returned home after running away due to having his phone taken away. The 14-year-old boy was reported missing by the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Department in North Carolina on Tuesday, August 15, 2023. He was last seen leaving Roger Bacon Academy in Leland, NC, around 2:45 p.m. wearing either a gray sweatshirt with “Classical Charter Schools of America” written on it, or a navy shirt if he shredded the top layer.
Jenelle’s manager August Keen confirmed to E! News that Jace was found and is safely at home with Jenelle and his family. “Thank you to the Brunswick Co. Sheriff’s Department and to everyone else for their concerns,” August said in a statement.
Why did he run away?
Jenelle explained that Jace ran away after he got in trouble at school and she decided to take his phone away as a disciplinary action. “As a boy mom, kids can act up and rebel as I’m sure the majority of us all once did as kids too,” Jenelle said in a statement provided by August. “Jace is a good kid, and we’re not dealing with anything that most families don’t deal with while raising children.”
She also clarified that the incident has nothing to do with her situation with her husband David Eason, whom she married in 2017. “This has absolutely nothing to do with my situation with David, we do not argue in front of our children or fight in front of our kids,” Jenelle said. “This is a teenage boy being a teenager mad that we decided to take his phone away.”
How is Jenelle’s relationship with Jace?
Jenelle rose to fame while she was carrying Jace on MTV’s 16 & Pregnant in 2009. She then starred in Teen Mom 2 alongside Kailyn Lowry, Leah Messer, and Chelsea DeBoer. Her time on TV was filled with controversies and captured her turbulent relationships with various boyfriends, as well as her mom Barbara Evans.
Barbara was granted custody of Jace for 13 years until Jenelle regained custody of him back in March 2023. Jenelle celebrated Jace’s 14th birthday earlier this month in an Instagram post. “14 YEARS OLD EVERYONE! #HappyBirthday to Jace! You’re growing into a such polite young man. I’m happy as long as you’re happy!” she captioned a photo of the mother-son duo.
Jenelle has two more children: son Kaiser Orion, 9, with her ex-boyfriend Nathan Griffith, and daughter Ensley Jolie, 6, with her husband David Eason. She is also stepmom to Eason’s daughter, Maryssa, 15.
What are the fans saying?
Fans of Teen Mom have been following Jenelle’s journey as a mother and have expressed their relief and support for her and Jace on social media. Some of them commented on Jenelle’s Instagram post, saying things like:
- “Glad he is safe and home.”
- “Praying for you and your family.”
- “You are doing great mama.”
- “He is lucky to have you.”
Others tweeted their opinions on the situation, such as:
- “@PerezHilton: Teen Mom Star Jenelle Evans’ Son Jace Found After Running Away https://t.co/4jLwFwZ3gk”
- “@TeenMom: We’re so happy to hear that Jace is safe and sound! 💕”
- “@Realitytea: Teen Mom Star Jenelle Evans’ Son Jace Found After Running Away – https://t.co/Q7kY7nZ8jL”
- “@TheAshleysRR: UPDATE! #TeenMom2 star Jenelle Evans’ son Jace has been found & is back home after running away earlier today: https://t.co/8jRfZ9x6jN”