Aaron Hernandez’s fiancée Shayanna Jenkins is remembering the late NFL star.
“Celebrated our love for you privately, never forgotten always embraced,” Jenkins, 35, captioned an Instagram post on Saturday, March 22. She shared a throwback photo of their 12-year-old daughter, Avielle, wearing a white dress and standing in a church. The top left corner of the image included a picture of Hernandez, which appeared to be Photoshopped in.
Jenkins initially posted Avielle wearing the same white dress in March 2024, alongside her younger daughter Giselle, 6, whom she shares with Dino Guilmette.
Hernandez and Jenkins — who were high school sweethearts — welcomed Avielle in 2012 and got engaged that same year. The following year Hernandez was arrested for the murder of Odin Lloyd and found guilty of first-degree murder two years later. The late football player was subsequently charged for the double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado and was acquitted of those crimes days before his death.
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Hernandez died by suicide in his prison cell at age 27 in April 2017. The athlete was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive neurodegenerative disease which develops after repeated traumatic brain injuries.
Jenkins has continued to share tributes for her late fiancé on social media in the years following his death.
“My thoughts are heavy today – this being one of my hard days,” she captioned a September 2017 Instagram post, in part, when honoring Hernandez. “I’m sitting here thinking how can I be so lucky but so hurt. Lucky to have a daughter to remind me of your smile and great personality, and hurt to realize I’ll never speak to you again ! Everyday I wake up in pain and realize this is a nightmare that will never change.”
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Jenkins continued, “God only knows I try everyday to pick up these broken pieces but the challenge remains extremely difficult. What I’ve known for years has now vanished although I’m reminded and told to keep strong … the task at hand remains traumatic! However , I know what you would’ve wanted was for me to be that girl that made you smile … the one who will ride until the end ( which I will ), that thought has been my motivation to strive as a better mother and a better person for our future.”
Hernandez and Jenkins were portrayed by Josh Andrés Rivera and Jaylen Barron, respectively, in the 10-episode miniseries American Sports Story, which aired on FX late last year.
