Netflix just released the documentary series Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez, and fans came away with strong opinions about everything, but especially the late NFL player's fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins. The opinions varied from praising her loyalty to calling her an accessory to murder to blasting her for picking her convicted murderer fiancé over her own sister. (Aaron Hernandez's lawyer also had blunt thoughts about the documentary.)
Shayanna Jenkins goes by Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez now, even though she and Aaron Hernandez never got married before he took his own life in prison at age 27. But now she has the same last name as the baby girl she and Aaron had together.
The Netflix's new docuseries Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez shared a bit about Aaron Hernandez and Shayanna Jenkins' history. They had been friends since grade school and were high school sweethearts. They had a daughter together in 2012 and got engaged around the same time.
There are several reasons why Shayanna Jenkins fascinated viewers watching the Aaron Hernandez documentary series. For one thing, Hernandez was convicted of killing Odin Lloyd. At the time, Lloyd was dating Shayanna Jenkins' own sister, Shaneah Jenkins. Through Hernandez's trial, Shayanna clearly took Hernandez's side.
Also, the Netflix series delved into Aaron Hernandez's sexuality, including that he may have had an affair with another man. Right up until Aaron Hernandez took his own life, Shayanna Jenkins was shown trying to give him hope and support him. After he died, she continued to support him and even spoke out on the rumors of his sexuality, saying she wouldn't have disowned him and just would've just wanted to talk to him about how he felt.
So now, Killer Inside viewers are speaking out on Shayanna Jenkins. Some are praising her loyalty to her man...
And turning her into the new ideal for a ride-or-die...
While others are calling out the many men online now saying they are looking for a woman like Shayanna Jenkins:
It does seem like Shayanna is getting more praise for her loyalty than blame for her actions -- including enabling Aaron Hernandez's behavior, at the very least:
Many viewers called out Shayanna Jenkins for putting Aaron Hernandez over her own sister, who was mourning the death of her own boyfriend:
A few backhanded compliments said Shayanna Jenkins deserved an Oscar for her testimony during Aaron Hernandez's murder trial:
Even though we're talking about murder, we're also still talking about Twitter and people watching for their own entertainment. So there were jokes:
Some fans cast doubt on Shayanna Jenkins' authenticity, comparing her tears and testimony to her tone when talking to Aaron Hernandez in prison:
There are a lot of opinions out there about Shayanna Jenkins -- including arguing she wasn't really loyal to Aaron Hernandez, she was loyal to protecting herself and the money:
For her part, Shayanna Jenkins posted to Instagram to say she read every message sent to her -- positive and negative -- but planned to take a social media break in the wake of the Netflix documentary series' release:
Shayanna Jenkins' Instagram is filled with photos of her children, including a second daughter born last year with her boyfriend, bar owner/boxer Dino Guilmette.
Viewers of the Netflix's docuseries Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez are still forming their opinions, but Shayanna Jenkins and family have moved on as much as possible since Aaron Hernandez's trials and death in 2017. Watch the three-episode documentary series here on Netflix. It's just one of many Netflix docuseries worth watching on the streamer.
Keep up with all of Netflix's 2020 premiere and return dates with our handy schedule.
