Teen Mom 2’s Jenelle Evans and Mom Barbara Have Been Feuding for Years: Inside Their Ongoing Fight

Teen Mom 2 alum Jenelle Eason (née Evans) and her mom, Barbara Evans, have had a complex relationship for years. From claims that Barbara is a “toxic” parent to the fallout of Jace Evans’ custody and runaway attempts, Jenelle and Barbara’s feud is at a boiling point. 

When Did Jenelle and Barbara’s Feud Begin?

Jenelle and Barbara have had a difficult relationship for years. However, their feud started to escalate when, in a July 2022 Instagram post, the MTV personality alleged that her mother neglected to recognize Jenelle’s “accomplishments.” 

“And I just keep my mouth shut,” Jenelle captioned the video post at the time, proving that she was willing to vent about her mom on social media. “I have been the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. It sucks when none of your accomplishments are acknowledged … especially by your own mom. #ToxicParents.”

Aside from the caption, Jenelle included several allegations in her clip as well, as it featured several messages apparently sent to her accusing Barbara of talking about her daughter behind her back.

“Did you see what your mom said about you?” one message read that appeared on the screen as Jenelle sat down and sipped a drink. “You’re mom was talking s—t about you!” the second statement read. 

What Has Barbara Said About Jenelle?

During a trip to Los Angeles, Jenelle’s mom met up with the cast of Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant where she was overheard giving the young moms advice.

“I’m gonna give you advice,” Barbara began, according to a report by The Ashley’s Reality Roundup. “Do not get sucked into this fame and do not, no seriously, do not blow your money.”

“Do not get sucked into fame, because it will ruin your life. That’s what happened to Farrah. She’s a f–king mess,” she continued.

“Even Jenelle, she spent so much money buying cars, boats, everything for her boyfriends. What are you f–king nuts?” the former reality star added before claiming that she invested her earnings.

Jenelle and Barbara Are Feuding Over Jace

Prior to Jenelle’s public allegations against her mom in July 2022, the duo had experienced multiple ups and downs over the years, primarily over the custody over Jenelle’s son Jace. The North Carolina native shares Jace with ex Andrew Lewis. She is also the mother to son Kaiser, whom she shares with ex Nathan Griffith, and daughter Ensley, whom she shares with husband David Eason. 

In January 2021, Barbara claimed to TMZ that she had “full custody” over Jace. However, Jenelle quickly denied that in a TikTok video she shared that month. 

“Now she’s trying to make me look like a dumbass,” the mother of three said in the clip at the time. “Now she’s taking it all back.” 

Despite the dramatic battle, Jenelle told Us Weekly that she would “never” want Barbara out of Jace’s life. 

“I know in the past I’ve said that, but that was when I was young and mad,” she said in March 2021. “I see how important it is for Jace to have that relationship with my mom, no matter how much I dislike her.”

Though Jace had been at the center of a custody battle between his mom and grandmother, Jenelle regained full parental control of him in March 2023. The young teen’s three consecutive disappearances in late summer 2023, however, pushed the issue of custody back into the spotlight.

After Jace’s third disappearance on September 28, visible marks were found on his neck and arm when he was taken to the hospital. It was later reported that Columbus County Police visited Barbara’s home when Jace’s whereabouts were unknown, with her telling authorities that he had claimed his stepfather assaulted him. Footage of the alleged assault was captured on a Ring camera and taken into evidence by Child Protective Services (CPS) and police. Two weeks later, The U.S. Sun reported that “an ongoing criminal investigation” was being conducted against David.

In the wake of the reports, Jenelle’s manager claimed to In Touch that David facing criminal charges was “heresay.”

“We are in communication with both county detectives from Jenelle’s county and Barbara’s County and neither detectives have confirmed an investigation,” her rep exclusively revealed to In Touch on October 16.

What Did Jenelle Say About Barbara’s Claims and Jace’s Alleged Assault?

Jenelle quickly proved that her feud with her mother is not behind her, as she took to TikTok in October 2023 to slam Barbara’s claims that Jace told her he was assaulted by David. According to Jenelle, Barbara was the person leaking confidential information about the case to the press.

“Yeah, I have court. I have court with CPS,” Jenelle said in her post. “Who is the only ones in the courtroom? Me, my mom, CPS and that is it. … I called up the supervisor over at CPS yesterday and I said, ‘I wanna know right now who is releasing all of this information. Is it you?’ You know what they said? I’m literally gonna tell you what they said. ‘Jenelle, it wasn’t us, it obviously wasn’t you because they’re talking badly about you whoever it was. Who is the only other one in the courtroom? Who is the only one who has to gain from this, Jenelle?’ I said, ‘My mom.’”

Jenelle proceeded to give her husband “props” for having “the most patience I’ve ever seen.”

“He is being accused of some horrible, horrible s–t that is not true. I was there, my kids were there, everyone was there. You guys have no idea about the details,” Jenelle continued. “It just makes me really sad for David. Because David is like, he’s just taking all of these punches, rolling with it, not saying s–t. I don’t blame him, and I feel really bad for him because my kids adore that man. My kids love that man so much.”

Meanwhile, Jenelle’s manager confirmed to In Touch that despite Jace being pictured with Barbara amid the assault news, he was “visiting” her.

“No he is not in her care,” her rep said. “We are still in contact with CPS but it is more of a collaborative effort to make sure Jace is 100%.”

In February 2024, Jenelle claimed via social media that CPS dropped their case against the couple.

“I wasn’t going to share this information. I was actually gonna keep it private and just kind of give a vague statement. But right now, I need to control the narrative now that this case has been dropped,” she said, adding that “CPS took a voluntary dismissal.” “I’m focusing on Jace’s mental health and I want to focus solely on his mental health right now.”