Did Shayanna Jenkins get any money from Aaron Hernandez? The short answer is yes, she received significant financial support during their relationship, but she kept almost none of it after his arrest and suicide. When the former New England Patriots star was arrested in 2013 for the murder of Odin Lloyd, his sprawling financial empire unraveled overnight. Prosecutors, civil attorneys, and bankruptcy courts tore through years of bank statements, property deeds, and cash transfers to determine what belonged to Jenkins and what belonged to the families of Hernandez's victims.
Understanding this financial entanglement requires looking past the tabloid headlines and examining public court records, mortgage documents, and civil settlements. The reality involves secret cash stashes, a contested $1.3 million mansion, and an eventual legal agreement that left Jenkins walking away with virtually all of Hernandez's contested estate tied up or forfeited.
The Financial Landscape During Hernandez's NFL Career
Before his arrest, Aaron Hernandez was earning a massive paycheck. In 2012, he signed a five-year, $40 million contract extension with the New England Patriots, which included a $12.5 million signing bonus. With millions flowing into his accounts, Hernandez funded a lavish lifestyle for himself and his fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins.
Jenkins didn't maintain a high-paying career of her own during most of this period, relying instead on Hernandez for day-to-day living expenses, housing, and travel. Prosecutors during the 2015 murder trial established that Hernandez routinely handed cash directly to Jenkins or trusted associates to pass along. Witnesses testified about seeing bags filled with thousands of dollars in cash transferred between parties. While high-earning athletes often provide for their partners, the context of these transactions drew intense scrutiny from law enforcement once the murder investigation began.
The North Attleborough Mansion and the Mortgage Mystery
The most contentious asset tied to Jenkins was the couple's home in North Attleborough, Massachusetts. Purchased for $1.3 million, the property became a centerpiece of both the criminal case and subsequent civil litigation.
Jenkins was listed as the sole borrower on the mortgage, even though she had no reported income at the time of the purchase. Prosecutors argued that Hernandez orchestrated the transaction to shield his own assets while secretly footing the roughly $6,000 monthly mortgage payments from his personal accounts. Investigators pointed to this arrangement as evidence of financial concealment.
After Hernandez's conviction and subsequent suicide in prison, the home became a primary target for the family of Odin Lloyd, who filed a wrongful death lawsuit. In 2019, Jenkins reached a settlement with the Lloyd family, formally handing over the deed to the North Attleborough property. She walked away from the home without profiting from its sale.
The Abatement Rule and the Vanishing NFL Wealth
One of the most complex legal hurdles in untangling Hernandez's wealth involved a quirk in Massachusetts state law known as abatement ab initio. Under this legal doctrine, because Hernandez died while his direct appeal of his first-degree murder conviction was still pending, his conviction was officially vacated.
The defense argued that wiping out the conviction should restore his estate and prevent forfeiture. However, civil courts ruled differently in wrongful death lawsuits filed by the families of Odin Lloyd and Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado. Civil liability doesn't vanish with a criminal abatement. A Massachusetts judge ordered Hernandez's remaining assets to be frozen and directed toward a massive civil settlement.
Because Hernandez died without a valid will—his only known will left everything to Jenkins—his entire remaining estate went into probate. Creditors, civil judgment holders, and legal fees consumed whatever cash was left. Jenkins did not inherit the millions remaining on his NFL contract, as future payouts were canceled upon his release and subsequent death.
What Shayanna Jenkins Actually Retained
When the dust settled on years of criminal trials and civil depositions, Jenkins' financial outcome was far removed from the luxurious life she lived as an NFL fiancée.
- No NFL Millions: The remainder of Hernandez's $40 million contract was voided. No lump sums or pension funds transferred to Jenkins' personal control.
- Loss of Real Estate: The North Attleborough mansion was surrendered to satisfy civil judgments, leaving Jenkins to find alternative housing for herself and her children.
- Legal Fees: Defending herself against perjury charges—specifically allegations that she lied to a grand jury regarding the mortgage and trash bags disposed of after the murder—drained significant personal resources before she was ultimately acquitted in 2016.
Jenkins has occasionally spoken out in television interviews about the financial struggle of raising her family independently after Hernandez's death. Far from sitting on a hidden fortune of "blood money," she faced immense debt, public scrutiny, and the total evaporation of the wealth that once surrounded her household.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Shayanna Jenkins receive any money from Aaron Hernandez's life insurance?
No. Hernandez did not hold a standard valid life insurance policy that paid out to Jenkins following his death in prison. Furthermore, any potential payout would have immediately been targeted by civil creditors and the families holding wrongful death judgments against his estate.
Was Shayanna Jenkins charged as an accessory after the fact?
Jenkins was never convicted of being an accessory after the fact. While prosecutors heavily scrutinized her actions—including discarding a box from the basement and cleaning a home where evidence was found—she was only formally charged with perjury for lying to the grand jury. She was acquitted of those perjury charges in 2016.
How does Shayanna Jenkins support herself today?
Following the legal battles, Jenkins has worked independently and participated in select media interviews, such as a multi-part documentary series on Netflix, to rebuild her life and provide for her children entirely outside of Hernandez's former financial network.
Did Hernandez leave a will naming Jenkins?
Hernandez executed a will in 2006 naming Jenkins as his sole beneficiary, but it was drafted long before the peak of his wealth or the crimes occurred. Because of the overwhelming civil judgments and the probate process, the will proved entirely ineffective in transferring any meaningful assets to her.
