Well, better late than never, right?
Last week, Jenelle Evans announced that she had left David Eason and removed her kids from the home she once shared with her now-estranged husband.
It marked a development Teen Mom 2 fans had been hoping for – pining for – over a period of years, but perhaps no one was more relieved to hear the news than Nathan Griffith.
Nathan’s son Kaiser had been living with the Easons, and Nathan – Jenelle’s former fiance – had good reason to be deeply concerned.
No one is safe living with David, least of all a 5-year-old whom Eason has taken a particular dislike to (because he looks like Nathan … seriously).
For now, Kaiser is safe, and it seems that regardless of his issues with Jenelle, Nathan will do anything in his power to help his child stay out of harm’s way.
Take a look:
Healthy, By Comparison
Jenelle and Nathan’s relationship was brief, and often very ugly. Particularly in the period right after their engagement, which involved a couple of nastier arguments in recent memory – even by her standards. But compared to her relationship with David, they were the ideal couple.
Concerned For Kai
Throughout Jenelle and David’s tumultuous two-year marriage, Nathan openly expressed concerns for his son’s safety and accused Eason of child abuse. Physically.
Legitimate Suspicion
Very few people doubted that Nathan’s suspicions were well-founded, except, seemingly, for Jenelle, who accused him of lying about discovering bruises on Kaiser the size and shape of an adult’s hand.
Window of Opportunity
When David shot and killed Jenelle’s dog back in May, that was beyond the pale for Nathan – who seized the opportunity to move his son to a safer environment.
Silver Lining
The shooting of Nugget led to a CPS investigation which caused the Easons to temporarily lose custody of their kids, all of whom were sent to live with relatives – in Kaiser’s case, his father.
A Change For the Better
Kaiser (the second of Jenelle’s three children, all of whom have different fathers) was sent to live with Nathan, who was sharing a home with his mother and fiancee at the time.
A Short Reprieve
Kaiser was finally safe from harm, and seemed to be loving life with Nate – but not for long. Following a grueling, weeks-long legal battle, Jenelle and David were able to regain custody of the three children who were removed from their home.
Most is Better Than None?
(It’s sort of incredible, albeit overlooked in her crazy whirlwind of a life, but each of the Easons has a son from a former relationship whom they never had custody of. This remains true even now.)
Safe Again
Now, Kaiser is once again safe from his (allegedly) abusive stepfather David, as Jenelle has relocated out of state with her two youngest children in tow.
Mending Fences
And according to a new report from celebrity news site TMZ, Nathan couldn’t be happier about the development. The publication reports that Griffith has reached out to Evans to offer his support.
A Brighter Future
TMZ also reports that Griffith “hopes co-parenting will be easier going forward” now that Jenelle has freed herself from David.
Free At Last
Crucially, Jenelle didn’t just leave The Land and file for divorce – both of which are significant moves, to be sure. She also fled the state and filed for a restraining order. This would imply she’s a lot more serious than she has been during previous “breakups.”
Proof of Abuse
Jenelle spent several years defending David against allegations of child abuse, but in filing for a restraining order against him, she detailed several instances in which he allegedly engaged in physical and emotional abuse.
The Call
There were instances we knew about, such as this one, in which Jenelle accused David of breaking her collarbone during a drunken altercation at the couple’s home.
What a Guy
Or this one, in which Eason heaped abuse on Jenelle during yet another altercation in the couple’s home.
New Atrocities
But there were also new incidents, such as the one that allegedly occurred just last week, in which David accused Jenelle of cheating on him and issued a bizarre threat.
Terrifying
“In the text, he said, ‘This is your new boyfriend. I’m going to break his neck and feed you his head.’ He followed that text with another text: ‘My goal in life is to make sure you regret leaving me like this,'” Jenelle recalled in her filing.
Kaiser In the Middle
Jenelle’s testimony also confirmed that David often took his anger out on Kaiser in particular. (It has been widely speculated that he is jealous of Nathan and dislikes that Kai looks like his dad.)
Horrifying Stuff
She recalled one incident in which David locked Kaiser in the family car and would not allow Jenelle to free him. Just picture this for a moment and let that sink in.
Monstrous
“He did this because he was angry with me,†Evans alleged. “I had to tell Kaiser to unlock the car. While Kaiser was trying to unlock it, David continuously locked it again with my spare key, scaring both me and Kaiser.”
What the Future Holds
The road ahead may be a long and difficult one, as Jenelle attempts to extricate herself from David and repair the damage from the years of trauma her children suffered at his hands.
Help From Unlikely Sources
Fortunately, Evans has resources that most women in her situation do not, including money and a support network of concerned of well-wishers. Here’s hoping she’ll continue to make the health and safety of her children her top priority.
A Mixed Response
Jenelle is receiving more praise from Teen Mom 2 fans than ever before, but many are still criticizing her for keeping quiet for so long and putting her children in harm’s way.
Taking the Stand
During her custody hearing over the summer, Jenelle repeatedly told the court under oath that David had never been abusive to her children. At this point, the kids were safely living with relatives and Evans’ testimony helped put them back under Eason’s care.
Better Late Than Never
In her restraining order filing, Jenelle admitted that she had previously lied in court and that David has indeed harmed her children.
Tough Situation
It’s a complex situation, as Jenelle was (allegedly) an abuse victim who may have been acting out of fear.
Failure to Protect?
Still, there were many times when she was in a position to put a stop to the abuse and get her children to safety, and she neglected to do so.
What Really Matters
The important thing is that Jenelle, and Kaiser, and Jace, and Ensley are all safely out of harm’s way.