Teen Mom 2’s Jenelle Celebrates Son Jace’s 15th Birthday: ‘I’m the Short One Now’

Janelle Evans is celebrating her oldest son Jace’s 15th birthday.

“What is 15? Being 15 is riding 4 wheelers, building tents, ordering pizza with friends,” she captioned a Saturday, August 3 Instagram post . “That’s how @jace_vahn wanted his birthday! How did those years go by so quick? 🥹❤️🎉🎂.”

In a sweet nod to her son's growth, Evans quipped, “I’m the short one now!”

Along with the loving message, the Teen Mom star shared a heartwarming snapshot of the two, both donning T-shirts and wide smiles, as Evans held a cake adorned with lit candles. The post also included a video of a car driving off with two passengers hanging off the back, presumably Jace and a friend.

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Jace's upbringing has been tumultuous, often playing out in the public eye. For over a decade, he was under the care of Evans' mother, Barbara Evans , before custody was awarded to Jenelle in March 2023. However, the family's troubles continued when a Child Protective Services (CPS) case was opened against Jenelle and her then-husband, David Eason , in October 2023 after Jace reportedly ran away from home for the third time. At the time, Barbara claimed Jace had told police that Eason assaulted him, an allegation Eason denied, though he later faced a misdemeanor charge of child abuse.

In February, Evans claimed that the CPS case against her and then-husband David Eason, 35, over Jace was dropped. (According to court documents obtained by E! News on Tuesday, February 16, the Columbus County Department of Social Services dismissed a juvenile petition filed in October 2023 earlier this month.)

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The reality star ultimately filed for separation from Eason in February after six years of marriage, according to court documents obtained by The Sun.

She opened up to Us Weekly about the decision in June, stating, “Me and him, we were going through rough patches for a while and I was sick of it. It’s hard to try to get out of a situation when you know you both own the house and you’re both on the same deed. Then you’re telling each other, ‘We should take a break,’ but then who’s going to get out of the house?”

Aside from Jace, whom she shares with ex Andrew Lewis , Jenelle is also the mother of 9-year-old Kaiser, with ex Nathan Griffith , and 6-year-old Ensley, with Eason.