Aaron Hernandez’s fiancee has thanked her followers for support following the explosive Netflix documentary which details his struggle with his sexuality.
Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez, who was engaged to the former New England Patriots player when he committed suicide in 2017, wrote on Instagram Thursday: ‘I wanted to let all of you sweet sweet souls know I have tried to read every message sent on IG and through email (positive and negative)… The amount of support and positive energy is again unreal! I’m sure you will all understand how imperative it is to take some time away from social media.’
She added the hashtag ‘StayHumble’.
Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez, a three-part series portraying the athlete’s murder trial, conviction and prison suicide, debuted on Netflix on Wednesday.
It explores Hernandez’s difficult childhood – he was sexually abused by a male babysitter – and how he went from an NFL player to killer.
Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez, who was engaged to the former New England Patriots player when he committed suicide in 2017, took to Instagram Thursday
Hernandez is the father of Shayanna’s eldest daughter Avielle Janelle Hernandez, who is now seven. They are pictured together above with Shayanna
It also looks at his advanced chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) that is believed to have influenced his violent behavior and his apparent struggles with his sexuality.
It features news coverage, old photos and videos from Hernandez’s childhood and interviews with people who knew him at the different stages of his life including his high school lover, Dennis SanSoucie, who has previously opened up about how they both felt pressured to keep their relationship secret.
The poster for Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez is shown above
It also touches on how Hernandez’s father would not have approved of his son being gay and was described as the type of dad who would ‘slap the f***ot out of you’.
Ryan O’Callaghan, a former Pats player who is gay, is also interviewed in the series. He explains the great lengths he went to hide that he was gay while playing football – providing context as to how Hernandez may have possibly felt.
Hernandez himself doesn’t open up about his sexuality in his prison calls.
Those interviewed suggest that Hernandez went as far as pretending to be homophobic to hide his secret.
In one call with his fiancee, Hernandez repeatedly refers to transgender inmates as ‘those ones’ as he describes a trans person being held in a nearby jail unit.
‘Stop calling them ‘those things’. Stop it. That is so rude,’ Jenkins tells him.
‘No, they got titties,’ he said.
Jenkins continues to scold him, saying: ‘I don’t care. They’re called transgender. Don’t call them ‘those things’.’
‘Well, in jail, that’s what they call em. Things,’ he said.
Hernandez’s high school lover, Dennis SanSoucie (pictured), features in the Netflix documentary
The official trailer released Tuesday features news coverage, old photos and videos from Hernandez’s childhood and interviews with people who knew him at the different stages of his life. It opens with a video of a teenage Hernandez (pictured)
Hernandez, who was drafted into the NFL at the age of 20, had just inked a five-year, $40 million contract with the New England Patriots when he was arrested in 2013 for the murdering Lloyd, a semi-professional football player.
Hernandez was convicted in 2015.
Two years later, the 27-year-old killed himself in his prison cell just days after being acquitted of most charges in a separate double-murder case.
Prosecutors had alleged Hernandez shot Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado in 2012 after a confrontation at a nightclub.
A judge threw out Hernandez’s conviction that year, citing the legal principle that holds that a defendant convicted at trial who dies before an appeal is heard should no longer be considered guilty in the eyes of the law.
The prosecution then appealed and Massachusetts’ highest court reinstated his murder conviction earlier this year.
Hernandez is the father of Shayanna’s eldest daughter Avielle Janelle Hernandez, who is now seven.