Jenelle Evans 'Teen Mom' Return Rumors Were Just Settled
Jenelle Evans is leaving her Teen Mom days in the past. Amid chatter about her potentially returning to the franchise, a representative for the reality TV star confirmed to TMZ Tuesday that Evans will not appear on Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, MTV's upcoming series that combines Teen Mom OG and Teen Mom 2.
In a statement to the outlet, Evans' manager, August Keen, revealed that despite her firing from Teen Mom back in 2019, the network had some interest in bringing her back for the upcoming series. According to Keen, MTV wanted to sign the Teen Mom 2 alum to an exclusive deal, but doing so would have "limited other career opportunities for Jenelle." The two sides were ultimately unable to reach an agreement on a contract, meaning Evans will not appear on Teen Mom: The Next Chapter.
Confirmation that Evans will not be involved in the upcoming series comes just after her former co-star Leah Messer said she would like to have Evans back on the show. Speaking to Page Six, Messer said, "I think that I'm eager to see where she's at in her life and whatever ultimately the executives decide is what they decide. I wish her the very best." Although Messer admitted that she hasn't "talked to Jenelle in a very long time," she did note that Evans "was one of the original cast [members] of the show. And I knew her very well in that time. I don't know [her] currently. Right now, I don't have a relationship with her, honestly."
With Teen Mom officially in rearview, Evans is now focusing on new ventures, though she isn't cutting her ties with the world of reality TV just yet. Keen told TMZ that Evans "has a new dynamic series in development, keeping the concept under wraps for now." Although Keen did not share further details about the show, she did claim that it is "going to be picked up by a major network." In addition to the new show, Evans is said to be "focusing on building her brand as an entrepreneur," something else that just didn't align with an exclusive deal with MTV.
Evans first appeared in the Teen Mom franchise back in 2010 when she was featured in an episode of 16 & Pregnant, during which she gave birth to her son gave birth to Jace Vahn Evans. She went on to appear on the spinoff Teen Mom 2, which also stars Messer, Kailyn Lowry, and Chelsea DeBoer, until she was fired in 2019 after her husband David Eason admitted to killing their family dog. In the years since her departure from the network, Evans has built a career outside of reality TV with a YouTube channel and most recently an OnlyFans account.