It took him more than a year, but David Eason has finally responded to his estranged wife Jenelle Evans‘ divorce and custody court complaint— and the fired Teen Mom 2 dad is shaking down Jenelle for custody of their daughter, the majority of their marital assets, child support and more!
The Ashley can exclusively reveal that David— whom Jenelle booted from their shared home on The Land in February 2024, right before she filed for legal separation— finally filed an answer to Jenelle’s initial divorce complaint, as well as a counterclaim this week in court. While the exes have been battling it out in court recently over the restraining order Jenelle currently has out against David, this marks the first time that David has responded to Jenelle’s February 2024 filing, in which she asked for custody of their daughter Ensley, child support, the home on The Land and more.
David— who now has an attorney (who is working on contingency, according to David’s girlfriend Kenleigh Heatwole)— addressed all of Jenelle’s allegations, regarding his treatment of her and the kids, why he hasn’t seen or spoken to Ensley in more than a year and more.
Here, The Ashley will break down some of David’s newly filed court documents.
Custody of Ensley:
David admitted that he has not seen or spoken to Ensley since he split with Jenelle in February 2024. However, he states in his answer that this is Jenelle’s fault, as she included Ensley on the Domestic Violence Protection Order she filed against him.
“[Jenelle] included the minor child, Ensley Eason; therefore, [David] is unable to contact the minor child…” he writes. “…[doing this] made it impossible for [David] to contact [Jenelle] or the minor child….”
David admitted that Jenelle has been the primary caregiver of Ensley for the last year or so. Before that, though, David claimed that he (not Jenelle, as she claimed in her divorce complaint) was the one who cared for Ensley (as well as Kaiser and Jace) before the split.
“[David] has been the primary caregiver of the minor child, Ensley, and the other minor children living in the marital home and was the one responsible for caring for the children, getting the children ready for school, feeding the children, completing homework, etc.,” he writes. “[David] has been the one responsible for the minor child’s daily needs.
“David Eason was the one responsible for ensuring the minor child, Ensley, was dressed, fed, and ready for school and almost always transported the minor child, Ensley, to school and her extra-curricular activities,” he wrote.
This is quite opposite of what Jenelle claimed when she filed for— and received— temporary sole custody of Ensley after an August 2024 court hearing (in which David did not show up for).
“I’m looking to have sole and legal custody of Ensley and I think I’m a fit parent,” Jenelle said on the stand during the hearing. “I think I’ve done most of the raising of Ensley, or all of the raising of Ensley since she’s been born, making sure she’s healthy and doing well in school, and making sure she’s at school on time, making sure she’s in extra-curricular activities. I pay attention to her mental health.”
In his counterclaim, David disagrees, although he did note that both he and Jenelle are ” fit and suitable persons to have the custody and supervision of said minor child.”
He asked that the court decide how custody and visitation of Ensley should be divided between him and Jenelle, given the “circumstances” of their nasty split.
However, he asked that the court grant him the “care, custody and control” of Ensley instead of Jenelle.
In August, the judge ruled that David would not even be eligible to have supervised visitation with Ensley, until he consented to and took a psychological evaluation. (Based on court records obtained by The Ashley, it does not appear that David has done so yet. However, last month Jenelle filed another Cause of Action to demand that David take the test.)
Child Support:
In her initial court filing, Jenelle asked that David pay her child support for the care of Ensley. In his answer filed Wednesday, David stated that Jenelle should pay him child support for their daughter.
David asked that “an order be entered herein awarding reasonable support, maintenance, and subsistence for the minor child of the parties to be paid or secured from the estate, earnings or other income of the Plaintiff, Jenelle Eason, as provided by law.”
“Jenelle Eason is an able-bodied female capable of providing support and maintenance for the use and benefit of [Ensley] when custody of [Ensley] is awarded to the defendant, David Eason. David Eason will be entitled to support from the Plaintiff, Jenelle Eason, for the use and benefit of the minor child,” he wrote.
David did not specify how much child support he wants per month. He did, however, offer to split Ensley’s out-of-pocket medical, dental, counseling and other expenses with Jenelle.
“It is admitted that both parties have skills and trades which would allow them to earn an income sufficient to contribute to the support of the minor child,” David wrote.
His Daughter Maryssa:
As The Ashley reported last year, David was enraged when– after he left their home on The Land for what he thought was a temporary period of time— Jenelle kicked his teen daughter, Maryssa, out of the house. (Jenelle admitted to doing this in her 2024 filing, slamming David for not coming up with a plan for Maryssa’s care following his departure from the home. As The Ashley told you, Jenelle was the one who contacted Maryssa’s mom and stepdad to ask that Maryssa move in with them, and that act angered David.)
In his answer, David seemed to be stating that he thought his departure from The Land was only temporary, and that he was surprised when Jenelle wouldn’t allow him to return home, where Maryssa was living.
“[Jenelle] proceeded to kick out [David’s] 15-year-old daughter,” he wrote.
(It appears that Maryssa is doing well outside of life on The Land. She does still have a relationship with David, something Jenelle criticized the teen for in messages she sent to Maryssa on social media, which were recently leaked online.)
The Land & Other Property:
Last year, Jenelle received temporary use of the couple’s North Carolina property, The Land, although she has not lived there since the spring of 2024, when she and her kids moved to Las Vegas. In February 2024, Jenelle told the court that she was “in need of the sole use, enjoyment and possession of the property for the benefit of [Jenelle] and the minor children.”
She asked the court grant her legal possession of the home, and noted that David has stated that he will not let her have the house willingly.
In his answer, David asked that the court divide the marital and divisible property unequally, in favor of him. (David is currently living at his girlfriend Kenleigh’s home, by the way.)
Court Fees, Attorney Costs, Etc.:
David— who was voluntarily unemployed nearly the entire time he was with Jenelle— admits that he doesn’t have the money to pay for all the legal expenses he has from this divorce and court case, so he’s asking that Jenelle shell out for his court costs.
“David Eason…acting in good faith, who has insufficient means to defray the expense of this suit, including reasonable attorney’s fees, and the Plaintiff, Jenelle Eason, should be required to defray the expense of this suit, including a reasonable attorney’s fees, when applicable.”
Jenelle and David are next scheduled to meet face-to-face in a North Carolina courtroom to discuss this case next month.
The Ashley will have more info on this coming…stay tuned.
UPDATE! Click here to read what David had to say about the pending criminal charges against him for child abuse and strangulation, stemming from a 2023 incident with Jenelle’s son Jace.
(Photos: TikTok; Instagram; MTV)
54 Responses
Just please god let these kids be okay somehow. It is very sad that Jenelle brought 3 children into the world that no one can help. Their little lives are crashing and burning and no one can do anything about it. Any parent any of the kids live with, is not a good option.
They have no chance. Can’t imagine what a tough life the kids have and the long road ahead of them. Praying they can make good choices as young adults!
Neither one of these fools deserve these children. Its like watching Dahmer and Manson argue who’s the better person.
Before David’s latest caregiver claim, August also said that HE did all of the care of the children, even taking Jace to the ER (thus the bill that Janelle refuses to pay that he got stuck with). I fully believe Chinelle does nothing but get drunk/high and lay in her bed all day with the door locked. I remember seeing her kitchen counter full of pill bottles. She’s a mess and shouldn’t be around kids. Period.
Jenelle has demonstrated unequivocally she is incapable of prioritizing her children’s needs over her own. She chooses any man over her children, subjecting them to abuse, domestic violence, narcotics, excessive alcohol consumption, and neglect. She leaves her children with these unknown
men or allows them to roam the streets
alone, risking victimization in every way. She is an unfit mom, and her children should be withdrawn from her care to be safe.
David should find a real job and a place to live without a woman he hardly knows moving in. Just him and Ansley. He should be ordered to undergo therapy multiple times each week, as well as strict supervision and occasional drug testing. Final custody order will be revisited in one year based on his progress.
In terms of Jenelle, she is so deceptive that there is no improvement of any type that should not be interpreted as another deception attempt, but rather as a genuine wish to charge for the sake of her children.
*change
Jace’s instincts about David were right when he warned her not to marry David. It turns out that every time Jenelle has ever brought a man into his life he warned her about them. He didn’t like David Eason, he didn’t like Nathan Griffin, and he didn’t like Courtland Rogers. This kid has a knack for knowing who isn’t good enough for his mother.
He only wants custody of Ensley so he will get child support, that he will live off so he doesn’t have to get a job.
He can’t even afford his attorney fees, if he was denied child support, he wouldn’t be able to provide a thing for Ensley, because he is a user. He won’t work, expects everyone else to pay his way
So David is claiming that he was a primary caregiver of Jace when he strangled him? And he wants a judge to give him custody of a child? Mmmkayyyy 😒
Jenelle sat in her vehicle and witnessed it! That woman can’t handle one thing when it comes to kids misbehaving. I have no doubt at all that SHE told David to handle the situation. Jace, just has issues, my heart breaks for him. He acts out! David was so wrong for doing that, I truly hope he’s held accountable, BUT Jenelle is so bad too, she saw it all. Never once ran out of the vehicle to Jace’s rescue. Never once said OK David, That’s enough, leave him alone. She sat there and watched! That’s disgusting
Did you see the video of him strangling Jace? Can you show me?
Pretty sure the police have that as evidence right now. I was reported that ring camera footage DOES exist
Tbf, it’s not like she’s willing to deal with them when they’re behaving, either. They’d be the kids who were signing their own second-grade reading logs and waivers of liability for marching band because getting their parents to do literally anything was not happening.
Shout out to Greg from fourth grade who staged a lunch with empty containers for half of the year because he couldn’t forge or scrounge the documentation to get free school lunch. I hope living with your dad’s parents on the other side of the state was everything you hoped it would be. ❤️
Let the judge or mediator take Ensley aside from these psychotic asses and ask her who she wants to live with and why.
She’s too young for that. Not to mention that’s alot to put on a kid, especially one who’s parents see her as a prize to be won.
Gosh, I wonder just how the courts do it with other kids that are in this situation that they talk to. Cmon. Get a grip.
Courts appoint a GAL, guardian ad litem, to represent children in situations like this. They talk to the child, the parents, and basically everyone around the child from neighbors to schools to doctors and then they represent the child’s best interest in court.
david is out of his mind if he thinks a judge will be in his favor for majority of this 💀but i do support him making jenelle’s life more stressful sooooooo, carry on!
also am i the only one who believes david when he says he was the main one taking care of the kids? there’s been proof all throughout the years jenelle doesn’t do much whether it’s because she’s a lazy slob or because “she’s seeing molecules and having esophageal issues”
Right. I hope he nickel and dimes her, objects to every statement she says… This needs to be miserable for her. This ain’t taking his side but I’m definitely not on hers.
Not to mention all of those flights between Vegas and NC for the court appearance. And hotel rooms since she let her house fall into disrepair and nobody will let her crash with them. Imagine if instead of spending money on rent in Vegas to get with gross Daniel, she put the funds towards fixing her home? Then she wouldn’t have to fly back and forth frequently for court. That is all too practical for Janelle.
And sounds like Jace trashed her rental in Vegas. No way she’ll get her security deposit back and the landlord might go after her in court if the damage is extensive enough.
Did he really?
Wow. Smh. He’s his mother’s son for sure.
Yeah I don’t get the entire Vegas deal. It didn’t get her any employment. It didn’t get her any deals. It was a waste of a year and unnecessary uproot of those kids.
I’m sure her TM check for her few scenes was gone before it hit the bank.
Without a shadow of a doubt David was absolutely the primary caregiver of those children the entire duration of their relationship. We have consistently seen Jen dump her parenting duties onto whoever happens to be closest to her at the time. She must have her lucky court heels on to have balls enough to lie on paper to the courts about her doing most of the child rearing
“It is admitted that both parties have skills and trades which would allow them to earn an income sufficient to contribute to the support of the minor child,” David wrote.
Well, that’s an interesting turn of events. Jenelle was supposed to be paralyzed a couple years ago from her mystery neurological condition. David also could work due to his vitiligo.
🍿🍿🍿 for the rest of this divorce.
*couldn’t work
David was clearly the more active parent, but that’s like saying that Tammy Slaton is more active than her sister Amy. Yet, a turtle could move faster than either one of them.
🤣Perfect description🤣
Jesus christNeither of these idiots should have custody of a minor child
Well I’m done…cooter and tooter…☠️.
OMG!! I cannot stop laughing at the hilarious comments that “The Ashley” puts under the pictures of David, Jenelle and Barb!! Best sense of humor ever!!!! I get so disgusted with David and Jenelle for their abusive parenting, their lies, and the fact that they seem to always skate through EVERY issue that they create with no repercussions at all, I can hardly stand to read about them. However, I wouldn’t think of missing these funny ad-ons that “The Ashley” creates!!! These are the only things good about a Jenelle and David post!!
They’re both pieces of shit and neither deserve any child, but we all know David is being honest that he was the main caregiver the entire time he was with Jenelle and I do believe, if we had to “pick our poison,” that Ensley has a better chance with David. Jenelle just neglects the kids and leaves them alone for extended periods of time with whatever random creep she has moved in at the time.
Even his complaint was more articulate and specific.
“I feed Ensley, get her ready for school, take her to school, pick her up, help with homework…”
Whereas Jenelle.. “I care about Everly and her well being.. I try to do things.. that she needs.. ”
I don’t envy the judges here. It’s going to be a shit show. Someone will have to suss through all the piles of baseless accusations to get to the meat of the issues.
On the bright side, we’re sure to be getting a lot of The Ashley’s articles throughout what will inevitably be a long, drawn out, messy divorce. She may end up reaching levels of snark never imagined.
I hate to say it, but I believe David about being the primary caregiver. Jenelle has never given a single fuck. It’s just like Amber. Leah used to say Matt took care of her.
I’m no David fan. But Jenelle is a horrible mother. Always has been.
Before David’s latest caregiver claim, August also said that HE did all of the care of the children, even taking Jace to the ER (thus the bill that Janelle refuses to pay that he got stuck with). I fully believe Chinelle does nothing but get drunk/high and lay in her bed all day with the door locked. I remember seeing her kitchen counter full of pill bottles. She’s a mess and shouldn’t be around kids. Period.
In all fairness, that was his lawyer writing, as opposed to Jenelle talking.
Well worth the money
David is physically violent, including violence against children. Remember he STRANGLED Jace? He absolutely should not be allowed unsupervised visitation. Janelle is neglectful and emotionally abusive, David is physically, emotionally, verbally abusive. She’s not good but he is catagorically worse.
No, Jenelle only had all the money, clearly all the power over the home, and obviously the courts on her side, but still allowed her husband to do such a thing, watched from afar, then publicly chose him over her son. Obviously she is “categorically better” of course. 🙄 they both are on the same level. Jenelle is in absolutely in no way, above David.
There’s always people claiming Jenelle is better than David, better for the kids, better of a person, etc. And all I can say is I hope none of those people have kids.
You are correct. Not sure why you’re being downvoted. The fact is… David doesn’t want custody. Ensley is nothing more than a bargaining chip to him.
My father SA’d me and my mother knew. She did absolutely nothing and did not care. My mother was just as responsible for what I went through, she was just as much to blame, even though she didn’t do the act. How can anyone actually think Jenelle is any better than David? It’s sick. And I really hope nobody who thinks that has kids. Because I can’t imagine what they will allow their own kids to go through.
Is he better for Jace or Kaiser? No. Is he good for Ensley? No. Is he better for Ensley than Jenelle Is? Yes.
Ensley is his flesh and blood, and to somebody like David, that puts her on a different level than the boys. I don’t think her physically harm her. I do, however, 100% believe she will eventually be harmed by the creeps Jenelle moves in and leaves her alone with.
In an ideal world, none of Jenelle’s kids would be with either of their parents, but in the real world Ensley’s two options are Jenelle and David. That’s it.
David wants the house. I’d bet if there was no house he’d most likely walk away from Ensly, letting Jenelle take custody of her. It’s probably the only reason why he’s using Kenhole for money, so he can hire an attorney and fight for the house. This guy hit a lotto scratcher jackpot when he hooked up with Jenelle. He had and has absolutely nothing in life but what he can salvage from that relationship.
The house is worth nothing. The land may be worth something but the house is allegedly moldy and rotting away and is pretty much uninhabitable.
I hope someone suggests they sell the land and split the proceeds. The house would be no doubt be bulldozed.
I agree the house is probably rotted out, but it’s still a lot more than David has. Also, whoever gets the house must know they will be responsible for maintenance and upkeep so for both to want the house there must be some value.
Not necessarily, sometimes divorcing couples just claim to want whatever they’re soon to be ex wants, more out of spite than any desire for whatever they are fighting over. Since neither is living there or has been for over a year, the judge may be more inclined to order it sold and whatever they clear on the sale split in a certain percentage.
Yes. He wants the house and land. Kenleigh’s surviving parent is a contractor, and I’m sure he has made some deal with her to fix the house and land for profit.
Im so shocked to see David calling Jenelle a fit parent. After all her gloating and after March calling her out and all this. It’s just weird. Do I smell a romantic swamp reunion in the making? 🤣🤣🤣
I’m thinking his attorney probably had him say this… if they are both saying the other is unfit then CPS will probably get involved again and we all know that’s the last thing that those imbeciles want.
I actually do believe he played the sole caregiver and home maker. I think people have it twisted in saying Jenelle is a push over to men. I think she wants to be the breadwinner so she doesn’t have to be the mother. She’d rather pay the bills than fuss with the kids. I wish there was a better option for all the kids. I don’t think they should be with Jenelle either.
They are both self serving liars and neither are equipped to keep a goldfish alive much less children. It would be nice if they appointed a guardian ad litem for the children instead of basing judgements and decisions solely on the word of two narcissistic pathological liars.