‘American Sports Story’ Star Jaylen Barron Talks Sparking Empathy for Aaron Hernandez’s ‘Villainized’ Fiancée Shayanna Jenkins

The actress also tells TheWrap that Episode 9 of the FX series will be “pivotal” to her story

American Sports Story
Josh Rivera as Aaron Hernandez, Jaylen Barron as Shayanna in "American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez" (Photo Credit: Eric Liebowitz/FX)

Very few people emerged from the Aaron Hernandez saga looking well. That’s the case for Shayanna Jenkins, the late Hernandez’s fianceé who came under a great deal of media scrutiny for her role in the football star’s first murder trial. Going into “American Sports Story,” star Jaylen Barron knew she signed up for a difficult rolw, which is precisely why she was careful to always bring “empathy” to her version of Shayanna.

“I feel like she was villainized in the media, and a lot of people came at her without even understanding what was going on,” Barron told TheWrap during the Television Critics Association’s 2024 summer tour.

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