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Ryan Murphy's American Sports Story on FX has reignited interest in the Aaron Hernandez case, a decade after his trial. The series, also available on Hulu, focuses on the former New England Patriots player accused of murdering Odin Lloyd.
Early episodes suggest Hernandez was gay, linking this to the case, sparking discussions about his sexuality. Although Hernandez never publicly addressed this, people close to him have shared different views on the matter.
Hernandez's brother claimed that he had an emotional conversation while coming out to their mother. On the other hand, Aaron's former fiancee, Shayana Jenkins-Hernandez, has said during a former Netflix documentary release that he did not give any indication of being gay.
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In a 2020 interview for ABC News, Shayana said:
"[Aaron] was certainly a man to me. There was no behavior that made me think differently."
What are the different points of view surrounding Hernandez and his sexuality?
Even after the death of Aaron Hernandez, the matter of his sexuality is still under debate, owing to multiple people having differing perspectives. Aaron's fiancee, Shayana Jenkins-Hernandez, says that he was not gay and gave no sign of it to her, as she even mentioned in writing in the book Unnecessary Roughness.
In a statement for ABC News, Shayana elaborated that there was no point in speculation about Hernandez's sexuality since he was no longer there to corroborate anything that he was feeling. She said:
“If [Aaron] did feel that way, or if he felt the urge, I wish that I was told. I wish he would’ve told me because I would not have loved him any differently... I don’t think anybody should feel shameful of who they are inside, regardless of who they love. I think it’s a beautiful thing. I just wish I was able to tell him that.”
On the other hand, Aaron's brother, DJ “Jonathan” Hernandez, talked about how his brother might have come out to their mother, with his book and a statement to People in 2018. He mentioned that they had a conversation before Hernandez was found in his cell and spoke to each other very emotionally:
“He’s like, ‘Mom, you’re going d*e never knowing your son.’ Then all of a sudden they have this conversation, and they’re both flooded with tears across from each other.”
Also read: American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez release schedule: All episodes and when they arrive
What was the Aaron Hernandez case which American Sports Story is based on?
In 2013, Odin Lloyd's body was found in a Massachusetts industrial park. Aaron Hernandez, an NFL player for the Patriots, was charged with first-degree murder. The Patriots cut ties with Hernandez and removed him from the team just hours after his arrest.
Aaron Hernandez pleaded not guilty to the crime, but he was detained due to proceedings on many other criminal charges he had committed in the past. On April 19, 2017, Hernandez was found hanging in his prison cell at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center.
American Sports Story explores the events surrounding the murder of Odin Lloyd and Aaron Hernandez's prison sentence. The series is available for streaming on Hulu and partner platforms in various regions.
