Photo: Photo Via Instagram
Tragic new realizations about the former New England Patriot's life and suicide.
By Emily Van Devender — Written on Oct 16, 2018
It seems like each detail that comes out about the story of ex-New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is more shocking than the last. Now, new confessions from Dennis Sancoucie, who claims he was Aaron Hernandez gay lover, are no different.
It all began in 2012, shortly after Hernandez signed a $40 million contract extension with his team (the second-priciest extension for a tight end in history). It seemed like things were going pretty well for him. According to Rolling Stone, he was spending his money in droves, with nights out at the club purchasing bottle service and dropping thousands on dangerous drugs, including angel dust.
All of the luxurious spending came to a halt, however, when Hernandez was arrested and later convicted of the murder of his former friend, Odin Lloyd. The night of the murder, he was seen ranting in his Boston mansion in security footage before leaving the house with a .45 pistol in the early hours of the morning. He allegedly later took Odin to an industrial complex where he shot him multiple times. He was found guilty and sentenced to life without parole.
While in prison, he was indicted for his role in a double murder that occurred in 2012 outside of a nightclub. After allegedly shooting and killing Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado while driving by the club, he allegedly also shot his former drug dealer and friend, Alexander Bradley, in the face. For this, he was also charged with witness intimidation. He was later acquitted for these charges, and maintained his innocence on all counts, including the first murder, until his April 2017 suicide.
All of the available information paints a picture of a celebrity football player who felt deep pain, anger and familial rejection on the inside while maintaining somewhat of a double life. In the year and a half following his tragic death, bits and pieces of additional information have come out regarding the former football star’s secret behind-the-scenes life. A new six-part podcast called Gladiator is currently being released which talks about the testimonies of former teammates and friends who noticed some of Hernandez’s strange behavior and struggle.
Here are 4 major devastating details about Aaron Hernandez’s secret life and the reasoning behind his whirlwind temperament leading up to his conviction and death.
1. Who is Aaron Hernandez’s gay lover?
After Hernandez’s death, several different men from his past came forward to share their experiences as his gay lover. Of course, he was never officially out of the closet. As an esteemed and perceivably tough-shelled football player, the climate surrounding Hernandez’s upbringing and career was relatively unaccepting of a gay or bisexual lifestyle. In fact, it is rumored that Hernandez’s father, while well-respected by his community, was outspokenly homophobic.
According to Radar, Hernandez’s former classmate Dennis SanSoucie claimed that he and Hernandez were romantically involved from a young age. “Me and him were very much into trying to hide what we were doing,” he said of the relationship. “We didn’t want people to know.”
In high school, Hernandez became involved with Shayanna Jenkins, his eventual fiancee and mother of his child, ending the sexual excursions with SanSoucie.
In addition, fellow prisoner Kyle Kennedy came forward after Hernandez’s death to reveal that the two were maintaining a homosexual relationship behind bars. Clearly, Hernandez was attempting to hide his homosexuality well into adulthood, even with a supportive fiancee and child.
2. Hernandez’s father reportedly abused him
Many who knew the Hernandez family praised Aaron’s father, Dennis Hernandez, as being a loving and supportive father as well as a pillar in the community. He was strict, but nothing stuck out to friends of the family as being abusive or out-of-control. According to CNN, this was all a facade for a very abusive parent/child relationship. Dennis Hernandez was very homophobic, which was extremely intimidating for the sexually-confused Aaron Hernandez and damaging to his development.
Aaron’s brother, Jonathan, details the beatings and abuse that he and his brother endured from their father in a new memoir that will be released this month titled The Truth About Aaron. He says that he once tried to call the police, but decided not to when Dennis threatened to severely beat him, only to be pulled off by the police when they arrived.
Dennis died suddenly during an operation in 2006, an event that some say led Aaron down a path to criminal behavior with a sketchy crowd. The event affected him and his brother deeply, as both were young teenagers at the time.
3. He may have been molested during childhood
In addition to the beatings from his father, Aaron Hernandez alleged that he was sexually molested as a child. There are not many details available beyond Aaron’s own statement to one of his lawyers and some close friends. In fact, he didn’t even disclose who was responsible for his molestation. However, George Leontire, one of his attorneys, says that his claims seemed to be legitimate.
4. He behaved oddly around teammates during his final season
In Hernandez’s final season as a New England Patriot, his teammates say that he acted strangely in the locker room. Former Patriots receiver Brandon Lloyd told ESPN that his teammate had severe mood swings charged with insecurity.
“There were mood swings where he’d be the most hyper-masculine, aggressive individual in the room, where he’d be ready to fight somebody in fits of rage. Or he’d be the most sensitive person in the room, talking about cuddling with his mother. Or he’d ask me, ‘Do you think I’m good enough to play?’”
Fellow Patriots receiver Wes Welker allegedly warned other players of some of Hernandez’s strange behavior in the locker room. He would talk about inappropriate subjects such as being bathed by his mother as a child or his experiences with gay sex, all while remaining completely naked.
Other players stated that, when Hernandez brought some of his ex-convict friends around from his hometown of Bristol, Connecticut, they were wary that Hernandez was hanging around with a dangerous crowd.
While new information continues to be revealed surrounding Aaron Hernandez’s relationships, conviction and death, one thing is certain; Hernandez’s life was one of tragedy and confusion. It can certainly be argued that he was simply a victim of poor circumstance that led him down a path of criminal behavior and despair. Both the podcast and his brother's book release might shed more light on the life of the once-highly-sought-after football star.
Emily is a freelance writer based in Colorado, USA. She is interested in politics, feminism, and psychology and enjoys photography and outdoor activities in her spare time.