Ebony Jackson’s episode of 16 and Pregnant was really heartbreaking at times, mainly because she had to put her dream of joining the military on hold. It still seemed like she and her boyfriend, Josh Rendon, would be able to give their daughter, Jocelyn, a great life.
But shortly after the cameras stopped rolling, their lives unexpectedly took a seriously shocking turn. The truth about the tragedy and heartbreak that Jocelyn has encountered so far is honestly hard to believe, so let’s get into it.
Ebony and Josh’s episode of 16 and Pregnant first aired in July 2009, just two months after their daughter was born. It wasn’t until about a year later that Ebony decided to update Facebook followers about what life was like for her, Josh, and Jocelyn.
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In the summer of 2010, Ebony revealed that she and Josh had gotten married after MTV’s cameras left. She added that Josh was in the Air Force and also studying to become a mechanic. Once Josh graduated from tech school that August, he would be returning home to her and Jocelyn, but only for about 10 days.
Ebony and Josh would only have about a week and a half to pack themselves and Jocelyn up before relocating to Arkansas. They were making the move because Josh was set to be stationed near Little Rock.
But that wans’t the only change the couple had planned. Believe it or not, Ebony and Josh were also trying to have another baby so that Jocelyn would have a younger sibling. At the time, it sounded like the whole family was thriving, and their lives seemed pretty stable.
Jocelyn Was Removed from Their Custody
According to The Ashley’s Reality Roundup, Ebony and Josh were expecting baby number two in May of 2011.
But just a couple of weeks later, everything suddenly came crashing down. The Ashley’s Reality Roundup shared that unfortunately, Ebony’s pregnancy had ended, and she lost the baby. She was understandably devastated and struggled to cope with the heartbreaking loss.
A few months later, details about how their lives had drastically changed were exposed. In September 2011, Jocelyn was shockingly removed from her parents’ custody.
E! News reported that Child Protective Services had placed her in foster care because Ebony and Josh had been arrested. The couple was reportedly charged with possession of illegal substances, as well as endangering the welfare of a child. Reportedly, the state of their house was so disgusting that it wasn’t even in a livable condition.
TMZ obtained a copy of the police report from their arrest, and what it revealed was seriously disturbing. It turns out that Josh and Ebony’s house was beyond filthy.
There were bodily fluids smeared all over the walls, floors, and even the furniture. There was trash lying around, a fly infestation, and multiple dogs that appeared to be uncared for as well. Ebony and Josh were both bailed out of jail, but it’s no wonder Jocelyn wasn’t returned to their care right away.
Just a couple of days later, Ebony admitted to Hollywood Life that losing Jocelyn had turned her world upside down. She claimed that she and Josh were determined to get their daughter back and improve their lives. Ebony explained that Josh had been booted from the military, so they were going to eventually move back to Colorado.
Ebony Went to a Rehab Center
While they worked on getting their lives back on track, they were thinking of signing custody of Jocelyn over to either Josh’s parents or Ebony’s mom. But at the time, they hadn’t even seen their daughter since they were put behind bars.
In October, TMZ reported that Ebony and Josh were allowed to see Jocelyn again after being granted supervised visitation. They were only able to spend two hours with her per visit twice a week.
Even though the couple was one step closer to getting her back, what happened next was seriously surprising.
According to what Ebony’s father, Anthony Jackson, told Radar Online that November, Ebony was in a rehab center. He claimed that she had spent a week at a treatment facility shortly after she was arrested, but it wasn’t enough time for her to get the help she needed.
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Anthony added that his daughter had been struggling with her mental health. He hoped that she would stay there longer than before to learn more coping skills and get healthier.
The next update about Ebony and Josh was honestly so unexpected.
In April 2012, Josh announced to TMZ that he and Ebony were expecting another baby. They still didn’t have custody of Jocelyn yet. Starcasm revealed that in October of that year, Ebony and Josh welcomed another daughter, Jayda. By this time, the couple had regained custody of Jocelyn.
Ebony Did Not Fight for Legal Custody of Her Daughters
But just when it seemed like things were looking up, Ebony shared a bizarre update. In June 2013, Ebony dropped an absolute bombshell on Twitter when she posted that she had met an incredible man.
She explained that she and Josh had called it quits, and the reason why was extremely alarming. According to Ebony’s interview with Starcasm, Josh had been in a terrible place mentally, but he didn’t seem to want help. He would stay out all night, only to come home and pick fights with Ebony.
It wasn’t long before things took a turn for the worse. Josh reportedly mistreated Ebony regularly, but one evening, she needed to call for emergency help. That was when she knew she had to leave.
The next day, she began the process of moving out. Ebony ultimately moved back to Colorado and filed for divorce. Josh returned to the same state since he also had family there.
Ebony didn’t waste much time before moving on with someone new. In 2014, Ebony got into a relationship with a man named James Baldrick.
His daughter, Esme, was just a couple of years older than Jocelyn. It turns out that neither of Ebony’s daughters was under her care anymore. Jocelyn and Jayda were supposedly being looked after by Josh’s parents.
Years later, Ebony revealed on her Instagram that after she and Josh split, he and his parents took the girls from her. She didn’t try to legally fight him for custody because she knew she couldn’t give her daughters the life they deserved. At the time, she didn’t even have her own place to stay, so she figured it was in Jocelyn and Jayda’s best interest to be with their dad and his parents.
That’s why what happened next was so insane.
Ebony and James Welcomed a Third Baby Girl
In April 2015, James posted a photo on Instagram of Ebony’s ultrasound. The Ashley’s Reality Roundup revealed that the couple would soon add another daughter to their family. According to The Ashley, Ebony and James welcomed their baby girl, Jaelyn, at the end of June.
They both stayed surprisingly private on social media afterward. It wasn’t until years later that Ebony finally explained on Instagram what had been going on.
Ebony and James had been through a lot of rough patches, but they decided to get married in January 2018. Shortly after, they separated, and they even considered filing for divorce. However, they grew closer again over the next few years, after overcoming some seriously challenging obstacles together.
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Ebony shared on Instagram that she had been diagnosed with epilepsy, struggled with depression, and had even gotten into a car accident. Even though she and James had repaired their broken bond, things didn’t play out the same with Jocelyn and Jayda.
The chaos of her life affected Ebony’s communication with her eldest daughters, and they stopped regularly contacting each other. Ebony also claimed that despite what most people thought, she still technically had custody of all three of her daughters. Because she knew that her life wasn’t stable enough, Jocelyn and Jayda had been living with Josh’s parents for years.
Jocelyn and Jayda Remain in their Grandparents Custody
Ebony added that she was hopeful that her oldest daughters would someday be able to live with her again. But they definitely wouldn’t be seeing their dad for a while.
In 2021, Josh was locked up after he stole a car and allegedly tried to end the life of a police officer. According to Starcasm, he was sentenced last year to 10 years in prison but could potentially be released on parole in 2027.
According to The Ashley’s Reality Roundup, Josh’s mother, Christy, currently has custody of Jocelyn and Jayda. It’s unknown whether or not Ebony was telling the truth about sharing custody of her oldest daughters, but it sounds like they rarely even stay in contact anymore.
Jocelyn is about to turn 15, while Jayda recently turned 11. They’ve experienced so much devastation in their short lives. It’s heartbreaking that Ebony and Josh haven’t been healthy or stable enough to have their oldest daughters in their care.
Thankfully, Jocelyn and Jayda were able to stay together. Christy doesn’t share anything about them with the public, which is probably for the best. It’ll be interesting to see if Ebony will have a more consistent, present role in her daughters’ lives in the future.
