The FX/Hulu series American Sports Story revolves around Tanya Singleton, a real-life cousin of former NFL player Aaron Hernandez. Josh Rivera is an up-and-coming talent who plays the aforementioned Aaron Hernandez, the convicted National Football League tight end who committed the infamous murder in 2015.
American Sports Story delves deep into Aaron's troubled childhood and difficult family life as he burst onto the scene of football enthusiasts to become this phenomenal young player for the Florida Gators. This series also features a few real-life NFL players and coaches.
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Tanya Singleton is an important figure in American sports history and in Aaron's life. Shortly after his father died while Aaron was in high school, his mother began an extramarital affair with Tanya’s husband. Aaron on finding out, begins to spend more time at Tanya's house than with his mother.
***Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Hulu series American Sports Story***
American Sports Story: How are Aaron Hernandez and Tanya Singleton related?
Tanya Singleton is the daughter of Aaron Hernandez's aunt. Tanya was first married to Jeff Cummings and Jeff slept with Terri, Aaron's mother. In American Sports Story, Tanya confronts Terri, but when this incident occurred in real life, Terri was watching Aaron's brother DJ play football for the University of Connecticut. Following the incident, Tanya separated from Cummings and allowed Aaron to live at her Lake Avenue home in Bristol, Connecticut.
Aaron Hernandez was close to his cousin Tanya Singleton. He often visited Tanya and her new husband TL at their home to do drugs. Aaron had the name Juno-son inscribed on his tattoos. Juno was Tanya’s son. It has also been reported that he paid for them when he started attending the University of Florida to play for the Florida Gators.
What happened to Aaron Hernandéz's cousin Tanya Singleton in American Sports Story?
Tanya Singleton was linked to the murder of Odin Lloyd, who was shot dead by Aaron Hernandez. Investigators discovered that Ernest Wallace, who was accused of being an accessory to murder was driven from Connecticut to Florida with Tanya's connivance. She also failed to appear before a grand jury to testify about the case, even though she was granted immunity.
About a month after Aaron Hernandez's arrest for first-degree murder, Tanya was jailed on August 1, 2013. Prosecutors thought Singleton was a key witness who could be used to help build a strong case against Hernandez, even though there was so much circumstantial evidence against him - including DNA evidence, footprints, and shell casings found near where Lloyd's body was discovered.
Despite the immunity, Tanya was arrested for contempt and spent 196 days in jail before being released on bail in early 2014. Tanya was also charged with another count of contempt for refusing to testify against Hernandez in a double murder case in Boston that was featured in the first episode of American Sports Stories. Authorities found a vehicle linked to the double murder in Tanya's garage.
How does Tanya Singleton’s fate turn out in American Sports Story?
Singleton was allowed to serve no more jail time when she posted bail after being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. In August 2014, Fall River Superior Court Judge E. Susan Garsh sentenced Singleton to two years of probation and one year of home confinement.
Singleton was one of Aaron Hernandez's most devoted family members during his murder trial and throughout his life. She died in October 2015, six months after Hernandez was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in April that year.
During the double murder trial in 2017, the world would never know what happened to the Toyota 4Runner that suddenly appeared at the scene of the crime and ended up in Singleton's garage.
Represented by celebrity attorney Jose Baez, the same lawyer who famously defended Casey Anthony in 2011, Hernandez was acquitted of both charges. American Sports Story dramatizes Singleton's loyalty and her battle with cancer.
American Sports Story is available for fans to stream on Hulu.
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