Ask Unexpected fans who kept the show alive in its later years, and one name comes up more than any other: Jenna Ronan — the girl who arrived in Season 4 at 16, pregnant with her first son, and stayed long enough to become the show’s through-line. Fans say she carried Unexpected. Critics say that gives one person too much credit for an ensemble show. So, which is it?
The Case for Jenna: Three Seasons, One Through-Line
Jenna joined Unexpected in Season 4 with then-boyfriend Aden Albright, and she stayed through Season 6 — three seasons, while cast members around her came and went. Viewers watched her grow up on camera: the pregnancy, the birth of her son Luca, the slow collapse of her relationship with Aden, and her decision to walk away from that relationship in 2021. Other moms had bigger single moments. Jenna had continuity, and in a show built on following teenagers into adulthood, continuity is everything.
The Moments That Made Her the Main Character
Jenna’s storyline gave the show its most quotable scenes. In Season 5, a tarot reading told her it was her and Luca “against the world” — a line fans still repeat as a summary of her whole arc. She was also the cast member honest enough to say what everyone else avoided: after Season 6 ended without a tell-all, she told fans on TikTok that the show was, in her words, “80% done,” with no casting call and no new episodes filmed, blaming low ratings. When the show would not give fans closure, Jenna did. Then, in 2025, she walked away herself, saying on TikTok that filming “just wasn’t working” anymore.
The Glow-Up Fans Keep Pointing To
The other half of the case is what Jenna built after the cameras stopped defining her. She reconnected with childhood friend JJ Della in late 2022, announced their engagement in October 2023, and welcomed their second son, James Richard Della IV, the following month. She told Teen Vogue she was making between $15,000 and $20,000 a month via TikTok, according to reports, and in March 2026 she launched her boutique, Honey Harbor, with more than 328,000 Instagram followers behind her. Now she and JJ are building a two-story house in South Carolina, about 15 minutes from the beach. When a fan asked about their wedding, she replied “already happened” — though that marriage remains unconfirmed, according to reports.
The Other Side: Why Some Fans Push Back
Not everyone buys the “she carried it” claim. Jenna’s first season earned her a harsh label from some viewers, who called her spoiled after her on-screen rows with her dad and her birthday-car demands, and some fans at the time said they fast-forwarded her segments. Her friendship with best friend Dalanie also split the audience, with some viewers saying the best-friend drama took up too much of her screen time. And her relationship with JJ has had its own public wobble, with a reported split in early 2024, according to reports, before the couple came back together. The critics’ argument is simple: Jenna was the most visible mom, not the only one that mattered.
So, Did She Carry Unexpected?
Here is the honest version: Jenna was the show’s most consistent presence across its final original run, its most candid voice about its future, and its biggest post-show success story. Whether that amounts to “carrying” the show depends on what you think a reality show is carried by — one star, or the whole cast. So, settle it: are you TEAM JENNA CARRIED IT, or TEAM ENSEMBLE?
YOU MAY LIKEUnexpected Couples Ranked: Who Is Still Together in October 2026?
