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Is Aaron Hernandez Cousin Tanya Alive? – Celebrity

Author

Jessica Burns

Updated on January 17, 2026

Tragically, yes. In a tumultuous childhood, Tanya Singleton, Aaron Hernandez’s cousin, seems to have been one of the lone constant figures in his life. The new Netflix documentary on the former New England Patriots’ star’s downfall paints Singleton as a mother figure to Aaron.

Aaron was estranged from his mother, Terri Hernandez, and lived largely with Tanya and her then-husband, Jeff Cummings. Though cousins, Tanya had a bigger role in raising Aaron and he looked up to her as a mother. It was while he lived with Tanya that Aaron fell into a life of crime and drugs.

But prosecutors claimed that Hernandez never actually set up the accounts for his cousin, who was battling stage 4 metastatic breast cancer at the time, the outlet reports. Meanwhile, Hernandez’s legal team argued that there was no proof at all that Hernandez had ever influenced Singleton in any way.

Those closest to Aaron Hernandez became key players in his trial for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd. Not only was his fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, accused of trying to hide the murder weapon, Tanya was accused of helping Hernandez and his accomplices flee.

Who is Aaron Hernandez’ cousin?

A new Netflix docuseries is taking a closer look at the life and crimes of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez. Aaron’s cousin Tanya played a big role in helping to conceal his crimes. Tanya was very close to Aaron while they were growing up.

One of the most interest twists in the docuseries is the story of Aaron’s cousin, Tanya Singleton, who was accused of helping Aaron and his alleged accomplices flee the state. She also later refused to testify in the case. It’s only natural to wonder who Tanya is and what happened to her. Here’s what you need to know.

She had breast cancer. Tanya was battling stage 4 metastatic breast cancer at the time of the trial, the Hartford Courant says. The judge who gave her probation with home confinement said at the time that her health was the only reason Tanya wasn’t sent back to jail.

Tanya was punished over the case. Tanya refused to testify during the trial. As a result, she was sentenced in 2014 to probation with home confinement for a year after she pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal contempt, per The Sun Chronicle. She also was ordered to wear a GPS bracelet during her probation.

According to the docuseries, Tanya died in October 2015 at home. Korin Miller Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more.

She and Aaron were really close growing up. Aaron’s father died when he was in high school and he wasn’t close with his mom, the documentary reveals. Tanya was his older cousin, and she was kind of a maternal figure to him.

Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez just dropped on Netflix, and people are already obsessing over the true story of how former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez ended up in jail for murder. One of the most interest twists in the docuseries is the story of Aaron’s cousin, Tanya Singleton, who was accused of helping Aaron …

Who is Aaron Hernandez’ cousin?

Tanya Singleton was the cousin of the former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who is the subject of Netflix’s new documentary, Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez, released on January 15.

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Singleton was Hernandez’s older cousin. She became involved in the case after accusations arose that she might have helped Hernandez and his accomplices, Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz. Singleton allegedly tried to help Wallace and Ortiz escape after Lloyd’s murder.

Hernandez disapproved of the relationship, so he moved out of the house he shared with his mother and moved in with Singleton. Hernandez then became a father-figure to Singleton ’s son with her former husband.

Tanya Singleton was battling stage 4 breast cancer at the time Hernandez went on trial for the murder.

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