Jenelle Evans' Ex August Keen Sounds Off After Jace's Leaked Text Messages Go Viral: 'He Seems to Be Having a Rough Time'

After Teen Mom 2 alum Jenelle Evans’ son Jace Evans leaked private text messages between them, her ex August Keen spoke exclusively to OK! to share his reaction.

“From my perspective, a person that lived under the same roof for almost one year with Jenelle, Jace, Kaiser and Ensley, what I saw was a 14-15 year old (at the time) who was adjusting to many new things, like a new custody situation, a new city, a new home, a new school, new friends, new job back on MTV, etc.,” August said.

He stated Jace is under "a lot of pressure” as he navigates “dealing with the public, being a teenager and trying to adjust as fast as the public wants him to.” “For him, his life is real and can’t be controlled by public opinion,” August added, explaining Jace “seems to be having a rough time following the rules and having respect for authoritative figures,” as he’s “on probation now and isn’t too happy about the terms.”

“They are all in my prayers, and I hope Jace can turn it all around,” August added. “I’ve spent a fair amount of time with him solo, and he’s really a cool guy — very polite, helpful, funny — and just living his adventurous teenager life. I think he has a lot of potential and has a lot of great qualities that will get him through this confusing time in his life. I believe in him, and his bravery will get him through the finish line.”

August also addressed Jenelle’s other children, insisting she needs to “protect" them.

“She is also navigating how to deal with this, while processing everything herself,” he noted. “I wish them all the best in hopes they all get through it as a unit and family.”

August also addressed Jace's claim that he wants to move back to North Carolina.

“If Jace feels like he can better himself with [Jenelle's mom] Barbara in North Carolina and Jenelle and his probation officer — along with Barbara — come up with a plan, and that’s what they all agree and think is best, then that might not be a bad idea,” he said. “Jace has a tendency of acting out no matter where he is,” August elaborated. “His feelings are valid. He just needs to learn self-control and how to respond and react to things that upset him. Destroying everything is not conducive to him maturing. He needs to realize the one person he’s hurting the most is himself, while trying to [seek] revenge against his mother.”

Ultimately, August hopes the “anger management term in Jace's probation will help him learn to process his emotions better," and he will be able to "gain" any guidance during this "crucial time."

As OK! reported, Jace posted texts between him and Jenelle on August 19. The messages included her cursing him out and insisting Jace is lying about her ex-husband David Eason strangling him.

In the wake of him posting the texts, Jenelle issued a statement asking for “empathy, kindness and prayers during this time.”