NEWSJenni 'JWoww' Farley Admits She Locked Her Autistic Son in Airport Bathroom and 'Hog-Tied' Him While Processing His Diagnosis
JWoww's 9-year-old son threw one of his first tantrums at a very inconvenient time after being diagnosed with autism.
June 26 2025, Updated 2:32 p.m. ET
Jersey Shore star Jenni “JWoww” Farley opened up about the emotional experience she had with her son, Greyson Valor Mathews, 9, after he was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2.
On Kylie Kelce’s “Not Gonna Lie” podcast, the reality TV star recalled that during one of her son's first tantrums at an airport, "I was able to lock myself in a bathroom with him and get him figured out and lock him in his stroller."
JWoww Explains How She 'Hog-Tied' Her Son in Airport Bathroom
JWoww's son was diagnosed with autism at 2 years old.
“I was hog-tying him at one point just to calm him down. And we got on the plane, and he passed out,” she added. “I remember all the looks; he just got diagnosed. I was [like] I don’t wanna talk about his diagnosis.”
Farley — who welcomed her boy with ex-husband Roger Mathews — emphasized how her son, who was non-verbal at the time, had just been diagnosed with autism before their flight, so she was unaware that he’d react that way to the sensory overload.
“He tried to run through TSA,” she recalled. “And when I tried to stop him, he ripped my glasses off and broke them, and he headbutted me.”
JWoww Was in Shock During Her Son's Airport Tantrum
The reality TV star said there were many bystanders who began to film her son's airport tantrum.
“And it was a very emotional and very real moment that I had with him,” she said. “And through all his diagnosing, nobody explained to me sensory issues and sensory processing. And I had no idea, because he really wasn’t on a flight before that, that he didn’t like lines, and he didn’t like waiting, and he hated delays.”
Farley recalled how mortified she was when bystanders instantly took their phones out to record the incident.
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JWoww Recalls Wanting to 'Hide' During Her Son's Airport Tantrum
The 'Jersey Shore' star recalled how she cried and wanted to 'hide' during her son's tantrum at the airport.
“I just remember crying,” she shared. “And I remember I finally get through TSA, and I’m bawling, and I have scratches, and my son’s crying, and I can’t get him in his car seat. And we’re having this moment, and I just wanna get on the plane or hide.”
She noted that navigating treatment for her son’s autism diagnosis was a nerve-wracking task, as she wasn’t aware of how he’d respond.
Jwoww's Son Thrives in ABA Therapy
JWoww's son underwent at least 40 hours of Applied Behavioral Analysis per week to treat his autism.
Once she saw how Applied Behavioral Analysis was a suitable fit for her youngest child, they began ongoing ABA therapy. Her son underwent 40 hours of ABA per week at the beginning of his diagnosis, as well as speech and occupational therapy.
The famed TV personality didn’t stop at that, though; she also became involved in pro-autism awareness campaigns, including KultureCity, an organization that provides sensory-inclusive modifications at NFL stadiums.
