Season 16, Episode 1
Jennifer
Age: 35
Location: Southern Ontario
Addiction: Anorexia, painkillers
What’s Memorable: I have to say, this one really disgusted me. The way she has normalized shooting up as a regular part of her young childrens’ daily lives is really troubling to me. Not only does she inject many times a day right in front of them, with them actually sitting next to her asking her questions as she does it, she also leaves the needles lying around on the table and the floor where they’re easily accessible to her kids. I sympathize with Jennifer’s addiction but I cannot sympathize with the level of selfishness and neglect it takes to do that to your kids. And while I also sympathize with her husband, I don’t understand why he can’t at least pick the needles up off the floor or suggest that maybe she go into another room. Ugh, it just all really sickened me. This was some of the most irresponsible, dangerous parenting I’ve ever witnessed. If she couldn’t get clean after treatment, I’m at least relieved to find out that she’s no longer living with her children.
Official Synopsis: A young mother’s eating disorder has been a life-long affliction, now compounded by drug and sex addiction–but to get rid of all of her demons she’ll have to eliminate more than just her food. (Canadian produced.)
Date Aired: November 2016
Interventionist: Maureen
This episode was very difficult to watch. I can not believe she would shoot up right in front of her kids. Her husband literally should have left her. I am all for rehabilitation but this woman was on a whole other level. I hope she is doing well, everyone deserves to be helped.
She left treatment after 2 weeks and she had been completely removed from the home and her husband has full custody of their children
Yeah we all ready the epilogue card too. Thanks though.
I have seen this epi a few times & it really is disgusting how she has involved her little kids! Not just the needles & shooting up but spitting out her food while they watch also really pissed me off! SO sad! The reality of their dad’s illness adds another tragic layer to the whole mess! It’s probably the saddest Intervention I’ve ever seen!
I wrote this a few weeks ago in resonse to another post:
Yes her name is Jennifer – it was a Canadian episode from earlier this year – one that really stayed with me because she made no effort to shield her children. Her husband has a severe bone infection that he needs surgery to help give him a few more years but he refused to do it because he didn’t want to leave her alone with the kids, which means he’d die in a few years. She steals his pain meds and coaxes him on what to tell his doctors, her brother says she’s the best mother he’s ever seen and “she’s so positive with the kids.”
She shoots pain pills as often as every 15 minutes, in front of the kids – her eldest, 8 yo, jokes about “the needle monster, watches over her and asks if she missed the vein and tells her mother she has to do her best to eat because she chews her food and spits it out, again, in front of her kids. Her daughter is her emotional caretaker. Her son was writhing in pain while she put off taking him to the ER because she couldn’t sit there without shooting up. Hours later she takes him and leaves him alone on the bench while she rushes out to the car to get her fix. Something else seems to be going with him, I think they said he was five but during his crisis was shown with a pacifier in his mouth.
After she left treatment her family held their bottom lines – I’m hoping her daughter’s emotional wellbeing is addressed.
He husband passed away October 22, 2017
Oh my god, those poor children. What has happened to them? Do you have a link confirming his death? If you’re close to the family I am so sorry for your loss; This episode haunts me like no other.
Oh boy where do I begin on this one? I honestly thought this was a made up episode because no one could be this bad, boy was I wrong. I agree with Dizzy this episode is so disgusting in so many ways Idont have words for it. Shooting up in front of her children, stealing with her children, cheating on her husband, throwing up in front of everyone, I mean why has everyone let this go on for so long? Doug should’ve thrown her out at the first sign of her addiction,no questions. I have no hope for this one because she’s so far into her addiction it will take a miracle and good job getting her removed from the home after she left treatment. Her children are too young to truly understand the drug abuse and I hope they’re no longer subjected to their mothers addiction.
This episode portrays the ugly realities of addiction. I agree, it is so uncomfortable to watch.
I just watched this and I agree this was very disturbing in so many ways. I always think that as long there is breath in the body, there is hope. However, I’m not sure about Jennifer. Her children are deeply traumatized by this and she oblivious. I do think it shows the reality of most homes that have an addict living in the household. Most addicts don’t care.
Yeah, I saw this one last year and couldn’t believe that she didn’t even attempt to hide it from her children. It made me so sad.
Anyone have any updates on her or her kids? I’m glad Doug got custody of them, but I hope she gets better for her husband and kids.
unfortunately Doug passed away Sunday evening. My heart breaks for those children! I believe they are staying with Family and NOT the mother.
What happened to Jenny? Where is she
Perhaps I don’t know the structure of filming an episode of intervention. But Jennifer And Doug seem like they are not the kind of people that allow cameras Into their living hell.
What does a&e offer addicts, in order to film?
I know some want to “show” people what addiction looks like (not realising an intervention is imminent) but Jennifer doesn’t seem to care about much. I dont understand how or why she would agree to have cameras filming her and her family and all of their fucked up despair.
Considering that neither Jennifer or her husband gave 2 f’s in shielding their children from seeing her doing all of these things (including her family members), I seriously doubt they give a F about “strangers” watching/filming this all go down.
That right there speaks volumes to me. BOTH of them are to blame when it comes to these children being traumatized from all of this.
Interesting that you ask that…I was chatting with someone I know who’s in recovery (we’re Canadians), and a dear friend of hers was on Intervention Canada (I didn’t ask what season/name). Anyway, she said the addict was offered $500 to participate and payment would come once filming was successfully completed.
I don’t know if that’s in line with anything that’s ever been discussed here.
He husband passed away October 22, 2017, because he didn’t have the surgery.
Could you possibly link us to the obituary? So sad for those kids… I’ve wondered how they’ve been since I saw that episode.
what happened to Jenn? Where is she?
I have seen episodes that shocked and disgusted me but not like this one. I couldn’t believe she was openly shooting up right in front of her kids like that! The neglect and terrible environment they were livings, ugh. That house was such a mess with her drug use. I was mortified and outraged by it all! I feel so bad for the kids. Their mother had to be removed from the home and their father passed away. I hope the kids now are being well taken care of and getting the support they need so they can go on to lead happy and healthy lives.
Now that her husband is dead, what happened to her kids?
She didn’t seem to give a crap about them, shooting up
right in front of them, not to mention purging and spitting
her food out in front of them. Those kids are probably
already ruined. The little boy seemed to be screaming for
Help! It was so sad
Does anyone have an update on what happened to the kids and Jennifer now that their father/husband has passed away?
This episode was beyond disturbing and outrageous. Doug was no better than Jennifer when it came to parenting. He might not have been shooting up, purging, smoking, all at the same time while sitting at the kitchen table, he ALLOWED his kids to witness this day in and day out. Shame on both of them and shame on her family who did nothing either but instead spoke praises of her being like she deserved a Mother of the Year Award.
This episode has be so pissed off that I could write a book right now because I have so much to say about it.
This was a very painful episode to watch. A friend I grew up with lived in a home just like this. He and his three siblings were constantly witnessing the mother shoot up and bring in strangers to have sex with while the husband would work and then come home and drink his denial away. I always knew it was happening, but I was a little kid too and felt helpless. Watching this episode literally had me yelling at the screen at every single adult that was too selfish to step up for those kids. Call services against that family so those kids can have some hope of a life. I know what happens to a kid who isn’t rescued. My friend died of a heroin overdose at 13 years old. That’s what happens to these kids. I hope the show producers understand that if they walk into a situation like this, they need to stop filming and get services immediately to remove the kids. This one was too far and frankly, unforgivable.
In this particular intervention, the interventionist does tell Doug that they children will not be going back home if Jennifer refuses treatment. My understanding from previous episodes and a few shows of Dr. Phil’s that I’ve seen about similar situations such as this is that when they film what is going on or they are made aware by credible proof then they (Dr. Phil, Interventionists, etc.) have the right to withhold a child from leaving with their parent/provider to go back to the place that is uninhabitable for them. They are then mandated to report EVERYTHING and nothing can then be disputed as it’s all on tape. I also read that the filming of the children in most episodes is usually done first in different pieces and then edited to last throughout the show. They limit the time these kids are around it while being filmed. Also, I read that the staff and producers clearly keep their eyes on the children at all times and try to prevent any harm (physically) coming their way. For example, many times the producers will tell the addict that they cannot allow them to drive because they are completely intoxicated therefore they take their keys and have someone else pick them up.
Family, people, friends, and kids can say everything is fine and dandy just so the addict doesn’t get in trouble and the kids don’t get taken away.
With it being on film, there is no denying what anyone of us saw so that’s the smoking gun in this situation.
I’ve seen a few Intervention episodes similar in the sense that if the addict doesn’t go get help then these children will not be returning to the home they shared as there is some kind of law the interventionist must adhere to.
In Jennifer’s case, she bailed out of treatment so she was removed from the home where her husband and kids were living in. If he took her back, the kids would be gone.
I’m seriously praying for her children, especially her daughter Jordyn, who is old enough to comprehend everything that is going on around her. The Needle Monster!? “I need you to try to eat, Mommy”… this poor girl is going to need extensive therapy to be able to cope with this level of trauma and dysfunction this early in her life.
I have never been so disgusted and outraged with a participant on this show. I am frustrated that Jenn’s husband was so complacent and enabling- I wonder what the family is doing now that he’s passed on.
Honestly the indoor smoking upset me more than anything.
In the car too….Doug smoked right along with her. Not sure if you caught the few times that were quickly shown.
Are you serious??!? That’s all I can say because that statement is just so ignorant in my opinion. I’m not all about indoors smoking with children but I think IV drug use & spitting out your food to not gain nourishment from it trumps secondhand smoke.
No kidding. “Clutching pearls over smoking over shooting junk and open eating disorder behaviour” somethings wrong there.
Has Doug really passed?
For the life of me I can’t understand the logic behind his reason for not getting the surgery. He doesn’t want to leave the children with Jennifer?? What do you think is going to happen WHEN he dies from not getting the surgery? Either they will still end up with her or if someone comes to their senses and finally does take them away from her they will either end up with family or in a foster home. I would think for the children’s sake he would have had the surgery and made sure they were left with family or at this point a foster home would have probably been safer then leaving them with her. Why wouldn’t you do that for the sake of your own children? Now what?
Yah I thought the same thing. Could the kids not have gone to stay with their grandparents (which they are now doing)? I wonder if maybe he had some kind of death wish. Either way, he was just as much to blame as Jennifer for allowing her to stay in the house and shoot up in front of their children.
I don’t understand much of anything about Doug – I know he loved her, but my lord, what was he thinking?
He’s able-bodied enough to do laundry and cook…but he can’t pick up the needles?
He can look sheepish and show the stash of money he’s hidden and tell the cameraman what his wife is actually doing (shoplifting), but he held off on the surgery he needed so he could keep his children safe from her if she didn’t go through with treatment?
Don’t get me started with Jen’s mother. Yes, she was abused in her childhood and in her marriage, but the other stuff (if it can be believed) just makes me so angry. She cowered and lied to Jen, and she doesn’t seem to get that it damaged her daughter. The building blocks preparing Jen for life are like warped Legos.
Yep….death wish just might be the answer.
First time commenting. I caught a rerun of this episode last week and it’s stuck with me. I cannot believe no one else noticed this… She screams at her husband after visiting her boyfriend (because her husband is confrontational about the cheating).
She becomes angry and shuts the conversation down, saying “I will not let you do this in front of the kids. You always do this in front of the kids. You always do this.”
My heart breaks. It strikes me as profound that a person can be so incredibly, insidiously deep in their addiction that shooting up in front of the kids – whom the addict loves more than life itself – can feel “normal,” even commonplace. It feels like no big deal to the addict. And yet exposing the children to conversations about infidelity is off limits and out of bounds.
Man. My heart is so broken for Jennifer. And for her beautiful little children. This episode is haunting in a way that makes my soul feel sick. Even days later, I’m still thinking about it.
I’m sending prayers your way Jennifer. If there’s a breath in your lungs, there is still hope. It’s never too late. You had such a devastating childhood, so much unbearable pain for a little girl to live through, but you are more powerful than you know. You can do anything you put your mind to. Break the cycle. Prove everybody wrong. From one mother to another: you can do it.
Sending healing thoughts your way.
Two words. Selfish and self centered. Drugs and eating disorder aside, she doesn’t give a damn about those kids whether she is high or sober. I know how addiction plays out, but I’m still not convinced that she even loves her children. She couldn’t even give rehab a try. I don’t know the way the law works in Canada, but in the US she could be locked up for child endangerment. Toddlers are known for putting everything in their mouth, even needles. On another A&E program, “Live PD” last night, it showed an officer in Greene County, Missouri who took action when a child, not properly restrained in a car seat, and was in the car was next to a needle with heroin in it and a meth pipe. That pissed the officer off, and he took both to jail for child endangerment and possession, and also called CPS. I also wonder why CPS hasn’t made any sort of lasting action. I hope she goes to prison for several years and the children are placed in a good home, and given extensive therapy, especially the very bright daughter. I feel bad Doug passed away, I’m sure the stress she placed on him was a contributing factor. She completely used him.
I agree with you Seth. I can normally find at least a small amount of empathy for the worst addicts, but I have none for Jennifer. I was totally disgusted by the fact that she didn’t even TRY to hide anything from her kids. Those kids are going to be scarred for life. It makes me so sad.
I am a huge fan of Intervention (and this awesome website…thanks Dizzy! )
I must say this is one episode I had NO sympathy whatsoever for the addict portrayed. The disgusting spitting of food, shooting up and bleeding in front of the kids, who are old enough to know what’s going on. The whining and poor me attitude just made me sick. Those children should have been taken away a long time ago and I think even sober she would be a neglectful parent. What made me cry was the ER fiasco with her son…I understand addiction takes you to low places but leaving your small son to shoot up in the car is just DESPICABLE.
I hope she someday will get her life together but I’m doubtful. In the meantime I pray those kids were taken far away from that horrible situation and are getting some kind of counseling.
can anyone tell me what happened to Jen
I could not fully watch her episode. I got to where she left her crying sick kid laying alone in the emergency room to go shoot up and smoke cigarettes after she spent her entire day shooting up instead of taking her sick kid to thr doctor during the day. I couldn’t watch it. It broke my heart. I have 2 kids and I just cant put my mind there.
Where is Jennifer today?
That’s what I want to know.
Anyone know where I can watch this? Can’t find it on Hulu or amazon prime video.
A&E
Where is she???? I live in London ontario so I assuming I don’t live far from her…
She’s from the Thornhill area of Toronto. I went to high school with Jen years ago at that treatment center they spoke of in the episode…most of us from that place grew up to be addicts, myself included (sober now), but I cannot believe the level of dysfunction in her household! She was always anorexic and doing that thing where she’d chew then spit out her food. Staff had to force-feed her that Ensure stuff cause she didn’t eat anything else.
Honestly I don’t want to talk too much shit about her but she’s always been an awful and selfish person. She would do all kinds of manipulative things to get others into fights and then be happy watching everyone argue, she would instigate all kinds of problems and cause such turmoil in that center it was unreal. She and I personally never got along and she was the reason for me getting kicked out of that place, which in hindsight was a good thing. She’s always just been the type of person to create drama and hurt others while
They fail to mention on the episode that Jen has an older daughter as well, the girl should be approx 17 or 18 now and was apprehended by CAS after an incident where Jen dropped her on her face in McDonald’s as a baby while high on cocaine. I’m guessing that’s just wasn’t relevant or something to their storyline but yes she’s got other children and I’m surprised that CAS didn’t have a file going on her when the 2 younger ones were born.
I can’t say I was overly surprised to see her on the show because as I said all the kids in that treatment center grew up to have struggles with addiction however it was beyond gross to see how she was slamming pills right in front of her kids like that and leaving her little boy alone in emerg so she could go do a shot. I realize addiction makes people selfish and lose touch with their better judgment but this was another level of fucked up. I’ve watched this show since the very first episode and Jen was by far the worst one I’ve seen. Crazy I actually know this broad in real life. God help those kids who will likely now grow up in the same system that screwed us up decades ago.
I am guessing that her antisocial crap stemmed from the cbildhoox abuse…looking out for number one, maybe? Very strange.
I was wondering the same thing. How come no one in her family would take the kids while Doug went to surgery?? Did they really not care enough about those kids or him for that matter?
It doesn’t make sense that they wouldn’t step up, unless Jen really burnt her bridges. I want to know what’s up with her too!
This was one of the most insane episodes of intervention I have ever seen. It haunts me. I cannot believe the total lack of care and consideration this selfish, POS woman displays for her children. She is setting them up for hell.
One other thing…and I know it sounds picky…but when the husband Doug said she needs to pull back a bit. Not sure if he was overcome with emotion and made a particular choice, but I had issue with “a bit”. Seriously, dude? The things she’s doing are WAY LARGER than a bit. Doug just rubs me the wrong way.
I know he’s dealing with his owm health, but disrupting the intervention flow by wanting Jen’s answer before he read his letter pissed me off. So many things about him just rubbed me the wrong way.
I dislike him more for the simple fact that he allowed his children to be in this environment day in and day out. She’s f’d up to begin with. What’s his reason?
Same here. I don’t think he was a fit parent at all.
It was really difficult to have any sympathy for this woman. I’ve dealt w addictions and have behaved in selfish ways, so I always try my best to remember it’s the substance and mental health issues.
But I have a feeling Jennifer is a POS with or without drugs. She shouldn’t be allowed to have children. Found her to be absolutely disgusting.
I wish the best for her poor children. I hope they are being better taken care of and are also receiving proper psychological treatment. Poor things 🙁
Absolutely the most disgusting episode I’ve ever seen. HOW did family and friends leave the kids with those animals ??!!!!!! Where are the police ??!!! Shame on the family. How dare you leave those precious innocent kids with them. I hope those children never see them again and are able to be adopted. So disgusted. Why did producers camermen allowe this to happen in front of the kids ??? Child services should have been called immediately. Shame on everyone. I cannot imagine how many times those kids must have been close to dying in that place. I’m so worried they were failed by soooo many.
Agreed!!!
Watching this episode now and I cannot believe it. I read these comments beforehand and thought that it can’t be that bad, people must be exaggerating. WOWWW I was wrong. If anything, its WORSE. Her daughter asking “did it hurt? did you miss?” I’m literally 2 minutes in and I want to throw up. Those kids are either going to be fucked for life, or be miracles and thrive. I hope and pray for the latter. She truly robbed them of a childhood and that makes me so angry and sad. I know when you’re an addict your thought process changes and stuff, to say the least, but really?? TO not even go to another room AT LEAST? Spitting your food up in front of your children? I hope they don’t not only develop a drug habit but an eating disorder too. My god. The family should’ve taken the kids away a LONG time ago. Geez man.
You know for a very long time I always defended Intervention, the show, and it’s interventionists. Some ways exploitative in many levels, and some ways informative and helpful in many other ways. It’s a Catch 22, but with this episode I CAN’T. I think everyone deserves help and second chances but this woman was beyond help and the most manipulative and selfish person, addicted with mental health issues or not, that I have ever witnessed. I’ve known addicts. I still know addicts. I know they are not in their right mind but this was both shocking and infuriating. As a producer or camera person I WOULD NOT stand there and film as this woman shoots up every 15 minutes in front of her children as she’s making it a fucking game. Watching as they walked over filth and open needles with their tiny bare feet. FUCK THE TV SHOW. The police would’ve been called quietly but IMMEDIATELY. Those kid’s lives in that moment mattered a hell of a lot more than her getting help. They don’t have a choice in the matter and at the end of the day she does but chooses the latter. Their safety and well-being come BEFORE her. And don’t even get me started on her husband because he was no better and is just as much to blame. God rest his soul but he needed just as much if not more help than her. Who lets their children around that? They should’ve been protected from the BOTH of them but instead everyone failed them . I sort of understand legally there would be nothing her family could do to get police to knock down her door if they have no proof or evidence of her drug use and neglect. However I’d be knocking down that door and risking jail time and fines if it meant my actions would get those children removed from that home. I’ve never been so angry watching an episode of Intervention, ever, and I’ve seen every last one. I rewatch Intervention episodes a lot but this one enraged me so much it’s been about 4 years since I could bring myself to watch this one again. Truly disgusting watching every single person witness those children experiencing what will later be severe mental trauma and do absolutely nothing but write the show, and film children in a highly dangerous and psychologically damaging situations for viewers and money. Un-fucking real.
Where is Jennifer at now?
9/14/2020
I would love to know a more on Jennifer, too. This family and their story has always stuck with me! Does anyone know her Facebook or any way to see what’s going on?
As previously mentioned Doug died at the age of 46 on October 22, 2017.
Doug was a hockey player recruited to the Boston Bruins at age 19.
Three days before he was supposed to report to training camp, he was hit by two teenagers racing on Highway 400, Del Grande said. Doug ended up a paraplegic.
Poor guy couldn’t catch a break.
Jennifers mother now has custody of their children.
https://www.toronto.com/community-story/9784520-random-acts-of-christmas-how-a-family-s-holiday-in-thornhill-was-made-a-little-brighter/
Wow. I imagine had he not been a paraplegic he never would’ve met Jennifer or even given her the time of day.
Stefan, i think you hit the nail on the head. i’d bet the accident majorly affected his self-esteem and he resigned himself with Jennifer because he didn’t feel as if he could do better. he was inexcuseable in how complicit he was in the horrible shit the kids saw, but i think that was the root of the relationship still going on despite all the horror for those poor children
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1313373919018232&set=pb.100010369097476.-2207520000..
This is the only thing I managed to find of Jennifer now, she’s still very skinny, can’t tell if she’s sober, but she’s with her daughter.
Wow, yeah. She does not look great. Really sad to see she still has a relationship with her kids if she isn’t clean. Her whole family seems like a bunch of pushovers with no chance of holding a bottom line for her. I have such little sympathy for all of them Except for those poor kids.
Obviously, she had to go to court to make herself the guardian of these children. You don’t know what the court order calls for. Legally, she might be obligated to give visitation time to their mother but perhaps supervised if she’s not clean.
After reading all the comments on this episode I didn’t want to believe that someone could be so careless and selfish. After watching the episode what was most shocking is the intervention producers and cameramen filming these children being abused in so many ways and not having those children removed. Every single person from the parents, to the family and the show failed those children. I am not sure where the children are but this is a case that they might be better off being adopted and not with family – they didn’t care while they were living through that hell, they should not be around to help them recover.
Yes! Exactly what I’m thinking. I’m a big fan of the show but this particular episode made me so disappointed in Intervention. They chose to make “good content” over helping abused children? At what point do you pull the plug on the whole thing and help these kids when their family clearly doesn’t care enough?
Also, Doug sucks so bad. There isn’t one thing that I wouldn’t do to protect my children. Not one. He’s just as guilty as her. She needs to be in prison and those kids need a completely new start. A whole new family.
Just when I thought I’d seen every episode…..
Came across this one searching for an update on someone else, but yeah, no sympathy for her at all & I’ve always managed to have some for everyone. When someone wants to drive drunk, producers step in. But when someone is shooting up in plain view of small children & leaving needles on the floor they don’t? & this is opinion only, but she is definitely not clean in the most recent photo posted here.
Addiction can explain A LOT of behaviors but it simply doesn’t account for a complete and utter lack of protective parental instincts. We have seen countless addicted parents profiled and most of them go to great lengths to shield their kids from the ugliness of addiction. Jennifer makes ZERO attempt to provide her children any kind of structure or normalcy. On the contrary, she appears to get a lot of her identity from being the sickest one in the room. I have a very hard time empathizing.
Agreed. It’s like she wanted everyone to suffer even her own children whether that was intentional or not. So vile. Perhaps she had a b cluster disorder.
You might be on to something
I agree. And Doug really had NO excuse. As a sister and aunt, I can’t imagine why not one of those other family members put the kids first. If they did, the show didn’t make that clear. I wish Candy did this intervention bc she would have handed those adults their as*es!
Anyone have an update on her?
I think I was more furious with Doug for allowing that shit storm to continue and have his children exposed to it. Seems to me like he didn’t care either.
The part where she’s getting pissed off at him for bringing up her boyfriend in front of Jordyn and saying she hates him for always doing it in front of the children blew my mind. She’s saying this while chewing on cake, spitting it out, shooting up, and a smoking a cigarette all at the same time in front of the kids…..is she that demented?
I have somewhat of an update. Jennifer is living on her own and is doing “okay” while the kids live with their grandmother who loves them dearly. Jennifer sees the kids but from I understand it’s not too often.
Thank you for sharing…that’s good to know. Jennifer is not equipped for parenthood even if she’s sober.
if the kids are living with grandma does that mean Doug passed away and Jennifer was disgusting she could cheat on her husband shoot up in front of her kids spit and chew food out infront of their kids take her son shoplifting she ,made zero attempt to even clean her home I mean Doug couldn’t do it
This was the most awful episode I have ever seen. I’m echoing every post on here, but I wish someone would take those kids away. If I was in Canada and could report her and her family, I totally would. In this day and age, on social media you can find pretty much anything on anyone. Those kids need serious therapy now, or they will end up in this cycle. Her daughter will think this is normal behavior by adults because thats all she has seen and knows — not to mention her father died. They need to be extricated from ALL of the family as they have done nothing to protect these children after seeing and experiencing the dysfunction. They should all be ashamed, and Jennifer should be in jail, at least. Terrible behaviors that will last a lifetime from the children’s parents need to be addressed and dealt with as a number one priority.
The kids are with her mother.
Where can I find this episode to watch? It being a Canadian episode, it’s extremely hard to find via Prime searches. Can anyone help?
I have Comcast Cable and this episode is On Demand.
Roku tv
Did anyone else notice the huge age difference between Jennifer and Doug? I feel like the edit was really generous with him because he clearly has a lot of problems on his own but yeesh. This girl went from an abusive dad to reform school to damn near child bride.
There was a 9 year age difference. When she married him at 21, he was 30.
I somehow managed to make it through this episode. I was sad to hear of Doug’s passing, I could tell he wanted to do all he could for those kids but was manipulated so heavily by Jen. And to watch her shoot up and have no regard for who is around, wow. So messed up. I really, sincerely hope, those kids got therapy because they really need it. I’m glad they are now in the custody of her mother. I hope Jen is doing well, but she needs a lot of therapy herself. This episode was one of the most disturbing I’ve ever seen.
Definitely a terrible episode to watch yet a total train wreck on so many levels. The highly codependent husband and the selfish, disgusting “mother” , a title Jennifer does not deserve to hold, who are too careless and egotistical to understand that they have two little children to look out after. Jennifer is pathetic on so many levels. The biggest problem in the situation unfortunately is her husband. If he healed and got help maybe the children could be spared a bit. He enables, allows, and promotes Jennifer’s behaviours. The dialogue between the two is so awkward and very paternal/materal versus marital. In Doug’s defence his ailments are what make me feel more sorry, but still. inexcusable.
Can’t find this episode anywhere in Australia
This is the first time I’ve seen Maureen as an interventionist, but I don’t think she was the right choice for Jen’s family. She is so boring with her words and monotone. That family needed a lot of tough love and to know their decision to allow those children to be subjected to her drug use was extremely inappropriate. Maureen sounded like she was half awake. For such a serious situation, she was the wrong choice. I know this was a Canadian episode but Seth would have done a much better job, in my opinion.
Maureen is by far the worst interventionist in the show’s history. Whoever thought she would be a good fit for television should be fired. And correct me if I’m wrong, but I think she’s the only interventionist to not be a former addict. I think it explains why she never really connects with the person who needs treatment.
in response to rob:
I totally agree. she SUCKS. plain and simple!
She is a former addict. During this intervention she said “One thing I learned in my recovery…”
You are correct. Her son was an addict or alcoholic. It’s what brought her into becoming an interventionist.
THIS IS FOR SAM WHO COMMENTED BELOW (I’m unable to reply to his comment):
SAM: She was in recovery as in “family recovery”. Family/addicts/enablers…..they can all go to recovery but it’s different for each one of them. That is what she meant by recovery. She is an interventionist based off the fact that she had a son who was in addiction. She is not a former addict at all. Look her up.
Dizzy should make a separate page just to kindly let viewers who enjoy this show point out all of the crap she’s not doing correctly in most of the episodes. I also feel like it’s slightly insidious to use your son’s drug addiction as a way to build your career. Drug interventionists should ALWAYS be ex DRUG addicts. Eating disorder interventions should ALWAYS have gone through an eating disorder as well. This is people’s lives at stake. Sorry I somehow saw like 3 episodes with her in it earlier…
I gasped when Jenn’s mother, who identified that she had a childhood characterized by “children should be seen but not heard” and who finally expressed that she felt like she hadn’t found a voice was straight up SHUT DOWN by Maureen when she tried to speak. She raised her hand to participate, and Maureen silenced her. How terribly insensitive.
Yes this is true, I recently saw an episode where Maureen tells the addict “No, I’m not an addict myself, but my son was.”
This was BY FAR the worst addict/episode I have ever seen. Hearing a 7 year old girl say “did it hurt? Did you miss?” As her mother shoots up next to her was jaw dropping. The level of sickness that those children had to witness as normal activity was shocking. I can usually find some bright spots for the people on this show, but I have absolutely no sympathy for Jenn. Shame on intervention for not calling CPS immediately, shame on the dad for allowing that sick woman near his kids, shame on every adult to witnessed those babies around a woman who openly spits out her food and sticks needles in her veins.
Omg I cannot believe how Jennifer would shoot up in front of her 7 year old daughter and little boy, and have her needles all out like nothing. Wtf is wrong with the husband too? He is even more fucked up because he’s not trying to keep them from seeing it. I always can’t believe how Jennifer left treatment after 2 weeks like how unappreciative and retarded and careless and selfish she is so not a mom at all and she does not have that motherly instinct. I think it’s so sad how she got an opportunity of a lifetime I’m sure those centers that intervention sends these addicts to is not cheap I’m sure it’s really expensive. For her just to leave after 2 weeks even after they told her that she would not be able to see the kids and everything she still left it’s just messed up I cannot believe what the hell is wrong with her ? I was so shocked that she didn’t accept the help because she left early and she’s probably dead by now. It’s been 6 years since then she probably already overdosed and died by now.
when I saw the category for most disturbing episodes this is the first one that came to my mind. I’m an addict/alcoholic. I hate to judge any addict but what these kids were exposed to at the hands of their mother and father (he allowed it to happen) was haunting. I pray for these kids.
I have never commented on here before. I think this episode crossed an ethical line. Those children were neglected and traumatized. The producers should have made sure that the kids were removed from the home as soon as they got there. Even more so, leaving the kids in that situation with Doug was wrong. He needed to be offered help with co-dependency and the kids needed a lot of help from social services. Leaving him to parent alone was basically a death sentence. I can not believe that the family’s first action was to call Intervention rather than a social services agency. How sick. Yes, everyone deserves recovery but in a situation where there is clear child neglect, something needed to be done to help those kids first. How sad. Please do better, Intervention. And shame on her family and Doug’s family for not taking those kids out of there.
As someone who worked on the show Intervention in the past, it’s sometimes difficult to read comments. So much happens after, sometimes months of trying to get them into multiple centres, CAS calls, family programs, cop calls, that don’t make it to air. And that’s across the board, not specific to this episode. I don’t want to be specific, I know people who work on the show read these boards. I don’t work on the series anymore, but I do come here to find out how many people may have passed away. 🙁
Well someone who worked on this episode needs to speak up about what they tried to do for these kids. It’s absolutely disgusting they allowed this to happen and even continue to filming with these kids present watching their mom self destruct.
YouTube recommended me a short clip that a&e posted about this episode and I was audibly yelling at the kids being present. Then I come on here and see she was also shooting up. Holy shi* this is episode is by far one of the worst I’ve seen. I hope those kids are getting the help they need, they’re going to need it.
The fact that she had a side piece that her entire family knew about threw me for a LOOP.
I have seen some pretty good intervention shows but,, never and addict who shoots up in front of her kids or sitting at a table chewing and spitting up cake infront of her family or throwing up in the bathroom while her 7 year old daughter watched she could run and steal or go to her boyfriends house but she couldn’t even clean her house sorry but she was more then an addict she was nasty felt sorry for her kids
This one floored me. The little girl calling the needle “The needle monster” like it’s some kind of game shows how normal the presence of drugs around her is, and that crushed me. The fact that brother said she was a fantastic mother astounded me since using drugs and leaving needles around are the farthest thing from being a “great” parent. I’ll be hoping and praying that those children have gotten the help that they’re going to desperately need to heal from the things they’ve witnessed.
Jennifer is a disgusting excuse for a human being, and her husband was not much better.
This episode really got to me. I cannot imagine the trauma these kids will live with for the rest of their lives and I sincerely hope the grandmother gets therapy so she can do better for the grandkids now that she has custody.
I found a couple of recent photos and Jennifer does look better, but who knows
https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1691194684569485&id=100010369097476&set=a.193855167636785&mibextid=qC1gEa
I found the 2 photos from Jennifer’s mom’s FB that had Jennifer in them and yeah. . . she looks as one-track minded and partially brain-dead as ever. So sad for her kids.
This was by far one of the most difficult episodes to watch. I have watched Intervention from the beginning so I’ve seen many episodes. A&E absolutely missed the mark in this episode by not intervening and filming Jennifer while she. openly injected drugs in front of her children. Leaving dirty needles everywhere was so gross and such a safety hazard. I absolutely appreciate that the show wants to give an accurate depiction of the addict’s life; however, this episode is blatantly gross and dangerous for Jennifer’s two children. The other aspect that was so repulsive was watching her chew up and spit out food. Absolutely disgusting to see that. Typically, I feel a great deal of empathy toward the person being profiled in each show; this woman did not elicit one iota of caring from me. I pray her children are doing well and that they are loved.
Reading at the beginning of the show and I’m only 5 minutes into it and so disgusted and based on these comments I don’t think I can even make it through it just so disgusting and unreal. intervention drop the ball on this one for sure. I don’t even know what to say. this makes me so sad
I couldn’t believe it when Jen said to Doug ‘Not in front of the kids!” (arguing) “you always do this in front of the kids!”.
While she’s sitting there getting her dope ready to take a shot. Um… Really Jen????!!?? Agreed! Most disturbing addict behavior ever on Intervention.
This was brutal to watch. I sympathize with addicts but she was awful to subject her kids to her constantly shooting up and chewing and spitting food. Just really disgusting. I hope those kids are far away from their mother and truly healing.
according to some youtube comments i read she had to get her arm amputated……
This is the most messed up episode I’ve ever seen!
Why hadn’t anyone called child services way before this!?? Jesus…those poor poor babies
This was, by far, one of the most disturbing episodes I have seen with the blatant use in front of her children. And the abnormal disordered eating in front of them also. How could anyone think about how badly she is messing those children up and they literally won’t ever have a chance. I do pray I am wrong. I hope they’re okay now as this was, like 8 years ago.
I meant, how could anyone NOT* think about how badly the kids will be scarred.
Jennifer is not equipped to be a parent using or sober. She has zero maternal instincts and seems to revel in being the sickest person in the room.