Dino Guilmette has an estimated net worth between $1 million and $5 million in 2025. He built his wealth through bar and restaurant businesses in Rhode Island since 1997, combined with his past as an amateur boxer nicknamed “Big Bully.” Born August 11, 1978, he gained public attention through his relationship with Shayanna Jenkins, Aaron Hernandez’s former fiancée. Despite two bankruptcies, Guilmette rebuilt his business empire
Quick Facts About Dino Guilmette
| Personal Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Dino Joseph Guilmette |
| Date of Birth | August 11, 1978 |
| Age | 46 years (as of 2025) |
| Birthplace | Cranston, Rhode Island, USA |
| Current Residence | Cranston, Rhode Island |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) |
| Eye Color | Hazel |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Education | MBA in Finance, University of Rhode Island |
| Previous Education | University of Florida (Football) |
| Profession | Entrepreneur, Bar Owner, Former Amateur Boxer |
| Boxing Nickname | “Big Bully” |
| Known For | Relationship with Shayanna Jenkins |
| Partner | Shayanna Jenkins (relationship status unclear) |
| Children | 3 daughters (Mia, Giselle, Avielle – stepdaughter) |
| Parents | William Guilmette II and Dona Guilmette |
| Siblings | 8 siblings |
| Net Worth (2025) | $1 million – $5 million |
| Primary Income | Bar and restaurant businesses |
| Bankruptcies | 2005, 2014 |
Who Is Dino Guilmette?
Dino Joseph Guilmette stepped into the world on August 11, 1978, in Cranston, Rhode Island. He’s a bar owner, former amateur boxer, and entrepreneur who became known to the public through his relationship with Shayanna Jenkins.
Jenkins was engaged to NFL player Aaron Hernandez, who died by suicide in prison in 2017. When Guilmette started dating Jenkins later that year, the media spotlight found him. But before that attention, he’d already lived a full life—playing college football, boxing competitively, and running businesses.
Guilmette grew up in a large family with eight siblings. His parents, William and Dona Guilmette, raised their children in Cranston with strong family values. This close-knit upbringing shaped Dino’s character and his later commitment to his own family.
Unlike many people connected to celebrity stories, Guilmette keeps his life remarkably private. He doesn’t chase attention or leverage his connection to Hernandez’s story. He focuses on his businesses, his children, and maintaining boundaries between public curiosity and private life.
Early Life and Family Background
Growing up as one of nine children taught Guilmette about sharing, competition, and family loyalty. Large families create their own ecosystems—you learn to stand out while also working as a team.
His brother William Guilmette III passed away in 2016, creating a significant loss for the family. This tragedy strengthened the bonds between surviving siblings and reinforced their commitment to family values.
Cranston, Rhode Island, is a city of about 80,000 people just south of Providence. It’s not small-town America, but it’s not a major metropolis either. Growing up there gave Guilmette a blue-collar work ethic and community connections that served him throughout his career.
His father William expressed pride in all his children’s marriages and families. In interviews, he mentioned that Dino was the last unmarried child and that he hoped Shayanna would become his daughter-in-law. This shows a supportive family environment where parents stay involved in their adult children’s lives.
Education: From Football to Finance
Guilmette attended the University of Florida, where he played college football. This wasn’t recreational sports—the University of Florida Gators are a major Division I program that regularly produces NFL players.
Here’s an interesting connection: Aaron Hernandez also played for Florida during the same era. They were teammates on the Gators, though whether they were close friends isn’t documented. Years later, Guilmette would date Hernandez’s former fiancée and help raise his daughter.
After his football years, Guilmette transferred to the University of Rhode Island, where he earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on finance. This education gave him the tools to manage businesses, understand financial markets, and navigate complex business decisions.
The combination of sports and business education created a unique skill set. From football, he learned discipline, teamwork, and mental toughness. From his MBA, he gained financial literacy, business strategy, and management skills. These dual foundations supported his entrepreneurial ventures.
Amateur Boxing Career: “Big Bully” Enters the Ring
After college, Guilmette discovered amateur boxing. He earned the nickname “Big Bully” for his aggressive, powerful fighting style. This wasn’t professional boxing with million-dollar purses—it was Rhode Island’s amateur circuit, where fighters compete for trophies and local reputation.
In 2017, Guilmette participated in the “Brawl For It All” event, facing Louis Savastano, a former professional baseball player. The fight generated local interest partly because Savastano was also a local figure with athletic background.
Boxing requires incredible dedication. Fighters train multiple hours daily—running, sparring, hitting bags, strength training, and working on technique. The sport demands physical conditioning that surpasses most other athletics.
But boxing also builds mental toughness. You get hit in the face repeatedly and must keep thinking, strategizing, and executing your plan. This mental resilience helped Guilmette navigate business challenges and personal difficulties later.
He never pursued professional boxing, treating it more as passion and personal challenge than career path. Amateur boxing doesn’t pay—fighters compete for love of sport and personal achievement. This shows Guilmette valued the challenge itself over financial reward.
Building a Business Empire in Rhode Island
Guilmette started his first bar in 1997 when he was just 19 years old. Opening a bar requires capital, business licenses, and maturity that most teenagers don’t possess. This early entrepreneurship shows ambition and risk tolerance.
The bar and restaurant industry is notoriously difficult. Most restaurants fail within five years. Success requires managing inventory, handling staff, dealing with drunk customers, maintaining health codes, and balancing books—all while keeping customers happy enough to return.
Guilmette built his businesses in Rhode Island, capitalizing on local knowledge and community connections. Rhode Island’s bar scene serves a diverse crowd—college students from Providence schools, working-class locals, and tourists visiting Newport and other attractions.
His MBA in finance proved valuable here. Understanding cash flow, profit margins, inventory turnover, and financial projections separates successful bar owners from those who close within months.
Over time, Guilmette expanded beyond one location. While exact numbers of his establishments aren’t public, sources indicate multiple bar and restaurant ventures throughout Rhode Island. This diversification created multiple income streams and spread business risk.
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Financial Setbacks: Bankruptcies and Recovery
Despite his business acumen, Guilmette filed for bankruptcy twice—once in 2005 and again in 2014. These weren’t just difficult years—they were financial collapses requiring legal intervention.
The 2005 bankruptcy happened when he was 27 years old. The 2008 financial crisis hadn’t hit yet, but many small businesses struggled during the mid-2000s. Without knowing specifics, possible causes include overexpansion, poor location choices, or personal financial mistakes.
The 2014 bankruptcy came six years after the Great Recession devastated the restaurant industry. Many businesses never recovered from the 2008-2009 downturn. Restaurants especially suffered as consumers cut discretionary spending.
Bankruptcy isn’t shameful in business—many successful entrepreneurs file bankruptcy and rebuild. It’s a legal process that reorganizes debt and gives businesses fresh starts. The stigma around bankruptcy often comes from people who’ve never built businesses.
What matters is Guilmette’s response. He didn’t abandon entrepreneurship after failing. He didn’t take an easy job working for someone else. He rebuilt, learning from mistakes and applying those lessons to new ventures.
By 2025, he’d recovered enough to accumulate a net worth between $1 million and $5 million. This shows persistence, improved business skills, and ability to adapt to changing markets.
Brief Modeling and Acting Ventures
Between 2002 and 2003, Guilmette tried his hand at modeling. He signed with One Model Place, a platform connecting models with photographers and clients. He participated in fashion shoots and print advertisements.
This venture didn’t become a major career. Guilmette didn’t become a runway model or face of major brands. But it showed his willingness to explore different paths and try new things.
He also attempted some acting, taking small roles in films and theater productions. Rhode Island has a modest film industry, and local theater scenes offer opportunities for aspiring actors. These weren’t Hollywood blockbusters—they were independent films and community theater.
These ventures added diversity to his resume without becoming primary income sources. They happened during his twenties when experimenting with different careers makes sense. Eventually, he focused on business and boxing as his main pursuits.
Relationship with Shayanna Jenkins
Guilmette met Shayanna Jenkins in 2017 through mutual friends. This was months after Aaron Hernandez died by suicide in his prison cell on April 19, 2017.
Jenkins had just lost her fiancé under traumatic circumstances. Hernandez was serving life in prison for murder, died just days after being acquitted of separate murder charges, and left behind massive confusion about his state of mind and sexuality. Jenkins faced grief, public scrutiny, and single parenthood.
Guilmette entered her life during this difficult period. According to interviews, they “just hit it off from the beginning.” Chemistry between them was immediate despite the complicated circumstances.
In May 2018, Jenkins announced her pregnancy on Instagram. She posted photos showing her baby bump and daughter Avielle, writing about how excited she was to welcome another daughter. Some fans initially speculated Aaron might somehow be the father, but Guilmette confirmed he was the biological father.
Their daughter Giselle was born on June 16, 2018, at a hospital in Rhode Island. Guilmette told media he was “excited” but acknowledged he’d “have his hands full” with three daughters—his older daughter Mia from a previous relationship, Giselle, and stepdaughter Avielle.
Understanding Shayanna Jenkins
Shayanna Jenkins was born May 20, 1989, in Bristol, Connecticut. She met Aaron Hernandez in elementary school and started dating him in high school. Their relationship survived his move to the University of Florida and his NFL career.
They got engaged in 2012, the same year their daughter Avielle Janelle Hernandez was born on November 6. By all accounts, Jenkins loved Hernandez deeply and stood by him throughout his legal troubles.
When Hernandez was arrested in 2013 for Odin Lloyd’s murder, Jenkins faced impossible choices. Lloyd was dating her sister Shaneah, creating family division. Prosecutors offered Jenkins immunity for testimony, but she refused to cooperate fully, showing loyalty to Hernandez.
She visited him regularly in prison. She maintained their home. She raised Avielle. She dealt with media scrutiny and public judgment. After his death, she grieved publicly while also managing his estate and their daughter’s trust fund.
Jenkins works as a licensed insurance broker and runs an event-planning business called “Mommy and Me.” She’s building her own career separate from Aaron’s legacy.
Her relationship with Guilmette gave her a chance at new happiness. It also brought new complications—media attention, comparisons to Aaron, and blending families under difficult circumstances.
Being a Father: Mia, Giselle, and Avielle
Guilmette has three daughters, though only one is biologically his with Jenkins. This blended family structure requires maturity and flexibility.
Mia Guilmette is his oldest daughter from a previous relationship. Details about her mother and Mia’s age aren’t widely public. Guilmette maintains custody or significant visitation, showing commitment to fatherhood from his first relationship.
Giselle Guilmette was born June 16, 2018. She’s his biological daughter with Shayanna Jenkins. As of 2025, Giselle is 6 years old, likely in first grade. Photos show her with her big sisters, suggesting close relationships despite different parents.
Avielle Janelle Hernandez was born November 6, 2012, making her 12 years old in 2025. She’s not biologically Guilmette’s daughter, but he’s helped raise her since she was 5 years old. Being a stepfather to the daughter of an infamous murder victim requires extraordinary sensitivity and care.
Guilmette’s father William told media that Dino takes fatherhood seriously and creates a loving environment for all three girls. Family photos occasionally shared by Jenkins show the girls together, suggesting Guilmette successfully integrated their blended family.
Legal Troubles and Controversies
Guilmette’s past includes serious legal problems that complicate his public image. At age 18, he faced felony assault with a dangerous weapon charges. In 2005, he was arrested for assault and resisting arrest.
These early incidents suggest a young man with anger issues or poor decision-making. They happened during his twenties when many people make mistakes. Whether these represent who Guilmette is now or simply youthful errors depends on your perspective.
More seriously, in August 2022, Rhode Island Attorney General’s office filed court documents linking Guilmette to a mob-run drug trafficking investigation. According to reports, authorities suspected his involvement in cocaine and cannabis distribution as part of a larger network.
The investigation began in 2020 and continued through 2022. If prosecutors build a case, Guilmette could face significant prison time. Drug trafficking carries mandatory minimum sentences, especially when organized crime connections exist.
As of 2025, no conviction has been secured. Guilmette hasn’t been formally charged based on available public information. The investigation may still be ongoing, charges may have been dropped, or prosecutors may be building their case.
This uncertainty affects Guilmette’s life significantly. Pending investigations limit travel, require legal fees, and create constant stress. They also explain why his public presence has decreased—lawyers typically advise clients under investigation to avoid media attention.
The Trust Fund Controversy
Guilmette wasn’t directly involved, but controversy surrounding Avielle’s trust fund affected his household. Aaron Hernandez established a trust for Avielle before his death, appointing attorney David Schwartz as trustee.
The trust provides $150,000 annually for Avielle’s expenses, drawn from Hernandez’s NFL pension and social security benefits. Jenkins manages day-to-day spending for Avielle’s care, education, and activities.
In 2022, Schwartz accused Jenkins of mismanaging trust funds. He claimed she spent $37,000 on clothing, $25,000 on online shopping, and requested $10,000 for dance lessons—amounts he considered excessive.
Jenkins defended her spending, arguing that Avielle deserves a good life and these expenses are reasonable for a child of wealth. Dance lessons at competitive levels can easily cost $10,000 annually when including costumes, travel, and intensive training.
The dispute became public, adding stress to Jenkins and Guilmette’s household. While Guilmette isn’t legally involved with the trust, people speculated about whether he influenced spending or benefited from trust funds.
No evidence suggests Guilmette accessed Avielle’s trust money. The controversy illustrates how living with a celebrity’s former partner brings complications beyond just media attention.
Estimating Dino Guilmette’s Net Worth
Guilmette’s net worth falls somewhere between $1 million and $5 million in 2025. This wide range reflects the difficulty of estimating private business owners’ wealth.
His primary income comes from bar and restaurant businesses in Rhode Island. Successful bar owners in decent locations can earn $100,000 to $300,000 annually after expenses. Multiple establishments multiply these earnings.
Property ownership adds to net worth. If Guilmette owns his bar buildings rather than renting, real estate appreciation increases his wealth. Rhode Island property values have risen significantly since 1997.
His MBA education probably boosted earning potential. People with master’s degrees typically earn 20-30% more than those with only bachelor’s degrees. His financial expertise helps him make better business decisions.
Past bankruptcies reduced his net worth significantly. Bankruptcy wipes out accumulated wealth, forcing you to rebuild from near zero. That Guilmette recovered to millionaire status within 7-11 years shows strong earning ability.
Legal fees for his ongoing investigation drain resources. Criminal defense attorneys charge $250-$500 per hour. Complex cases require hundreds of hours. Guilmette could have spent $100,000+ on legal defense already.
Boxing never provided significant income. Amateur boxers don’t get paid. His brief modeling career similarly contributed little financially. These pursuits built character and skills but not wealth.
Comparing Guilmette’s net worth to similar people provides context:
- Small business owners with multiple locations: $500,000 – $3 million typically
- Successful bar owners (single location): $200,000 – $1 million
- Former athletes turned entrepreneurs: Highly variable, $500,000 – $10 million
Guilmette’s estimated range fits these comparisons, suggesting sources used reasonable methods despite lack of public financial disclosure.
Current Lifestyle and Privacy
Guilmette maintains remarkably low social media presence. His accounts are private or inactive. He doesn’t post family photos publicly or share business updates. This privacy is intentional—he actively avoids attention.
Jenkins occasionally shares photos including Guilmette, but far less frequently than typical couples. Her Instagram focuses on her daughters and memories of Aaron rather than her current relationship.
This raises questions about their relationship status. Some sources suggest they may have separated, though no official announcement has been made. Jenkins’ January 2025 Instagram post showed her with Guilmette and their daughters, suggesting they remained together at least early in 2025.
Guilmette’s lifestyle appears modest rather than lavish. No reports suggest expensive cars, luxury homes, or extravagant spending. He focuses on family and business rather than showing off wealth.
This modesty might be strategic given his legal situation. Displaying wealth while under investigation for drug trafficking would look terrible. Or it might simply reflect his personality—a blue-collar Rhode Island guy who values substance over flash.
Current Status and Future Outlook
As of 2025, Guilmette continues operating his Rhode Island businesses. Whether he’s expanded to Los Angeles as some reports suggest remains unconfirmed. His legal situation likely limits his ability to relocate.
His relationship with Jenkins appears ongoing based on recent social media, though they maintain such privacy that outsiders can’t know for certain. They haven’t announced marriage despite dating since 2017.
Guilmette’s future depends heavily on the outcome of the drug trafficking investigation. Conviction would mean prison time, destroyed businesses, and family separation. Acquittal or dropped charges would allow him to rebuild his reputation and continue his life.
His businesses face challenges beyond legal issues. The bar and restaurant industry continues struggling post-pandemic. Changing drinking habits, especially among younger generations who drink less than previous generations, affect bar profitability.
On the positive side, Guilmette has demonstrated remarkable resilience. He’s survived two bankruptcies and rebuilt wealth each time. He’s maintained family relationships through difficulties. He’s balanced public attention with private values.
His daughters are growing up—Avielle is becoming a teenager, Giselle is in early elementary school. Fatherhood responsibilities will evolve as they mature. He’ll face new challenges like teenage rebellion, dating, and college planning.
Lessons from Guilmette’s Story
Guilmette’s life offers several interesting lessons. First, second chances are real. He failed twice in business but succeeded ultimately. Many people give up after one failure—Guilmette kept trying.
Second, privacy is possible even when connected to fame. Despite dating Aaron Hernandez’s former fiancée, Guilmette maintains boundaries. He doesn’t give interviews or appear on reality TV. He protects his peace.
Third, your past doesn’t completely define your future, but it creates consequences. Guilmette’s youthful arrests and current investigation affect his life and reputation. But they don’t make him only those things.
Fourth, blended families require patience and love. Raising your biological children is challenging enough. Adding a stepdaughter who lost her father tragically requires extraordinary emotional intelligence.
Fifth, entrepreneurship offers freedom but demands sacrifice. Guilmette built businesses that provide income and autonomy. But he also faced bankruptcies, stress, and long working hours that employment would have avoided
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FAQs About Dino Guilmette Net Worth
What is Dino Guilmette’s net worth in 2025?
Dino Guilmette’s net worth is estimated between $1 million and $5 million as of 2025. He built his wealth primarily through bar and restaurant businesses he’s operated in Rhode Island since 1997. Despite facing two bankruptcies in 2005 and 2014, he successfully rebuilt his business ventures and accumulated this wealth through entrepreneurship and real estate.
How did Dino Guilmette make his money?
Guilmette makes money primarily through owning and operating multiple bar and restaurant establishments in Rhode Island. He started his first bar in 1997 when he was 19 years old. His MBA in Finance from the University of Rhode Island helped him manage these businesses effectively. His amateur boxing career and brief modeling work contributed little financially but built his public profile.
Is Dino Guilmette still with Shayanna Jenkins?
Based on a January 2025 Instagram post by Shayanna Jenkins showing her with Guilmette and their daughters, they appear to still be together. However, both maintain extremely private lives, and their exact relationship status isn’t publicly confirmed. They’ve been together since 2017 and share daughter Giselle, born in June 2018, though whether they’re officially married remains unclear.
What legal issues has Dino Guilmette faced?
Guilmette has multiple legal issues in his history. At age 18, he faced felony assault with a dangerous weapon charges. In 2005, he was arrested for assault and resisting arrest. Most significantly, in August 2022, Rhode Island Attorney General’s office linked him to a mob-run drug trafficking investigation involving cocaine and cannabis distribution. As of 2025, no conviction has been confirmed, and the case may still be ongoing.
How many children does Dino Guilmette have?
Dino Guilmette has three daughters. He has an older daughter named Mia from a previous relationship before meeting Shayanna Jenkins. He and Jenkins have a daughter together named Giselle, born June 16, 2018. He also serves as stepfather to Avielle Janelle Hernandez, Jenkins’ daughter with late NFL player Aaron Hernandez. All three girls are reportedly close and part of their blended family.
