Von Oÿ was born in Stamford, Connecticut and attended Newtown High School in Newtown, Connecticut. Her last name is German (language/written) and her paternal grandparents were German immigrants. Her maternal grandparents were Dutch immigrants.
In June 2000, Jenna recorded a demo CD in an attempt to launch a recording career in country music. Jenna's debut album, Breathing Room, was released on September 18, 2007.
In 2004, she posed for a spread in KING Magazine. In 2005, she was named number 94 on VH1's "100 Greatest Kid Stars". Jenna is precisely 5 feet (152 cm) tall.