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Earlier this week, we reported on the news that YouTuber Jesse Ridgway and his wife Ashley had decided to terminate their pregnancy after learning that their unborn child had been diagnosed with Down’s syndrome.
The couple’s announcement sparked an intense debate on social media.
And it seems that even within Jesse and Ashley’s inner circle, the subject has stirred up some profound anger.
Jesse spoke about the situation candidly in a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter) today.
“My wife’s heart has been shattered since the amniocentesis results (which are definitive btw), yet it has only gotten worse,” he wrote, adding:
“These last couple weeks have been the hardest of her life…it’s times like these where you want to be able to depend on your family for love and support. This video is from the evening after the procedure.
“My parents drop off an extremely thoughtful gift basket and show unconditional love and support…meanwhile, her family has been nowhere to be found. Some even going as far as joining in on the bandwagon hate PUBLICLY, kicking her while she’s down at her lowest point.”
Jesse went on to allege that Ashley’s family has gone so far as to accuse him of abuse and manipulation.
“She has received text messages from her family accusing me of abuse and that I’m brainwashing her…issuing ultimatums that she needs to LEAVE ME IMMEDIATELY,” he wrote, adding:
“Audacious s–t that will have your head-spinning because of the delusion and lack of consideration.
“Downright disgusting gossip and shit-talking amongst important people in her life as if she’s not even blood. No backbone, just cowardice as they accuse me of making the decision and controlling/manipulating her over all the years of being together.
“We’ve put up with a lot of sh–, but when it’s your own family exercising their bitterness and turning their backs when it matters the most, it really reveals everything about their character.”
While it’s not surprising that Jesse and Ashley’s decision is a controversial one, the news that Ashley is being aggressively bullied by strangers and family alike is deeply disturbing.
Whether you agree with her choice or not, it was her choice to make, and there’s no reversing it now, so it’s hard to see what her critics hope to accomplish with this harassment campaign.
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
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