YouTuber Jesse Ridgway is speaking out for the first time in three months after he and his wife Ashley faced massive backlash over their decision to end a pregnancy. The couple announced in June that they aborted their unborn son after amniocentesis results showed he likely had Down syndrome. On Sept. 8, Ridgway posted a video saying he had been laying low for mental and emotional reasons and dealing with long COVID.
In the video, Ridgway defended the decision again and unloaded on critics, including former friends and members of Ashley’s family. He said many of them use God or Jesus as justification for threatening him and his wife. House Speaker Mike Johnson also weighed in on the situation, calling it a casual dismissal of the murder of a child, which pushed the story far beyond the YouTube world.
The whole thing touches on some of the most debated topics out there: abortion, disability, faith, and how much of a creator’s personal life should be public. Whatever side you’re on, the threats and family fallout have people talking about where criticism ends and cruelty begins. What do you think? Did the backlash go too far, or was it fair game?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.