Jesse Ridgway Slams Conspiracy Theories After Wife’s Abortion

YouTuber Jesse Ridgway is firing back at conspiracy theories after sharing that he and his wife, Ashley, made the “difficult decision to terminate” her pregnancy after receiving a fetal Down syndrome diagnosis.

“Ya’ll can’t even keep your stories straight, it’s crazy,” Jesse, 33, wrote in a statement shared via his Instagram Stories and X account on Sunday, June 7, amid the online backlash. “Was she 6-months pregnant or 3-months pregnant? 18 weeks or 21 weeks? Was it a definitive Down Syndrome diagnosis or just suspected? All the info has already been provided by us, but everyone just picks, chooses or makes s*** up to fit their own narrative.”

“As we creep further into the brainrot era of social media, people will forget how to even properly think for themselves. The conspiracy rabbit holes deepen as people start to question if it was all real or fake…?” he continued. “Zooming in on ultrasound pics and my wife’s belly? Internet detectives putting in overtime only to discover their own tail. And we’re the ones with a problem… 🙄”

Jesse and Ashley, 31, have been at the center of controversy after the couple’s April 26 announcement, detailing how they were “rocked” by genetic testing results which showed a 95 percent chance of their child being born with Down syndrome. (With Trisomy 21, each cell in the body has three separate copies of chromosome 21, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 95 percent of people with Down syndrome have Trisomy 21.)

The parents-to-be ultimately decided to abort her pregnancy, noting the “choice was not made lightly” weeks after sharing the news they were expecting their first baby together this fall.

In a series of social media posts, he listed potential health risks that can be associated with Down syndrome, including heart defects, hearing challenges and delayed physical development.

“Down Syndrome isn’t a ‘blessing,’ it is objectively s***** from a health perspective,” Jesse shared with his followers. “I didn’t realize just how rough it is for the child, let alone the family … more often than not, they would be fully dependent on others for the rest of their life.”

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Jesse later revealed that he and Ashley had been subject to an influx of death threats that led him to take extra security measures.

“Close people to us are very judgmental,” he said on the Friday, June 5, episode of TMZ Live. “Religious-based [people] saying we’re going to burn in hell.”

“We had a [security] gate installed. I have a gun next to my nightstand because it’s been getting so ridiculous and [threats] have been coming to emails, DMs, you name it,” he continued. “We’ve seen the darkest side of humanity through this process.”