Thank you everyone. I’m sorry for the things I messed up in this process, but to hear you guys saying things maybe you wanted to say but couldn’t because folks might bully you (which did happen) is very helpful for me right now. No fighting in the comments. It’s not healthy. For those of you who stuck around, I can’t express my gratitude (truly, I am crying as I write this), and for those of you coming back, thank you for hearing me out. I appreciate your openness. ❤ Now that that’s done I will not stop yelling or being dark: you’ve been warned. Dad rants for life.

@manonjansink2600

9 ай бұрын

Please, never stop ranting! You're amazing ❤

@jillianmarie4271

9 ай бұрын

I trusted you from jump and understanding how comedy works I presumed it was like this - but I will say that Alayna and Mak standing by you solidified my decision to do the same. The three of you together are a great combo and I’m glad you’re able to voice your side finally. I’m sorry people went so far to hurt you and Jen - main babe!! Thanks for always opening up. Can’t wait til you’re in Richmond again.

@hellobell123

9 ай бұрын

Shortly after those tik toks came out I deleted tik tok and for some reason knew that something wasn’t right and that you wouldn’t have said things in that way… just seemed out of character the way the clip was put together Just wanted to say I and many others support you

@kerizella

9 ай бұрын

I hope your point about the audio clip and media literacy will make some people reflect upon what they thought was a true reflection of what happened, but more generally upon this sad reality living in - there are some folks out there who deform reality on purpose. Your community sends you love!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@JanneBernards

9 ай бұрын

@@hellobell123I also ended up deleting Tiktok a day after the video. I used to think YT was a toxic nest, but Tiktok is so much worse.

I just KNEW there was more to this situation than what was released. I saw Ashley live a few months before the incident and everyone - including the hecklers - at the Dallas show had a great time! Happy to finally hear the full explanation and I’m glad it’s for the real fans and not the initial crazed media and drama. Love you Ashley!!

@4lovebysara

9 ай бұрын

I knew there was more, too! What was leaked & shared just didn't feel like it was true to Ashley! I saw her in Sac after the incident & we had a BLAST! I was sad to see so many people writing her off initially before she shared her side. There are 3 sides to every story, typically! So happy to get a better picture, finally. ❤

@juliak.9390

8 ай бұрын

Yes, we do ❤

@amymurch

2 ай бұрын

🤣 Y’all’re wild.

I remember hearing the audio of the show and feeling super uncomfortable about it as a fan of the podcast without having heard much of ashley’s comedy show before. However, i had trust that if what ashley had done was terrible, alayna and mak wouldn’t stick by ashley and seeing them stay by ashley’s side made me realise that something must have been taken out of context because i trusted their judgment of ashley’s character. So proud of you Ashley you communicated everything so well. So happy to have this explanation. I’m sorry that you had to go through that experience.

@miraaa19

9 ай бұрын

I had the exact same reation. I was taken aback first but it seemed obvious that there was a lot of context missing and that there must have been some kind of misunderstanding/miscommunication. And seeing Ashley sincerely own up to mistakes in the past and caring so much about her audience, I had trust that this hadn't been her intention. Being perceived in a way you didn't intend to and then not being able to fully explain yourself is a really hard thing. Not to mention all the horrible stuff that followed. That's something nobody should go through and I'm glad that Ashley has support from people in her personal life and from a big part of her audience ❤

@JanneBernards

9 ай бұрын

Yea, seriously. I went on a whole rant in my own comment about "fans" negating all of Ashley's past showings of her kindness with this one negative interaction, but your point also is such a big aspect of it. Do you really think Mak or Alayna or MADDIE!? would just be okay with it if Ashley was secretly a horrible bully who just wishes people dead? What? Are they all faking their whole personalities as soon as the camera turns on? What are you even thinking here?

@Mimjay

9 ай бұрын

So true ❤

@juliak.9390

8 ай бұрын

@@Frutebrute69I wonder: if the crowd had stopped her from being so offensive as a heckler, instead of Ashley interacting with her, how would she have behaved?Would she be complaining about Ashley’s fans now on the internet?

"comedy is a contact sport" perfect way to put it. dont offer emotional vulnerability to a comedian in a heckle. it will never go well. a comedian is not your therapist, ESPECIALLY in the middle of a show. keep on keeping on, ashley. you're a great comedian and i cant wait to see you live one day.

Ashley's fear for her audience is absolutely valid, especially in a world where shootings like the Orlando nightclub happen. For a lot of people these moments of "drama" are a chance to attack and virtue signal without thought of what the actual repercussions can be. People are so quick to jump on people now and there are always those who will take it that extra step too far and put people in actual danger.

@DapperMrAlex

9 ай бұрын

Absolutely! That's why it blows my mind that someone could think she was being sincere with her comedy. Like, being able to make jokes about deep and valid fears can be so healing and build a more empathetic community.

@juliak.9390

8 ай бұрын

@@DapperMrAlex especially when explained beforehand…

@guesssmith3419

7 ай бұрын

She told a fan to off herself. Thats not taking care of fan. She's sick...

@kbwolfe9491

7 ай бұрын

@@guesssmith3419 maybe watch the episode and figure out what actually happened

Positivity in the Bleep Bloops! Ashley, I think your candour and your self- reflection in describing this really difficult event demonstrates the intention in your practice. I'm so proud to be a fan of yours. Also it was lovely to see Mak and Alayna in protector mode. This is why this is the family we choose.

When Ashley stared crying I wanted to give her the biggest hug! Keep being you Ashley you're awesome!

As soon as i saw a larger commentary channel pick up this story, i became really worried. I hate that it's just commonplace now for entire communities to dogpile literally anybody. I hope the support and love cuts through all the garbage for you guys.

@lineanhj1880

9 ай бұрын

Which commentary channel picked it up? I'm just wondering

@graceblondell7320

9 ай бұрын

@@lineanhj1880like all of them

@beestings22

9 ай бұрын

@@lineanhj1880nick green

@ESPHMacD

9 ай бұрын

A couple, I know greenisnotnick has spoke about this.

@rtd1791

9 ай бұрын

I saw a video title with a guy in the thumbnail that I thought might be about Ashley’s unfortunate gig. But I didn’t watch it. I don’t particularly like reaction videos, and on the odd occasions I do watch one, it’s only because I’ve seen the material they are reacting to in its entirety and I respect the commentator. But then again I’ve always been the sort of person who likes to see a movie first and then read critics’ take. Or read reviews of restaurants I already patronize. Consuming anything based on another person’s opinion is too stressful to me. Unless it’s someone close to me that I have great affection for and who will not be angry if I fall asleep in the middle of the performance. Which has happened more times than I care to remember. Friends no longer invite me to concerts. My husband gave up taking me to see his favorite bands long ago. I guess I have a vague understanding that there are KZread channels that are primarily commentary on other people’s work. Maybe. Can’t name any. But for the most part that feels like a lesser light distributing their opinion on something they aren’t actually capable of doing. Makes me uncomfortable.

Not me crying at work watching this. I'm with Alayna. We love you, Ashley. And we're not going anywhere. ❤

@katerinahricko1127

9 ай бұрын

same 😃❤

@Domisdom

9 ай бұрын

NOT GOING ANYWHERE 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

@mwernli2886

9 ай бұрын

I agree with you.

@AudsLecker

8 ай бұрын

I cried too, what really got me was the love and support between these three. it was beautiful

@jillianh1856

8 ай бұрын

same ❤

Nick from the channel Greenisnotnick owes Ashley an apology for the chaos he caused by making his video about the situation. He did not need to make a video about it and if he wanted to, he could have reached out to Ashley personally to ask about the situation. These commentator youtubers need to take more responsibility for the content they put out because in a lot of cases they instigate harassment.

@ashgavs

9 ай бұрын

I'm really stuck on him saying I have no material and all I do is gay material when I have a publicly available special that he could've watched, and it addresses that exact claim. Hell of a journalist.

@CookieFlavored4

9 ай бұрын

no seriously, when i heard about this whole situation I was thinking about how it must be blown out of proportion. Greenisnotnick is someone I’ve watched in the past, so when it showed in my feed, I watched it. His video legitimately gave me a moment of confusion in what I could trust from Ashley, and now having seen the context, i’m sad that I had that moment of confusion. I still watched the pod hoping for some clarity and I’m so glad it happened, but so many other people like me could’ve seen his video and just give up on her character. I’m hoping he sees this video and learns the truth.

@adrasteia7092

9 ай бұрын

@@ashgavs That really upset me too. It felt like he hadn't even bothered to watch through most of your stuff and only glanced at some clips. I'm sorry for everything you've been going through since this happened. You've always been such a genuine person and most of your fans here knew there was more context behind what happened. I hope things quiet down and you can keep doing what your doing without all this drama!

@frimchi

3 ай бұрын

He's not a very credible source anyway. Bunch of fluff

2 and 2 didn’t add up when the cancellation started. And after listening to Ashley speak for probably hundreds of hours at this point, I’d like to think I have a pretty good idea of Ashley’s values. I knew her intent couldn’t have been interpreted correctly. Thanks for waiting an appropriate amount of time to protect everyone involved including your fans and being so vulnerable. We love you!!!

As someone who was at that show, seeing how it panned out was crazy! Hearing the uncut audio and seeing the comments from people that don’t even know who Ashley is/weren’t there…it was just unbelievable, messy, and blown out of proportion honestly. It felt like the common heckler interaction I’ve seen many comedians have, and we were also surprised when the woman left because the moment didn’t feel uncomfortable AT ALL until that. It’s sad how many people were hurt by this situation, but Ashley you did what you could. As someone else commented this is a great example of both accountability and vulnerability, but also clarifying. I’m hoping bringing this to the pod was healing for you in someway❤️

@ashgavs

9 ай бұрын

Thank you for putting this out there ❤

@awaholswilder9271

8 ай бұрын

i didn’t have to be there, yelling at someone to try again killing themselves is fucked up

@juliak.9390

8 ай бұрын

@@awaholswilder9271 don’t feed the ape, don’t you do it no! no, maybe a little cookie, maybe ? just a very small crumb? prettyplease? ok, go on.😊awaholswilder9271, that’s the part she acknowledged and agrees it should not have happened and that she truly is sorry. Anything else? 🎉

@duchkal2

8 ай бұрын

@@awaholswilder9271yes, you DO have to be there. That’s the issue. Society needs to stop reacting to issues that you don’t have the entire story about. On both sides of the common sense brick wall.

@JanneBernards

8 ай бұрын

@@awaholswilder9271 I just cannot wrap around how you pea-brains do not understand the concept of "context". It's just so f'ing frustrating. How do you even exist in the world like this?

This was such an excellent example of accountability and vulnerability but also clarifying. I think sometimes on the internet we have gotten used to and expect quick explanations of issues or cancellations. But, they never have the depth, thought, and context they need. I have heard the audio, I knew something had happened but didn't want to go searching for it cause I guessed that something wouldn't be true or right. This video is why I love watching you 3.

What really pissed me of about this situation was, strangely, the reaction of fans of the podcast. I remember watching an ep of the podcast that was just released after this situation, and the only comments at that point were "Ashley talk about this or I'm unsubcribing", "you're deleting comments you should be ashamed": I was utterly SHOCKED by the tone supposed fans of the pod had. Not that you cannot/shouldn't be critical, but that in any case, there are ways to talk to people and address situations? Why are some people so easily pointing fingers at bullies on the internet and so easily becoming them? And it sucks because I feel like it's especially the case in LGBTQ+ communities. Hold people accountable. Remember, however, that they are people, with feelings, emotions, people they care about. Don't be the bully you always were afraid of. Spread love and understanding. [Also, isn't it weird that some people in the comment section are like "thank you I can make peace with it / turn the page now:)" like ???? None of this was ever about you????????] Thank you for sharing your side of the story and for bringing a new perspective to this. I hope you'll feel better soon. It sucks to be hurt.

@jillianmarie4271

9 ай бұрын

The crossing the para social boundary of demanding closure from something that literally has nothing to do with them is absolutely odd. Thanks for calling it out.

@jay1603

9 ай бұрын

I agree, it was so insane to see everyone get so furious so easily, and I find we in the lgbtq community are honestly some of the worst at weaponizing cancel culture

@JennyTuhls

9 ай бұрын

People really feel entitled to everything

@zyxxyzify

9 ай бұрын

Omg I remember the exact episode you are talking about… there were handful of people who had faith in Ashley and understood that once you are hackling you become the part of the performance. But saying this also opened up people attacking people who supported Ashley… I remember the snarky comments… it was so awful. Very scary that people can turn on you just like that… felt like some of those people didn’t even try but jumped to conclusions and believed what they saw online with little to no critical thinking skills at sight.

@altertopias

9 ай бұрын

You might like Kai Cheng Tom's work on this. Or Clementine Morrigan's. I love the title of one of her zines: Fuck the cops means we don't act like cops to each other. To be fair to ppl, reimagining justice is hard. But we can do hard things.

As someone who was very upset by the situation, I am so relieved to know what actually happened. I was really holding out for this video before I made my decision because your podcasts have been such a safe, healing, and learning space. This situation was so at odds with everything I knew about you so I am glad to know that you are still who I thought you were ❤

@nataliehubbard6568

8 ай бұрын

I’m right there with u. The cut up audio and also the TAKES from other commentary really had me feeling near a hypocrite if I excused it, just because it didn’t seem malicious in intent to me. I just haven’t been watching, waiting for this kind of moment to come. Now I can’t wait to keep listening to the pods feeling safe and secure in supporting. (I can’t believe ppl were commenting assaults)

I am so glad explained what a heckle is like this. I struggled so hard to explain this to my friend after a comedians set at an open mic and failed so hard. I was like, I know it’s confusing but when a comedian includes an audience member the audience member is the prop, not the performer. I went to one of your shows before you started doing this “explaining what a heckling is, no yassing, etc” and I made the connection that the audience didn’t get what you meant when you said be lively. I was cringing as I sat at a table with someone who was drawing attention themselves and they clearly didn’t understand-she clearly interpreted your crowd work as encouragement to continue rather than a sign to chill out. I’m hoping this helps clear things up.

In all honesty, I remember watching this unfold in person and even I was confused as to what was happening. The audience member started this whole thing and if I was in Ashley’s shoes I also wouldn’t know how to respond.

@ashgavs

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for commenting this

@gofortori

9 ай бұрын

It’s an inappropriate way for an audience member to behave at a live performance. It interrupts the show and puts the performer in a tough spot. And even as a comedy newbie, I attended the Friday Indianapolis show being fully prepared to be roasted/interacted with and I wasn’t seeking it out. Don’t really know what this woman was expecting to happen by interrupting the show with unsolicited personal information, when a trigger warning was essentially given at the beginning about the material.

@nailinthefashion

9 ай бұрын

Someone: I have attempted :\ Me: oh but if you succeeded you couldn't come see me live :\ And then move on since Ash knows where's she's coming from, she knows her humor is crass, it's not for everyone, it can be irritating or even insufferable. I can think of half a dozen other responses that aren't as rude, why couldn't a literal professional? I hope Ash gets over the nuggets of entitlement and pompousness that make her feel like arguing so hard, that make her see it mostly as cathartic or pain release. Just cuz she does, doesn't mean everyone in her audience does and it's ghoulish to force it on someone in person. A video can be skipped or stopped at least.

@missbeaussie

8 ай бұрын

I mean me neither but telling them to kts probably wouldn't be it.

@connormarsh6286

8 ай бұрын

​@nailinthefashion I feel like it's different though because they have a warning at the beginning of the show. If you aren't able to take those kinds of jokes then you can always leave and request a refund. I also think that maybe the person wasn't bothered by it as they claim to be since they went out of their way to heckle everyone with their own personal trauma

I went to Ashley's show and bumped into her on the way to the bathroom and she was so sweet and kind, I cannot imagine anyone seeing her and thinking she deserves anything negative. It's truly heartbreaking.

I really appreciate this heartfelt convo. Ashley didn't deserve the reaction she got. This all comes down to intention. The take-away from this is that we should never make immediate judgments. Especially about things we didn't see w our own eyes. I really liked getting to see the support given by Mak & Alayna too. I think ppl can learn something from how these friends/family interact. 💜☮️

I never comment on anything but I just want to say that your true audience knows you Ashley and we knew there was more to it than that edited clip. Seeing Ash in tears was absolutely heartbreaking and her fear was so understandable and valid. Sending Ashley much love, hope to be able to see you live soon ❤

I'm glad that Ash never made a knee-jerk "i am sorry you are angry" apology video and more or less waited until now. It does not make sense to throw out some "nice words" until Ash herself has thought everything through. Like Ash might have been right or wrong, but I prefer Ash communicating with clear intent.

I watched the tape, thought that's not the Ashley I knew and that was that. The fact that the tape had the impact it had is so terrifying and I'm so sorry for what Ashley had to go through. Cancel culture is so stupid. It's always more nuanced than we know.

The explanation of this situation was handled with so much poise and care. Watching every episode of WHGS, and knowing all the considerate conversations that have been had regarding mental health, I knew that the spliced audio could not have been an accurate representation of what happened. We do the best with the information we have. Sending love Ashley ❤

As someone who doesn’t have tiktok, I was aware something happened based on the comments. But I also understood someone can make a mistake, and be a good person. Belly laughing and snorting at dark humour is therapy to me, but understandably it’s not for everyone. I hope they can find a place where they get that ‘therapeutic’ experience, cause this world is dark, and we all deserve to find a place to laugh.

Haven't watched yet, but was glad to see it in my notifications. And happy to see all the support in the comments. I had a short conversation with Ashley on Discord when she asked for feedback about addressing it further, and know it was causing a lot of stress and strife. It still absolutely blows my mind how so many people had these angry responses (and death threats and other extreme reactions) in the name of mental health awareness, yet had no regard for Ashley's mental health. Like, tell me you don't actually care about mental health awareness without telling me, lol.

@kerizella

9 ай бұрын

Yes!!!! Thank you my goodness!!!! Also people basically bullying her calling her.... a bully? How can you not see the paradox!

@JanneBernards

9 ай бұрын

@@kerizella "It's not harassment, I just made one comment". - literal quote from someone on Tik tok in response to me calling her out when this first went down. Yes, you and 500 others who hopped on the train.

@_asantesana_squashbanana_

9 ай бұрын

100%! Similar thing happened to Ellen, cancel culture needs to be cancelled. It's too easy to strike up hate campaigns by bigots under the guise of 'social justice' (see also, mob/witchhunt) against minorities. Women and the LGBT+ community, and BIPOC are extremely vulnerable this brand of toxic, empty-headed cancel culture. Edit - I know because I work in cyber security, and basically have an awareness about particular ringleaders behind these hate campaigns... it's almost always outsiders, worst kind of bigots, get it taken up by the mainstream and deliberately spread in minority communities where it's integral to band together closely for survival and sense of security. It's a quiet disease. Cure is finding the context, and seeking truth.

I think anyone who follows Ashley in any context and paid attention could absolutely see the shift in Ashley since this happened. If there had been any malicious intent, this shift would not have happened. It's been so obvious that it affected (and still affects her) and that she was/is doing the work to rectify the situation and figure out how it happened in the first place. It's so easy for people to not take responsibility for their own actions. Ashley did. Keep doing what you're doing - as a long time pod listener, I see your pain, I see your growth, I see how much you care about your audience, and I support you. I'm also glad that you have such an amazing group of supportive friends, like Mak and Alayna. (Sidebar - Alayna's part in the conversation, especially the second half is further proof that she is absolutely in the field that she's meant to be in, and will make an excellent therapist/psychologist!)

@KimsiePimsie

8 ай бұрын

Heyy i actually don't think i noticed the shift, but i would love to be able to see it, could you tell me some more about it?

As someone who was at the later show in Indy, I saw the girl sobbing on the sidewalk and was confused. Then during our show I was shocked when it first started because it was my first comedy show. But I got comfy, and Ashley even used me for a couple bits which was exciting! So when I saw the craziness unfolding on the internet I was confused because I saw the same show and didn’t see how the whole thing was blowing up. Very glad to hear this whole perspective tbh. Sorry you had to go through all that Ashley. Sending good vibes ❤

@ashgavs

9 ай бұрын

You were so fun to riff with. I remember you! I'm glad you ended up having a good time.

@missbeaussie

8 ай бұрын

Did you ask the sobbing woman if she was okay?

@watersk2013

8 ай бұрын

@@missbeaussieconsidering she was outside being consoled by her friend and I was inside in line to be seated for my show, I did not.

And, can we talk about Alayna’s motherly wisdom? 😊 Her viewpoints are excellent and so helpful.

I really enjoyed Mak's maturity in this episode, it's really beautiful to see her grow.

as a usually silent watcher/listener, I wanted to add to the positivity I see here already and just say that I love all of you and your content and Ashley I hope I get to see you the next time you come to STL ❤ *hugs*

Anytime Ashley cries about this, I feel so bad and cry myself. I wish her healing as soon as possible she is such an Angel and brings so much laughter to my life and SO many others. We need her in the queer community. FOREVER 💜 your true fans aren’t going anywhere.

Ultimately the things that arose from this, as bad as they were, show that Ashley’s comedy attracts people who care about each other. That’s the takeaway. I have appreciated the way that Ashley has handled this the whole way through, and, as a survivor myself, I can appreciate how hurt some people were by this. It was a shitty blip in time caused by a two-way misunderstanding. I’m glad that this community exists where we can talk about shitty misunderstandings, hold each other up, and move on. Much love to everyone ❤

@ashgavs

9 ай бұрын

This is a really thoughtful comment. ❤

@alpha2legs

9 ай бұрын

@@ashgavs bleep bloop and all that 😉

@KimsiePimsie

8 ай бұрын

Hey i was just curious if you or someone else could give me some more info on how ashley handled the whole situation, is that the tiktok video and all that what was discussed in this video or was there more? please don't feel a need to answer if you don't want to, i'm just curious if i maybe missed something or if i now know everything, but i can totally understand if you don't want to answer my question. I hope you have a nice day:)

People who want to act like context doesn't matter here aren't genuine actors, they're the outrage police. And just because content matters doesn't mean that Ashley didn't mess up. I'm not sure what would make people happy because apologizing, offering a refund, offering to talk after the show, months of attacks on the internet, the doxxing and threats of violence toward Ashley and her partner etc etc hasn't been enough. Ashley, Im glad you made it home through and I'm glad you said your piece and Alayna and Mak, thank you for givng her the space to speak.

I had a feeling there was more to this and waited for more info before casting judgement. as much as I don't know Ashley personally obviously, it really didn't seem like her and like it was the whole story. I'm glad she had this space to get vulnerable and really explain the whole situation (while still acknowledging her mistakes) with safe people. Didn't expect to start my day with some tears but I felt a lot of compassion for you, Ashley. Big hugs to you, your friends and fam and the team ❤

Ashley I’m so glad I clicked on this video and watched all the way through. I really relate to the experience of being misunderstood and hurting others unintentionally and people viewing you and seeing you as evil or a narcissist or some awful thing that you have never wanted to be. I can not imagine going through that at this scale. You’ve handled this the best you could and I’m thankful that you, your family, friends and fans are safe. Honestly I took a break from your content for a bit cause it seemed not good but I could also tell it was complicated and was waiting for your full side. The internet is so black and white sometimes and very rarely makes room for redemption and forgiveness. There is no accountability in the act of hating someone. The internet is not real life. I’m so sorry you have gone through this, I’m proud of you for meditating on this and making it a learning experience.

As someone who had to step back after Indianapolis but kept thinking of you guys on a weekly basis, thank you so much for this. It answered all of the questions I had and confirmed why I was so conflicted- you are all such good people, especially you Ashley. I’m so glad the air has been cleared and I can enjoy your content again. I can’t wait to meet you after the show I’m seeing in Detroit next month and give you the biggest hug ❤ I’m so glad I have my chosen family back.

I really appreciate you all having this conversation and giving more context to the situation. When I heard about what happened I was really surprised. I avoided watching things about it because I have so much respect for Ashley, for all of y’all. After I looked into it a bit I felt like what you are explaining could be the case. I got to see Ashley perform in Denver not too long ago and it was a really incredible experience. Life is really hard, but that show brought me a lot of joy. It’s good to laugh at the dark shit- even though that doesn’t work for everyone in all situations. I personally really appreciate Ashley’s sense of humor and I’m just grateful for y’all sharing your experiences with us. I know for me, this podcast and all of y’all’s content has been very healing and full of joy.

Thank you for sharing this. I’m grateful for the over-sight comedians and content creators in general take toward building community; the supporting and bringing laughs❤️ . I always feel better, stronger as an individual, after this podcast. You all are Real 👊

You are such a beautiful human being. Thank you for being so open and vulnerable and KIND. You do not owe us anything and you are still out here giving and giving. Thank you for modeling how to human during an insanely difficult time.

I think I started following you about a year before this happened and i had only seen snippets, and as much as I was shocked, I just wanted to hear your side and hear from the source vs all the drama online. Thank you for sharing, Ashley. I’m sorry you’ve gone through so many emotions. Whether or not you were in the wrong here, or did something wrong in this situation, you and your girlfriend and her family did not deserve death threats, or any threats in general and I’m so sorry you experienced that. Thank you for this episode, and I’m so glad you have a good support system with Alayna and Mak. It’s beautiful to see. 🩵 I love your comedy. I hope you have many more happy moments to remember!

I LOVED this. Also having your friend tell you you’ve been a bitch and they understand why AND they don’t care and love you? Weve all been there and it’s the best - people can’t be perfect, no one expects us to be except ourselves

I'm happy that Ashley is able to finally talk about the situation. I was in her show in Sacramento with my partner and she did speak on it a bit then. And got a little emotional towards the end. I MAAAY have been a heckler and yelled "We love you" Because we do! And I'm so sorry that you were doxed and all that scary shit happened no one fucking deserves that shit.

@ashgavs

8 ай бұрын

That’s different. ESP if it’s not persistent.

Thank you for sharing!! Your friendships and support of one another are evidence of your characters. It’s such growth to shed what no longer serves you. All three of you inspire me ❤

💖 Ashley, you are the most kind, considerate, compassionate, caring person, and you absolutely did the best you could at each point along the way as the situation has been unfolding. Please try to begin your journey towards healing from this and know that there are many many people out here who support you and care about you, and are willing your career for even greater success in the future! 💖

I love seeing how you guys are there for each other. This is truly our chosen family❤

Love you guys❤ I think this was communicated very well. I had heard multiple recordings right after this happened and knew there had to have been more context to the situation. I am with Alayna 100% I want everybody to love each other all the time!

This whole situation has made me way more angry than I have ever been about any sort of online drama. And I've been around in these here digital spaces for longer than a lot of the people who cancelled Ashley have been alive. It's the injustice of it. The part that I cannot get past is how all these supposed super empathic and social justice warrior queers see the literal hundreds of hours of footage and audio online of Ashley interacting with all sorts of people and being kind and empathic and then put that next to one out of context account of an interaction gone bad and decided that all that came before means nothing. Burn the witch! Let's even assume that it wasn't taken out of context. Say Ashley really did just have a terrible day or whatever and just had a complete breakdown on stage at the expense of a "fan" over a minor infraction. It doesn't actually change anything about the overall situation. Because is that how you would treat anyone you know, a friend? One screw up and it's over? Nothing about who they are, nothing what they did before or after matters ever again? It is that how you would treat yourself? You've never put your foot in your mouth? Misread an interaction and made a total mess of it? Where just in a foul mood and unloaded on someone who didn't deserve it? You've never hurt anyone's feelings without meaning too? If you've said yes, to any of these you'd better go cancel yourself. If you said no to all of them, you're a liar and should do some introspection.

@fishbiter9409

6 ай бұрын

Some people just have no idea what we're up against and they think these minor transgressions are the thing threatening queer folk's existence. Never underestimate the power of ignorant people of privilege.

I had not heard about this but it really sucks this happened. I think you all really covered all the points there was to say. I’m really sorry to those who were hurt and that Ashley was misrepresented because of that. I hope people can see this and hopefully see your perspectives.

I was devastated when this happened, I’m a survivor of suicide (dead dad’s club represent) but I was not upset because of what you said, I was upset seeing how you were being treated! I was not offended in the least because I have been following you here and on whgs and I knew that it was a comedy show, it was missing context and I was confident your heart has always been in the right place. I’m so glad you were able to keep your head up and get through this. I was so worried you would get buried under presumptions and gossip and I would have lost someone I really enjoy having in my life (so to speak). So from one dead dad’s club lesbian to another, thank you for persevering. We are all here for you and will continue to support. See you in Milwaukee!

when i saw the clip, i immediately went like COME ON, did the world not learn from Taylor Swift? when the Kim/Kanye’s clip came out, i could not understand why everyone was falling for it because it was clear that the video was edited. same here - it was edited, there were clear cuts and NO context. i just can’t believe how gullible people are sometimes. ain’t no way i would ever believe a cut clip, give me the whole video, even if it’s 5 hours long. PLUS, if you know Ashley like her core audience knows her you would never believe she’d say something like that out of context or satire. AND EVEN IF SHE DID, however terrible and harmful it would be, everyone’s allowed to make mistakes. you may not stand by that but still love and respect the person responsible. and then to go on and send literal death threats and say she should off herself???? seriously??? how are they different from the person they THINK Ashley is??? although the difference is, she’s not, but they clearly are. people are looking to dig up dirt on celebrities and cancel people left and right. especially comedians. Ashley, sending you all the love I have. you’re a beautiful giving soul, here to provide us with a safe space to be queer and explore our queerness. thank you so much for everything you do. you helped me in ways i could never express! 🩷🤍🧡 and to Mak and Alayna, you are such good friends! 💚🌸 all the love 💛🩵🩷

I love you Ashley!!!! You did the absolute best you could and The way you care for those around you and your fans, it speaks so much about your character. I really want to thank you for your work, providing spaces, acceptance, love, comedy and information to so many. I hope you can heal ❤

We love you Ashley. Thankyou for opening up to your community and feeling safe enough to talk about what happened. You did not deserve to be put through this over a little misunderstanding. Sounds like this lady has some unresolved issues and i hope she gets the help that she needs. Keep being you, Ashley. Dont change a thing. You have a great support network both in your immediate circle and us, your worldwide fan base. We will always be here

Hey Ashley, I just want to thank you for holding this space for us. I do understand you felt like and explanation had to be made at some point, but telling you side of the story with this level of openness and vulnerability, just being a full human being leaves me in awe! Thank you for being the public figure that you are!

There's so many words piling up in my brain, but the intent is just to share some love with you all. Digital hugs to anyone who wants one.

i am so glad you all are still here ❤ this podcast is so good for my mental health ❤

This episode was really beautiful and perfect for where I'm at in my healing from shit and I'm greatful to Ashley and everyone for the effort put in to all of the nuance.

We were all waiting for this, not Just for explanation. But more for us to show you the support you deserve, and for yourself as a relif. I'm Happy you are surronded by beautiful people like Jen, alayna, mak, and all of your loved ones. You are loved, from all over the world✨

While I know it is not comparable, I had a really shitty day at work yesterday and I felt like i was taken advantage of, but was not able to speak up because I felt like I was drowning in work as it was. I know I have to make my boundries clear going forward but having that kind of conversation is intimidating for me. It was really inspiring to see you have this kind of difficult conversation in the public eye, it has given me the confidence to have this hard conversation and my work environment a safe place for myself until I can find a more compatible work environment. Sincerely, thank you.

This was a great episode and thank you for the conversations not only on the Ashley situation but just about miscommunications and perspectives in general. I listened to this 3 times, thank you Alana for articulating through it so beautifully, a lot of food for thoughts. This could easily and had easily happened to us many times in life- the split second you misjudge a situation and said something off/ that the other person hears and immediately mistook it from its intent, and worst of all, not having the chance to immediately rectify it. I’ve had this happen a few times in my life! And because I’m not a public figure, the other person would just hate me in private or badmouth me in our circle- without me even knowing or having the chance to explain. Can’t imagine even the way it feels when it’s happened on this huge scale. I feel so heartbroken for Ash and genuinely hope you will come out of this better and stronger than ever ❤ Sometimes all you can do is acknowledge, heal and move on. We can’t control when the other person will let it go but we can control when we let ourselves out of this hell.

I really appreciate this conversation. Thank you to you all and especially to Ashley. As a podcast fan who’s not much into comedy and hasn’t been to one of your shows (I live in Europe!) it was genuinely very helpful for me to hear your discussion on this. I was a bit uncomfortable when I heard this story at first as it didn’t fit with my image of Ashley from the pods. Hearing your perspective really helps me move on from that feeling. I’m sorry for what was clearly a very difficult experience for you all ❤

This drama led me to watching your special, and a lot of clips, and more episodes of this and Ashley's podcasts, and I can tell you this: you push, but your comedy works. You are brilliant and sensitive and expressive and articulate and do amazing crowd work, even though in this incident pushed in a way that left some in confusion and pain. But let's face it, we have loved ones dying, and you are shedding light on the dark corners of pain that lurk within us, especially in the queer community. I wish I could hug you tightly and share the love I feel as you go through this. Y'all are my chosen family. Thanks for being such an amazing dad, Ashley.

*consensual group hug* This was a really good episode for me. I'm really glad you got to tell the whole story. Also it was a good reminder for me to think critically about things I see online and how they might not be telling the whole story. Also good food for thought as to how I think about certain jokes and the importance of reading between the lines to hear what's really being said.

Wishing you all the strength and support. It sounds like such a sucky situation and I'm so sorry that this is happening to you Ashley. Sending you so much love ❤️‍🩹❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ please don't be too hard on yourself and I hope that things calm down quickly with all the threats for you, your family and all the fans.

We all needed this 💛 im a huge fan of Ashley and it was difficult to feel her heart all this time while she was keeping this quiet. Good decision on her part in the end, but I’m looking forward to that good, juicy, off the cuff, from the soul Ashley content I’ve become so accustomed to. Missed you girl 😘

I loved this episode. When I saw those clips on tiktok I was taken aback and really uncomfortable and was not sure whether or not to stick around for the podcast but I am so glad that I did. Thank you for providing us with the much needed context, I feel much better about the whole situation now. I hope you all get some peace of mind!!

This podcast shows your heart and the vulnerability shows who you are. Love your comedy. Love this podcast. The people who are meant to hear you and see you will. You'll continue to influence this community so much for the better and make it a better, more accepting, beautiful place.

I knew there had to be more to this! When I first saw it. I was shocked but quickly realized that it had to have been taken out of context. Ashley obviously wouldn't want to hurt anyone! I saw her in Sac & there was a loud person up front & it was sad to me because she was trying to be extra careful with the audience member, worried that it could happen again. Thankfully I think that person enjoyed themselves. Ashley very clearly has a good heart & its been sad to see the reaction to this. ESPECIALLY from people who didnt know her before this & are just judging this situation 😒 But we are still here & arent going anywhere! We love you, Ashley! ❤❤❤

I was definitely one of those people that was commenting asking for more context and for you to address it. I'm so glad you did because it makes more sense and I see now why a lot of it was a massive miscommunication.

I only found out about this a couple of days ago, and I had a feeling that what I found online wasn't the whole story. I'm so sorry this happened to you Ashley, the pain in your eyes is so obvious. I teared up as soon as I started watching this. I hope you and your family are safe ❤

The media literacy & parasocial points cannot be stressed enough, most people do not know enough about how stories like this are produced & distributed and the interpersonal relationships involved that they are nowhere near a part of.

Thank you for sharing Ashley. I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through this is an insane situation. You still have so many fans, of both your comedy and your podcasts, out there rooting for you ❤

I saw Ashley in NJ and had a great time! I’m sorry this happened and I hate seeing you cry and all you are going through. My wife and I have nothing but good things to say about you!! We love watching this podcast of the 3 of you!!! Love you 3 supporting each other❤❤❤

I don't always comment, but I wanted to add my voice to the outcry of love and support for you Ashley, and for Mak and Alyna for being awesome through this. I really appreciate your work and I think most of your fans have seen your heart through your podcasts even if traditional comedy isn't for them. We're still here for you!

Seeing Ashley care so much about the community was heartwarming.

Honestly, thank you for opening up and sharing this with us, the audience, fans and everyone else. All support and love here! Still a fan🙂

Ashley, I truly love you, and I really mean that. Regardless of this whole situation I need you to know that you've helped me so much more than I can even express. At some of my lowest points as someone who's closeted I felt like your content was the only way I could laugh through all the hardships in my life. Not only that, but the community that came along with you and your content is unbelievable. All the listeners are so kind and I absolutely love everyone in the discord and comment sections. The story you told about the young trans man really broke my heart as well. I understand how being afraid of losing that sense of security and safety between you and the community you've built would be absolutely terrifying, but that beautiful and loving community that the story of the trans man depicts is still the Ashley Gavin fanbase I know today. You may have lost followers, but the ones who you've helped are still here, and I don't think they're going away any time soon. Thank you so much for everything you've done for me and for others. Thank you for making us laugh. Thank you for giving us representation and validation. And thank you for giving us community. Again, I love you, Ashley. I hope you're doing well

@ashgavs

9 ай бұрын

This made me cry. Thank you ❤

@hannaheiserman1632

9 ай бұрын

Amen!!

@andrewcooper2598

9 ай бұрын

please know your awesome I know in your heart is love not hate errors happen people grow we understand ur not a evil person you don't deserve violent threads against family or audience best wishes @@ashgavs

I can’t imagine how difficult this all must have been for you, Ashley, but I really wanted to say that I appreciate your vulnerability and honesty in this video. As someone who is newer to the channel and your comedy, when I saw that video, I didn’t know how to feel. I think I am a little bit too much of a traumatized, sensitive little Pisces baby for your stand up and that’s okay 🩷 I’m happy to be back with the podcast fam. Sending love to you all.

Ashley thank you for discussing this in so much detail. It was rough to see how much damage this situation did. I'm glad to see how much everyone in your life was supportive of you and helped you get through this!

Super grateful that you can finally elaborate on the situation 🙏 it feels like closure, now we can all move on. I was one of the people complaining about why it was taking so long. I now understand i completely underestimated how awful and dangerous the backlash has been. How naive of me 😮 I feel bad for being impatient now! This episode educated me tons. Thanks for this episode and I hope you are all doing okay!

@ashgavs

9 ай бұрын

I will also say, sometimes it takes time to make good decisions, even when things aren’t so dramatic.

Absolutely love Ashley! You are such a hysterically funny comedian and the sweetest person ever! So sorry you had to have such a hard time from this. You deserve only good things and I hope you get lots of them 💜

I knew this seemed odd when it was unfolding, this all makes so much sense. We know that wasn’t like you and definitely respect/appreciate you keeping the people you care about safe. Thank you for your vulnerability and responsibility Ashley. We know you and we love you!!

@sydneyhowell6016

9 ай бұрын

Ugh when you cry it breaks my heart. This community is truly a special one, and it only exists because of you !!!

Love the 3 of you and respect the way you discussed this. I am sending you all the love and healing energies. 🫂❤🧡💛💚💙💜

Everything is going to be ok Ashley 🙂 everyone will be healed from this. You're a great person and an awesome inspiration to thousands of people. The amount of pain you have helped be released from us cancels out this mishap. It wasn't intentional. You know it and the people who love you know it. Big big hugs 🤗🤗🤗

The vulnerability and raw emotions in this video had me tearing up, I’ve seen Ashley live and it’s been one of my favorite experiences with live comedy. I trully just hope that ppl can understand the situation better. I for sure will continue to be a fan🧡

THANK YOU for sharing this! I needed to hear the whole story to understand this situation.

We love you Ashley. All of us here support you. You all make my day so much better. So excited to see your show in a few months.

I am so sorry all of that happened to you, Ashley. I was so confused when I saw off-putting comments directed towards Ashley & everyone on the podcast, have watched your comedy special & enjoyed it, & never looked into what was happening because it seemed like there was a lot more to the situation that these people were missing/not accounting for. I have not been able to go to your show live yet, but I love the excitement you have for the text list & performing in general. Also, your compassion. I love you Ashley & I hope you & yours are well. ❤ (Especially Fulton.) Edit: I can finally subscribe to your text list because we finally moved to a more permanent address! Huzzah!

I am glad we are able to finally hear your side of the story. I knew the full picture wasn't out there and through your content I did not believe you to be the monster that it felt like you were being painted as. I assumed your silence was from a PR standpoint, a lot of times addressing the issue can make it even worse and become a bigger thing than the original incident. Hearing that you were dealing with doxxing and death threats is unfortunately not surprising and I am sorry to hear you had to go through that. I definitely support your decision to choose safety with the hope of discussing it at a later time like you have now. Thank you for sharing and it is wonderful that Alayna and Mak have stayed by your side through this entire thing. That was a big beacon of hope and reason to keep believing that there was more that wasn't being shared.

i saw ashely when she came to arizona this past time, i took my boss, who is sober and one of my best friends, with me. watching that show, her special and every podcast episode she has ashley creates such a safe place for those of us that cope with comedy. my boss said she had never laughed that hard and the two of us were in pain for days following the show due to laughing like that. comedy is comedy and i genuinely think that the pure hearted person behind the jokes matters so much more than the darkness of them. i loved seeing this side of everyone with just the truth of it all, thank you for sharing this vulnerability with the internet, i hope nothing but amazing things happen for all of you, and i cannot wait to see ashely again in arizona when she comes back!

@ashgavs

9 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for sharing that with me. Leaving people sore is a huge compliment ❤

I so appreciate your open, vulnerable honesty about what happened. As a long time fan I knew that audio didn't show the whole story. As a s*icide attempt survivor, humor is how I cope. I have scars up and down my arms, I make jokes to alleviate other people's uncomfortability being able to visibly see my symtoms of mental illness. Sometimes the jokes don't land, and I don't ever mean to make someone uncomfortable, but at the end of the day they're part of my body I have to look at every day and humor empowers me to have power over something that once had massive power over my life. I feel for people who were hurt by this because it's a really difficult, triggering topic. That being said, I think using comedy as this kind of outlet is valid. The way you so deeply validate this person's hurt and your role in it is so huge. Honestly, even if the audio was totally in context, people have HUMAN moments. I have said so so so many things in my life I regret. I have said things with malicious intent, things that I have no defence for other than I was in a terrible place when I said it and I regret it. You're a human, Ashley, and I hope everyone can relate to those human experiences where we make the wrong choice and it goes poorly and we regret it. I appreciate you and your willingness to address it, be vulnerable, and grow. Btw, I saw you in Denver last month and the show was equally dark and so incredibly funny and cathartic. Love you always

You are all so good. I love and appreciate what you bring to the world, and I’m so sorry you had and are having this experience

I just want to say I’ve always had faith in Ashley, and I don’t usually comment, but this feels necessary. I didn’t know about the situation until someone who was close to me told me about it, as they knew I loved the pod, and they know I love Ashley and wanted to know my opinion on it. So I watched it and instantly was like yeah no this isn’t what it appears to be. I defended Ashley bc of the pod, I knew that you wouldn’t have made that intention and that it was a bit and honestly if I could go, I would love to see one of your shows. It’s genuinely so funny to watch ur comedy online and to see your special (I tried to stay up to watch it due to time zones but ended up sleeping half way thru, Sry my guy). When Ashley started crying, I cried too, because seriously you didn’t deserve what had happened- all of that was SO fucked up. If I could support patreon for all of you I would, because seriously you make my week, every time. I hope y’all are ok and Ashley can have some peace on the Internet now 🩵🩵 take care to all of the chosen fam, love yall

This was beautiful. I appreciate you giving us a behind the scenes in terms of context for what it's like to be on the side of the person who was "cancelled". Context is SO important and nowadays people don't care about all sides of the story, they see a clip and take it at face value. As a lover of stand up comedy, I KNOW going into a show that there's always going to be at least one joke that I don't like or rubs me the wrong way. Of course there is always a line that can be crossed, but true lovers of comedy should understand the complexity of situations like this. You are doing stand up as yourself, but you still aren't talking in the same way you would be if you were having a regular conversation and some people don't understand that. I don't think you're trying to be a victim because someone painting themselves that way would not be crying about being heartbroken that OTHER people are not going to have access to a supportive community and that so many people were hurt. This is one of your guys' best episodes by far. Sending love

Hey, just wanted to say I love the podcast, and love y'all too. I've spent the last 5 days watching from start to finish and have absolutely lost it several times at some of the jokes. It's also been really... encouraging... in helping me accept certain elements of my identity that I have been repressing. Which means a lot to me. Alayna, you have such a beautiful soul, it's such an honor to have access to your presence through these recordings. You're so insightful; it's the best. Love you. Mak, get your passport. No, but seriously, so much of what you bring to the table can be subtle and fly under the radar, but there is a real foundation of multidimensional delight from you that's very joyful to experience. One of the really cool things has been getting to watch your growth throughout the show. Again, subtle, but impactful. Love you. Ashley, trying to pick adjectives to describe the magnitude of how funny you are is a losing battle. You're seriously so funny. You're so funny that it warrants being mentioned before saying that you're a wonderful person with a good heart that touches the lives of people around you in the best of ways. Love you. With regard to this episode, at first, I thought that it was going to be kind of a bummer ending my binge on a particularly serious low-note, but that's not what happened. It was a high note. We human beings are social animals, and it is incredibly cathartic to come together in sharing so much humanity and vulnerability. I am here in support of you all. I trust you, believe in you, and I am so grateful for you. Thank you for giving so much.

I had been out of the loop with this situation as I generally try to avoid adding more drama to my life, so I was surprised when hearing all you went through. I don't usually leave comments, but I wanted to express my gratitude to having found you, Ashley. I wasn't interested in stand up comedy before I found your channel about a year ago, I started watching your snippets from the live shows, and then I began watching WHGS. I was kinda new to the online queer community, and I've learned so much since then, I have also found some cool comedians from watching your podcasts! You did the best you could do, the past is in the past, and I know you will keep growing more over the years to come. Stay strong, I will come again to watch the next episode!

I knew at the end of the day there was gonna be a valid explanation for the out of context audio and im glad it finally has been brought to light 👏🏼

We love you Ashley! You did the best you could and please know that we are always there for you!

thank you for finally speaking about this. i couldn’t understand the audio clip versus your statement and now it all makes sense. thank you for sharing your story ❤

I saw the video that they posted and I never doubted Ashley for a second. I've been following Ashley for a while and the narrative just didn't line up with who Ashley is. She's a kind person, and who she is on stage is just an ACT. You could tell how uncomfortable she was by her body language and expression was in the video. Everyones allowed to fuck up. Everyone does it, its just unfortunate it was blown up to such a big extent. Regular people are fortunate enough for people to overlook our mistakes even big ones, the same can't be said for those with a public persona. It's okay to make mistakes, whats not okay is not hearing the person out, punishing them relentlessly, and threatening others. I hope everyone heals from this and is able to move on and grow.

I study literature and in one chapter of my phd thesis I compared some literary experiences to BDSM, as a safe space where we can explore violent topics and feel intense things without it actually being violent literally. I thought a lot about this while this was all happening. In this comparison I say that the safe word for the reader is to just close the book. This is probably the same for what Ashley said about people leaving the room. That's how you use your "safe word" in a comedy experience. You understand that that is a context where dark topics are made into jokes and if it's hurting you, you can and should leave to take care of yourself. Ashley, I'm deeply sorry you went through all of this, I was hurting for you from the beggining. Im not gonna get started on the problems of this type of pile on because then I wonr shut up. Love you three. Hope you feel our support.