YouTuber says he and wife have received a 'tremendous amount of death threats' after ending pregnancy due to Down syndrome
YouTuber says he and wife have received a 'tremendous amount of death threats' after ending pregnancy due to Down syndrome
Kathleen PerriconeSat, June 6, 2026 at 1:18 AM UTC
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Jesse and Ashley RidgwayCredit: Jesse Ridgway/InstagramKey Points -
YouTuber Jesse Ridgway says he and wife Ashley have been receiving death threats after they announced they ended her pregnancy due to Down syndrome.
Although he expected some "flak" for their decision, "to see what it's become has been pretty shocking," Ridgway added.
Ridgway has 4.34 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.
Jesse Ridgway has always shared his life with his millions of followers, but his latest revelation has polarized his audience — and even brought on death threats.
Back on March 29, the YouTuber and his wife Ashley announced they were expecting their first baby. Two months later, the couple filmed themselves receiving the results of an amniocentesis, which tests for genetic abnormalities and chromosomal conditions. The news was devastating: their unborn child carried Trisomy 21, otherwise known as Down syndrome.
On Wednesday, the Ridgways revealed they had made the "very difficult decision" to terminate the pregnancy.
Jesse Ridgway at the Streamy Awards in 2018Credit: Randy Shropshire/Getty
"I know some of you may be very disappointed to hear this news," Jesse wrote in since-expired Instagram Story. "We are devastated. This has been extremely traumatic for both of us, especially Ashley. She underwent the procedure earlier this week and is on the mend. Thankfully, everything went smoothly, but emotionally we are drained."
Jesse, who has been a YouTube content creator for nearly 20 years, anticipated "some level of, like, flak or differing opinions," he told the Los Angeles Times, "but to see what it's become has been pretty shocking… There are a million abortions every year, and I'm just shocked that one couple deciding to abort for Trisomy 21 is mainstream news."
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Among the DMs extending support for the couple, Jesse said that he and Ashley have also received a "tremendous amount of death threats. People saying we're murderers."
The online attacks have also carried over into the comments section of both Jesse and Ashley's Instagram accounts, as well as Jesse's YouTube channel, McJuggerNuggets, which has 4.34 million subscribers.
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Despite the backlash, Jesse hopes their openness can benefit others dealing with a similar situation.
"There are so many people out there like us dealing with these things, and nobody's talking about it," he told the Times. "I think if we share this, it will have a net positive for other people, and they can feel more comfortable and less shame confronting these things… I hope other people can see that, that there is some value in this, but I can't push it any more than I have. People are going to cast their judgments."
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
