Ashley Dupre

Ashley Alexandra Dupre, the high-priced hooker at the center of disgraced New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's sex scandal, had sex with him several times before he was caught on a wiretap during a federal investigation.

However, only during their last sexual encounter did she finally realize the true identity of Eliot Spitzer, according to today's New York Post.

"Oh, my God! Do you know who this guy is?" a shocked Ashley Alexandra Dupre asked her bosses at the Emperors Club VIP escort service, a source reports.

The comment came soon after Dupre's now-infamous and high-priced - $4,300 - meeting with Eliot Spitzer at a Washington hotel on February 13.

The 22-year-old call girl had several "dates" with the governor over the past year, the sources said, but always knew him as "George Fox" - the name of one of Spitzer's close friends that he used in order to protect his identity.

A possibly nude picture of Ashley Alexandra Dupre made the cover of today's New York Post. In sports news, the Yankees have a dude named Shelley on their team.

But just before Dupre - born and raised Ashley Youmans in Wall, N.J., but whom Eliot Spitzer knew as "Kristen" - had her startling revelation, the Feds caught the governor on tape giving them enough evidence to take down the sex ring.

That paved the way for his embarrassing resignation Wednesday.

Meanwhile, as the Democratic governor prepared to leave his office in disgrace, sordid details of Dupre's foray into prostitution emerged.

Dupre got involved with Emperors Club VIP as early as 2006 after responding to an ad from the agency seeking girls to "party" with deep-pocketed men.

Continue reading this article in the New York Post ...

Friends of the 22-year-old high-priced call girl named "Kristen" are now rallying around the woman they knew as Ashley Youmans of Wall, N.J.

"We're just trying to keep her head up and keep her strong, have her look at this as a positive," high school friend Joe Pawlak tells People.

Pawlak, who graduated from Wall H.S. in 2003, a year ahead of Youmans - who now goes by Ashley Dupre - says she's only human and "people make mistakes."

"She's just trying to work through it," says Pawlak.

THG NOTE: Come on Pawlak. The girl slings the poon for thousands of dollars an hour. We're not judging, but there's no "mistake" about this.

Ashley Alexandra Dupre was identified this week as "Kristen" - the escort linked by federal authorities to New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who resigned.

Bevin Doherty, who knew Ashley Youmans on the Pop Warner cheerleading squad in middle school, tells People that, in contrast to statements Ashley made on her MySpace page about her home life, Ashley lived with her mom.

"Her mom would pick her up from cheering at school in a Jaguar," says Doherty, who assumed Ashley, who wore designer clothes, was wealthy.

Set to graduate from the Wall H.S. class of 2004, Ashley Youmans disappeared near the end of her sophomore year. At some point, Youmans legally became Ashley DiPietro, but later took on the "stage" name of Ashley Alexandra Dupre.

"When she left high school," said Doherty, "me and others thought she left to go get married. That's what I was under the belief ... that she met someone and had a ring and left to get married. We always wondered what happened to her."

A teacher of Ashley Dupre, Gerald Basiak, 58, recalls her as a very kind person, but a "B-C student who really wasn't focused on anything."

As for Ashley's being caught up in the Eliot Spitzer sex scandal: "I would never expect this, there were never indications of any problems at home."

Thanks to People magazine, as usual, for this collection of some of the funniest and most most memorable celebrity quotes from the past week ...

"She looks at me and says, 'Nice top shelf.' That was one of the greatest days of my life." - Justin Timberlake on Madonna

"He'll have to restrain his hair." - A Waffle House employee, on Kid Rock

"Do not pull them up tight and have your bulge showing. Let it hang!" - Victoria Beckham on the way to wear jeans

"You always want to point out the elephant in the room." - Jim Carrey, dressed as an Dr. Seuss' Horton the Elephant, on American Idol

"She knew her lines better than me." - How I Met Your Mother's Josh Radnor, on Britney Spears' visit to the set

"I had to face some difficult spending decisions and I've had to conduct sensitive diplomacy. That's called planning for a wedding." - President George W. Bush

"I really romanticized being pregnant. Then I realized, this is awful!"
- Marcia Cross, reminiscing about pregnancy

"A little later on I'll be at the Dinah Shore Golf Tournament, of course. That's if it doesn't conflict with my women's basketball games that I go to." - Ellen DeGeneres, leaving a message for Rep. Sally Kern of Oklahoma

"I just don't want to be thought of as a monster." - Ashley Dupre

More and more of the background of Ashley Dupre is coming into focus.

The 22-year-old woman at the center of the Eliot Spitzer prostitution ring sex scandal may have marketed herself on a modeling and acting site.

"Kristen," as the petite, brown-eyed brunette was named in a court filing, is legally Ashley DiPietro (full name Ashley Rae Maika DiPietro), according to the New York Times. Her stage name is Ashley Alexandra Dupre.

Got all that?

A website called ExploreTalent.com features a profile of a cute, 5-foot-3 girl, age 22, with brown hair and brown eyes, named Ashley DiPietro.

It appears, in our estimation, to be one and the same. Check out these seductive Ashley Dupre / Ashley DiPietro photos and see for yourself...

In other interesting Ashley Dupre news, being outed as part of a prostitution ring has given an unexpected boost to the aspiring singer's music career.

New York's Z100, the most widely listened to radio station in the U.S., and one of the most influential, played her song "What We Want" on Thursday.

Since her identity was revealed, Dupre's MySpace page has had more than 5 million profile views - and growing - as of Thursday and the price of "What We Want" on Amie Street - a site which prices downloads on popularity, was up to 98 cents.

A second single, "Move ya Body," was also selling for 98 cents.

The MySpace page of Ashley Alexandra Dupre, 22, provides a window into the life of a high-end prostitute and aspiring musician who went from a broken home in New Jersey to a lucrative "career" in the city that never sleeps.

In an August 30 posting on MySpace, Ashley Dupre (born Ashley Youmans, then known as Ashley Alexandra Dupre or by her hooker alias Kristen) wrote:

"The past few months have been a roller coaster with so called friends, lovers, and family ... but its something you have to deal with and confront in order to move on ..."

"What destroys me, strengthens me" is the deep slogan next to an Ashley Alexandra Dupre photo. There are other Ashley Dupre photos showing her at various places, including in a bikini on a boat in a tropical locale.

The number of hits to Dupre's MySpace page soared to two million as the story broke linking Dupre to the prostitution ring frequented by Eliot Spitzer.

The New York Governor announced his resignation, effective Monday, after being snared in a federal investigation of Emperor's Club VIP.

There is actually a photo gallery dedicated to Spitzer on Ashley Dupre's MySpace page, including shots of the posh Washington hotel where their trysts occurred.

Now the Emperor's Club's most famous employee, the 22-year-old Dupre describes her favorite musical artists as Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera and Frank Sinatra, among many others.

Her Web site boasted a recording of a song, "What We Want."

"I know what you want, you got what I want. I know what you need. Can you handle me?" Ashley Alexandra Dupre sings to all who will listen. Gulp.

"Kristen" briefly spoke to the New York Times last night about the Eliot Spitzer sex scandal, but provided few sordid details. Sorry guys.

Law enforcement officials identified the governor as a Client No. 9, a man who had a February 13 sexual encounter with "Kristen" and paid her $4,300.

The rest, as they say, is political sex scandal history. Anyway, below is a look at some of Ashley Dupre's MySpace friends. They look like a classy bunch!

It's a tough call, but ForBiddeN aka Christine Dolce is our fave! OMG! Follow the jump for a glimpse at a very special Ashley Dupre Facebook group!

We're getting to know Ashley Alexandra Dupre pretty quickly ever since the real name of Eliot Spitzer's call girl "Kristen" was revealed by the New York Times.

Here are some pictures of the 22-year-old call girl and aspiring singer culled from her MySpace page. As you can see, Eliot Spitzer has some decent taste.

Devoid of morals and a complete idiot, but with decent taste.

Behold, the fresh-faced, high-priced prostitute that became an unwitting aide in bringing down the Governor of New York State, Ashley Alexandra Dupre ...

Just 22 years old, Ashley Alexandra Dupre (better known as Kristen), is an unwitting star in a steamy drama that took down New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

Kristen, described in an affidavit as having a February 13 rendezvous with Eliot Spitzer at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, has spent the last few days in her ninth-floor rental in an upscale New York apartment.

According to the New York Times, Ashley Alexandra Dupre made a brief appearance in court Monday as a witness in the case against four people charged with operating the infamous prostitution ring known as Emperor's Club V.I.P.

In a series of telephone interviews Tuesday and today, Ashley Alexandra Dupre said she had slept little over the past week due to the stress from the case.

Born Ashley Youmans but now known as Ashley Alexandra Dupre or "Kristen," she spoke softly, with good humor, and added with significant understatement:

"This has been a very difficult time. It is complicated."

Ashley Alexandra Dupre has not been charged as of this post.

The lawyer appointed to represent her, Don D. Buchwald, told a judge in court on Monday that she was subpoenaed to testify in a grand jury investigation.

Eliot Spitzer, who is married to Silda Spitzer and has three teenage daughters, announced today that he will resign as governor effective Monday.

Continue reading about "Kristen" in the New York Times ...

As we reported earlier, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer was caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet at a Washington hotel room on February 13 with a prostitute named Kristen from the Emperors Club VIP.

His political future is now in serious jeopardy.

An affidavit based on the wiretap of the prostitution ring told of a man identified as "Client 9" - Eliot Spitzer - paying $4,300 in cash, some of it credit for future trysts, some of it for sex with Kristen - a "petite, pretty, 5-feet-5, 105-pound brunette."

A defendant in the case, Temeka Rachelle Lewis, instructed Kristen to take a train from New York to D.C. for an encounter with Client No. 9 on February 13.

Kristen was told Eliot Spitzer would be "paying for everything - train tickets, cab fare from the hotel and back, mini bar or room service, travel time, and hotel."

A hooker named Kristen could bring down New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

Court papers show that an Emperors Club agent was later told by Kristen that her evening with Client 9 went well. The agent said she had been told the client "would ask you to do things that ... you might not think were safe."

According to the papers, Kristen replied: "I have a way of dealing with that ... I'd be, like, listen, dude, you really want the sex?"

Goodness. In other Kristen-Eliot Spitzer news, David Letterman announced his "Top 10 Eliot Spitzer Excuses" last night. The list is, as follows:

1. I thought Bill Clinton legalized this years ago.
2. Wanted to be known as the Charlie Sheen of politics.
3. Whether it's a hooker or your wife, you're always paying for it... you married fellows know what I'm talking about.
4. Uh, tainted beef?
5. Haven't been myself since Roy Scheider died.
6. It's part of my new MTV prank show "Spitz'd."
7. Have you ever been to Albany?
8. Just trying to help the economy.
9. Hookers is fun.
10. Oh, come on. Like you were never involved in a prostitution ring.

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer spoke out Monday, admitting to a shocking story which reported that he's been linked to a prostitution ring.

"I have acted in a way that violates my obligation to my family ... I apologize first, most importantly, to my family, I apologize to the public," said Spitzer.

"I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family," he also said, adding he would not be taking any questions.

Spitzer did not state whether he would step down as governor, but said he would be "reporting back in short order" on what he intended to do.

The Democratic Governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer (with wife Slida), had aspirations of being president one day, many thought. Now his career is in peril.

The New York Times reported that Spitzer informed his most senior officials that he had been involved in a prostitution ring, as was determined by a wiretap.

CNN, said that Spitzer was identified as a client of the ring, which is upscale and expensive. CNN quoted a price of $3,000 an hour.

The 48-year-old has been married since 1987 to Silda Wall. They have three children: Alyssa, 18, Sarabeth, 15, and Jenna, 13.

Spitzer graduated from Harvard Law and became an assistant district attorney before entering private practice. He was elected attorney general in 1998.

Elected governor in 2006, Spitzer promised sweeping reforms. One of the rising stars of the Democratic party, his aspirations may have just evaporated.

This bombshell was just about the only thing that could pry the nation away from the race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama - and make it seem tame.