On Saturday, August 19, Ashley Martson announced that she and Jay Smith are done.
Again.
In a lengthy post, she cited the surprising (genuinely) reason that they are ending their relationship for good.
Initially, she purged her social media.
Clearly, she has reconsidered, and has now posted a lengthy post — addressing her fans, those who have shown her emotional support, and even her haters.
This is a very unusual message coming from Ashley, with a very different tone than what we are accustomed to seeing from her.
She is clearly hurting a lot.
Check out her message below:
Oh, Ashley
Ashley Martson is having a hard time right now as she grapples with a major life change — the end of her marriage after more than three years — and the entire world knowing about it.
It’s over …
Ashley Martson shared this post on Saturday, September 19, explaining that she and Jay were over, that Jay didn’t cheat (this time), and seemingly blaming herself for not letting go of his many past wrongdoings.
At first …
… Ashley purged her Instagram of all of her photos except a few that existed to market her beauty brand. Then, she reconsidered, and updated her Instagram with this new heartfelt message.
Here is what she has to say
“I am not asking for sympathy, empathy, attention, or anything else,” Ashley’s post begins.
What does she need?
“The truth is, I can’t ask something of anyone,” Ashley admits.
Why not?
She explains that she can’t ask peope for support “when at this moment I don’t know what I need.”
She feels lost
“I don’t know where I’m going,” Ashley confesses.
Directionless …
Ashley adds that she doesn’t know “what’s next for me” in life.
The future is shrouded
She doesn’t know where she is headed “or who I will evolve into.”
She has one goal
“My only hope is that I become a better version of myself,” Ashley affirms.
That would be something
She wants to obtain at least one positive “through this embarrassing and painful experience.”
She appreciates the support
“To all of you whom have taken this opportunity to encourage me and not shame me,” Ashley writes, “thank you.”
As for the haters …
“To those who have chosen to point out my flaws, poor behavior, and the many red flags,” Ashley writes, “I understand your point of view.”
Wow …
That’s pretty chill of her. Ashley has been known to clap back hard, but this is a fairly subdued attitude for her to have.
She concludes with a quote
“A very wise man once told me that you can’t look back – you just have to put the past behind you, and find something better in your future.†– Jodi Picoult
Read it for yourself!
Here is her full statement. You can really tell how much she is hurting right now.
Three years …
That’s a difficult amount of time to move past. And that’s just how long their wedding lasted.
Did he cheat? Emphatically yes.
Jay downloaded Tinder and was video chatting with a(n 18-year-old) high school girl just days after their wedding. He boned a girl in that barbershop bathroom. He kept a mistress for months before Ashley learned about it. Another girl came forward claiming to be pregnant by him, though Jay insisted that he hadn’t knocked her up.
And those are just the ones that we know about
How many other cheating incidents and other issues never saw the light of day? How many did Ashley never know about? We just don’t know.
So no, Jay didn’t cheat this time
But it would probably be a mistake to say that his cheating didn’t doom their marriage. Clearly, it did.
Now, Ashley has to pick up the pieces
We cannot explain why Ashley kept trying to make it work with the man who repeatedly humiliated her with no apparent interest in her feelings or their marriage. Maybe Ashley herself is unsure.
Now, she’s moving forward
We don’t know the behind-the-scenes details behind the businesses that the two were launching together. What becomes of the tattoo shop? But they’ll have to work that out for themselves.
It’s the end of an era
Unless, of course, Ashley and Jay decide to get back together again. Would that be bonkers? Yes. But surprising? … It wouldn’t even be their most unexpected reconciliation.