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In case you somehow missed it, last week YouTuber Jesse Ridgway announces that his wife Ashley has terminated her pregnancy After testing, it was revealed that her unborn child had Down syndrome.
This announcement sparked controversy, and Ridgway says he has received death threats As a result of the couple’s decision.
Jesse pleads for mercy, but a newly surfaced video is doing him no favors.
An old clip from his content-creating past has resurfaced, and it’s causing a whole new wave of reaction.
Critics are pointing to the nearly decade-old video that was meant to be funny but instead portrays the influencer in a very unpleasant manner.
In the resurfaced clip, which was originally posted as part of Ridgway’s scripted “The Devil Inside” series, the YouTuber briefly portrays a character he identifies as suffering from Down syndrome.
Audiences have accused the performance of relying on stereotypes and mannerisms that are often used to mock people with intellectual disabilities.
Needless to say, the timing couldn’t be worse.
For many critics, the rediscovered footage has become part of a broader argument that Ridgway’s comments and actions around pregnancy demonstrated disturbing attitudes towards people with Down syndrome.
The old clip is now being widely circulated on social media as opponents of the influencer’s decision continue to investigate his past statements.
However, Ridgway insists that the clip is being taken out of context.
According to the YouTuber, the scene was part of a fictional story involving a character rapidly cycling through different personalities.
in a statement to tmzRidgway explained that the video was part of a series of sketches:
He said, “I play a character named Isaac Calder who has hijacked Jesse Ridgeway’s life. My family is angry, so they hold me at gunpoint and force me to change jobs quickly.”
“Identity change happens so fast and it blows my mind.”
The video resurfaces amid the already intense storm surrounding Jessie and Ashley’s pregnancy announcement. Since sharing their story publicly, the couple say they have received constant online harassment, including threats and hateful messages.
Ridgway describes this response as unlike anything he has experienced during his two decades as an online creator.
Additionally, disability advocates and families of individuals with Down syndrome have expressed their objections, arguing that the influencer’s public comments about the diagnosis have reinforced harmful stereotypes about people living with the condition.
The controversy escalated when Ridgway responded to a critic Commenting that he was glad he hadn’t had an abortion because he was “normal” – a comment that sparked another round of outrage online.
For now, Ridgway appears determined to continue defending both his family’s decision and his past work.
But as more people dig through years of archived material, they’ll discover that the abortion debate is no longer the only controversy they have to respond to.
In the age of social media, old videos have a habit of resurfacing at the worst moments.
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