At the moment, Ashley Jacobs has left Thomas Ravenel … but they are not officially broken up. Yet.
In the mean time, a number of viewers have been deeply alarmed by what they perceive as rapid weight loss on Ashley’s part.
Ashley explains why she lost weight, but Kathryn Dennis isn’t buying it. She says that Ashley is just an a–hole.
“I know a lot of people on social media have been concerned about your weight loss,” Andy Cohen said to Ashley during the show’s reunion special. “You look different than you look on the show.”
“Yes,” Ashley acknowledges. “The pressure of filming made me nervous.”
Some people respond to anxiety by stress eating. Others respond with a total lack of appetite.
Neither of those are the worst coping mechanisms, but they’re also not healthy.
“It would be hard for me to eat before,” Ashley explains. “Because I would be so nervous about what to expect.”
The effects have transformed Ashley pretty noticeably. Fans are concerned.
Ashley has muddied the waters on Instagram by controlling which photos get posted (and stay posted) and also uploading throwback pics, but the change is still hard to miss.
“And then,” Ashley explains. “Afterward, I had such a hard time even eating, going, ‘I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have said this.’”
So she would get nervous before filming … and then work herself up into an anxious mess after filming, too.
“And it caused a lot of stress,” Ashley admits. “I put a lot of pressure on myself.”
Ashley then went on to imply that perhaps the multiple rape accusations against Thomas Ravenel and Ashley’s own portrayal as the season’s villain contributed to her unhealthy habits.
“Girl,” Kathryn writes on Twitter in response to Ashley’s statements. “This is your first year and you’re an a–hole.”
Ashley did seem to be rude and confrontational towards a number of Southern Charm stars — and on Kathryn in particular.
“Sorry to be blunt,” Kathryn continues. “But there’s no excuse.”
Kathryn reminds Ashley that “the original cast has been through a helluva lot more.” They’ve been filming the series for years, remember?
“Get yourself together and move on. Be an asshole in private,” Kathryn advises. “Truth hurts. Bye”
Though Ashley seemed determined to make enemies — whether by feuding or flirting — her castmates clearly do not wish her ill.
In fact, during the second part of the reunion special, which aired last week, Andy Cohen mentioned that someone had allegedly seen Thomas Ravenel throw something at Ashley.
Ashley had paused and then tried to take the blame, claiming that she had been “a brat” and that it was her fault.
Shock and concern, at the alleged incident and at Ashley’s response, was impossible for the Southern Charm stars to hide.
Multiple costars referred to Ashley making excuses for Thomas as a “red flag.”
Ashley may have been the season’s villain, but the more that fans and viewers have heard about Thomas, the more people doubt that he’ll be returning to the screen.
In fact, some have speculated that though there is no real defense for Ashley’s behavior on camera, that it seemed that Thomas was baiting her.
Even some of the Southern Charm stars themselves pointed out that Thomas liked to compare Ashley to Kathryn, but only where Ashley failed to measure up.
Ashley is an adult woman who is responsible for her own behavior, but that does not mean that no one else contributed to her behavior.
And it may be that her terror and anxiety over filming the show was also exacerbated by her relationship with Thomas.
Either way … not everyone is able to accept being a reality star, no matter how badly they may have wanted it.
It may be that all of Ashley’s famewhoring was for nothing.