Jesse Ridgway unbothered by backlash over pregnancy termination

Jesse Ridgway says he is unbothered by what he called a “hypocritical” backlash after he and his wife, Ashley Ridgway, revealed they had terminated her pregnancy. On Instagram Stories he criticized pro-life critics who he said were wishing death on them and using God and Jesus as a weapon; he added that he hasn’t believed in God, the Bible or hell since he was eight but doesn’t judge those who do.

He said he never expected to become a poster child for abortion and that, as a man, he had not confronted the issue until now. The couple, who were trying to be first-time parents, found the experience overwhelming, and he vowed to keep encouraging conversation and to continue speaking about the decision.

The pair have faced online hate and death threats after disclosing they terminated the pregnancy when the unborn child tested positive for Trisomy 21. A 2017 video of Ridgway mocking Down syndrome resurfaced and intensified criticism.

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