Former Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant star Ashley Jones will join the cast of Teen Mom 2 when the series returns for Season 11 on Tuesday, May 4, and while she isn’t the first to make the jump from ‘Young and Pregnant’ to ‘Teen Mom 2’ (that title belongs to Jade Cline), she is the first Black girl to join the cast.
Last year, The Ashley reported that the 23-year-old would be the newest addition to the ‘Teen Mom 2’ cast. (Ashley will be taking the place of Chelsea Houska, who revealed last year that she was leaving the show after 10 seasons.) Ashley took to Instagram Live this week to talk about her new role and what she hopes it will mean to others. She also shared how she feels she has taken the brunt of the racial criticism by viewers of the show.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNTv4LIsXh7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
“I’m happy to share my story so other little Black girls can relate,” Ashley said in the video, reposted to the Teen Mom Shade Room Instagram page. “Whatever they take from me, they take it. Or other little white girls, Mexican girls, whatever. I share my story for everybody but I definitely think that people are not used to a Black story on ‘Teen Mom.’”
Ashley went on to say that she’s tired of being called “ghetto” by the show’s fans.
“They’re like, ‘What the f**k? How ghetto!’ For me it’s worth it because, what I was going through, I never knew people were going through what I was going through … ” she said
During her video, Ashley also addressed comments from fans about Briana DeJesus being a fellow woman of color on the ‘Teen Mom 2’ cast, as well as Cheyenne Floyd being the first Black mom to be cast on Teen Mom OG.
“I don’t know what Briana is,” Ashley said. “I don’t know if she’s Black. I don’t know her. She don’t seem Black to me … I’ve never heard her say she is Black … I don’t think she identifies as a Black woman. I do. Cheyenne also does, but Cheyenne came on the show after I was already on [‘Young and Pregnant’], so I was the first Black girl, which means I got the brunt of the s**t.”
(Ashley made her MTV debut on ‘Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant’ in March 2018, while Cheyenne didn’t make her first appearance on ‘Teen Mom OG’ until Season 7B, which premiered in October 2018.)
Ashley said “though there is a lot of bad going on,” she’s glad to be on the show and isn’t going to let anyone’s opinion of her change that.
“I’m happy to be here. I’m not going to quit because people don’t like to see me,” she said. “People are always like, ‘Oh, why is it about race?’ I don’t know. You tell me. … You tell me I’m ghetto but some of these b*tches – I ain’t gonna go there, but I’m just saying, it seems a little racist to me. But I’m going to be in the building and I’m gonna be Black.”
Fans were recently given a first look at what’s in store for Ashley on ‘Teen Mom 2’ when she introduced an “OMG moment” from the upcoming season, featuring her on- and off-again boyfriend Bar Smith proposing to her… for the third time.
The clip also showed some family moments between the couple and their three-year-old daughter, Holly.
Ashley will join returning ‘Teen Mom 2’ cast members Briana, Jade, Leah Messer and Kail Lowry.
Season 11 of ‘Teen Mom 2’ premieres Tuesday, May 4 on MTV.
(Photos: MTV; Instagram; YouTube)
33 Responses
Highly unpopular opinion:
MTV picked her to fill a quota. Not bc her story is inspiring or interesting or new, but bc they need to look “””””woke”””””, while in reality choosing the worst possible specimen to represent the race.
They could have picked a girl with composure and maturity, like Chelsea (for the most part), instead, they picked a fool.
Good luck with that.
They need to stop replacing people. Make it like Teen Mom Survivor. See who is still going at the end of next year & then kill the shows. These idiots will still be in the news, esp Amber. We don’t need a show airing things that happened 6 months ago to a bunch of Golden Girls. End the whole show. All of them.
MTV needs to promote that Rachelle Beaver!! I would love to see her in the “major leagues” of Teen Mom OG and Teen Mom 2!!!
Yo we can’t criticize this one cause she’s black i guess.. girl bye we will criticize you and your behavior black or not.. get ready for it, you’re not beyond that
She didn’t get the ‘brunt of the shot’ because of the colour of her skin, she got it because of her BEHAVIOUR!!
I really hope Cheyenne puts this little drama queen in her place.
Sweetie, Cheyenne has been on reality tv since 2016. That makes her FIRST – BEFORE YOU.
Can’t stand her, and yes, she is ghetto AF!
I like her. She’s one of my favorites. I like her vibe, her look, her self worth, and her attitude. I like her hairstyles, her makeup is flawless, and her nails look great too. Ashley Jones is the only thing keeping me watching TM2. I don’t get why folks detest her…I adore her and I love all of it.
Yes, she got pregnant young, and her fam & beau has hella drama, but she didn’t let it derail her life. She sets goals, works hard and achieves them. If I got pregnant at 17, I would have carried myself how she did.
She got her education together and got herself a real medical career. First she got her LPN. Soon she will become an Revustered Nurse. She will always have a job and a way to feed herself and her child. Once she passes the NCLEX exam, she will be set for life as a nurse.
She didn’t need the show, the show needed her.
She’s one of the only ones who stood up to an abusive ex, and held herself to a high standard. When Bariki was on a downhill slide, she warned him, gave him many chances for Holly’s same. But she dumped him when he kept doing wrong things and making bad choices. She didn’t let him derail her life, or her schooling. When he was treating her like trash, she didn’t stand for it. She showed him that if he didn’t want her, other dudes would. Bar couldn’t handle that.
Re: fake domestic violence charges, I suspect there is much more to the story. I think he really did assault her, they may have been physically fighting back and forth. He probably cheated, she found out, it got heated,things got physical…etc. But after reflection, she didn’t want Bar to get arrested or jailed, probably due to all racial stuff happening. And police brutality in Vallejo is no joke. Who knows what truly happened? In the heat of the moment, she called the police to protect herself/or Holly. But once the law & media was involved, she realized that it would affect Bar’s future…so she walked it back to the DA and never went forth with pressing charges. This was to protect her baby from having jailhouse visits. Her baby’s father Bar– he’s quite hot-headed, who knows how many run-ins he’s had with the law). So she changed her mind once she calmed down. The same thing Jenelle does with UBT every other month?.
I love that she reps black, I’ve always thought the show was very white-casted. Ashley is quite mature for her age. I admired how she handled that whole scenario. She also forgave Bar, and took him back once he cleaned up his act. That takes a level of maturity, big-picture thinking, and a wealth of compassion that not alot of folks have.
I look forward to seeing her in TM2. Now I can drop Young&Dumb altogether.
I agree that TM definitely need to diversity I just don’t think Ashley is a good representation.,For all the good things she does in her life she also does some of the ratchet ass and she filmed herself beating herself up and calling the cops on Bar..She tried to fight her cast mates..I’m not a huge Cheyenne fan but Cheyenne is a good rep for the black community but Brianna, Amber can go as well.
She isn’t called ghetto because she is black it’s how she acts that gets her called that, Cheyanne doesn’t act that way and nobody calls her ghetto so it’s not about her race it’s about her mouth
Cheyanne was born without a personality.
Cheyenne is also a college graduate & small business owner before she became a reality star. She also is extremely caring you just don’t like the fact that she doesn’t come on tv causing unnecessary drama.
A lot of the other girls have been called ghetto for how they act. It’s not about race, it’s about how you act.
I clearly said it was how she acts and I clearly said it had nothing to do with race!!
Yeah, I was agreeing with you not arguing with you. Jesus. Take a chill pill.
I was chill, I was just being clear since you didn’t say that you agreed, so it could have gone either way
Yeah, that was reeealll chill.
That’s the problem with the internet you have no way of knowing my inflection behind my typed words, I guess you will just have to trust me on this one!
So I finally stopped watching all TM shows last season, and just read recaps on The Ashley, like many others already have. At this point, these old ladies should thank The Ashley for keeping them moderately relevant online.
This should end well.
stay lit
Yesss! I love Ashley and Bar. Can’t wait to see more of their story and more of gorgeous and smart little Holly. One thing Ashley is gonna do is give Holly experiences and help her learn I tell you that! I love that more black people are starting to be shown on both TMOG and TM2. It really is nice seeing people you can relate with.
The article title is confusing cause Cheyenne is the first Black girl on ‘Teen Mom’. Ashely is the first Black girl on ‘Teen Mom 2’ not the Teen Mom franchise in general
@Friggin: Actually, Ashley started on the franchise before Cheyenne. (It’s mentioned in the article.) The first episode of Y&P (with Ashley) aired in March 2018, while the first episode of TMOG (with Cheyenne) aired in October 2018! -The Ashley
Oh, I didn’t know that! I though Cheyenne was first, sorry!!
Race aside, I just wish they would’ve chosen one of the girls from the new 16 & Pregnant. Majority of those stories were entertaining and easy to watch, and I want to know how they’re doing now with young babies. If I wanted to see the Y&P girls, then I would watch Y&P…now I’ve gotta see 2 girls from Y&P and 1 moron from TM3. Honestly if I weren’t interested in Leah and Kail’s stories and seeing their kids grow, I probably would stop watching.
I agree. I think Ashley has a good story, but they should keep Y&P as is and introduce the 16&P girls into the mix. I hope they bring back Y&P because I need to see more of the Beaver clan, lol.
Totally agree. I think it would make a lot more sense to add the new 16&P girls to Young and Pregnant because Teen Mom OG and Teen Mom 2 have been on air for a good while and they will probably stop airing those sooner than young and pregnant.
She’s saying how race isn’t important and shouldn’t be an issue but pointing out her own race and ripping others apart based on their identities in the same breath. What a positive role model. I know nothing about her besides the headlines of her baby daddy I see here occasionally. I think tm shows are done. This isn’t about struggling mothers and children it’s Jerry springer but worse because tm claims to help people. She will be a dramastic diva in no time screaming on stage and making scenes while collecting fat paychecks and buying new cars/houses just like the rest. News flash no one cares what color your skin is. I’d love to see a POSITIVE role model (any race ethnicity religion sexual orientation etc) who furthers their education dresses modestly does their best to educate others about mistakes and overcoming them but nope that doesn’t get views.
I totally cringed when she mentioned Briana and not knowing what race she is because “she doesn’t mention it”, why would she have to identify herself? So annoying. Like you said, she said it should be about race but called Bri out lol. This girl makes zero sense.
I’m sorry but she’s absolutely shouldn’t be on the show bc the show didn’t already start and she’s already making racial comments. Plus she lied to everyone including law enforcement about being beaten by her daughter’s father & makes no shame about it. It’s time to pull the plug on the show bc there’s ABSOLUTELY NO WAY that the show shows the REAL STRUGGLES about being a teen mom!!!!
Yes – i forgot about that!!!! I was going to say at least I won’t have to FF cause she’s definitely not boring but what she did was wrong! What Jenelle did wasn’t right either but I don’t think she should have been fired- even Farrah- I hated Farrah but MTV has too many double standards…