Ashley Jones is defending her decision to visit her estranged husband Bar Smith behind bars after Bar’s mom, Shen Williams, called out the Teen Mom: The Next Chapter star for booking all of Bar’s available visits at the Las Vegas, Nevada jail where her son is currently locked up.
As The Ashley previously told you, Ashley and Bar are in the process of divorcing– a move Ashley initiated in July, less than a month after Bar was arrested in Henderson, Nevada, on a slew of charges stemming from an incident that occurred between he and Ashley on July 7.
The ‘Teen Mom’ dad, who had an active warrant out for his arrest at the time of the incident, was charged with Second Degree Kidnapping; Coercion Constituting Domestic Violence with Threat of or Use of Physical Force; Residential Burglary; and Aggravated Stalking. He currently remains in jail, with his case set to go to trial March 31, 2025.
While Bar is bound to the big house at the moment, his mom revealed this week that her son is getting regular visits from both Ashley and the couple’s daughter Holly. Shen took to Instagram on Monday to sound off on the visitation situation and to criticize Ashley for not only booking all of Bar’s available visits at the jail, but also for visiting Bar at all.
“I know when my husband was abusing me there was no way in the hell I was going to book a visit with him nor talk to him,” Shen wrote on her Instagram Story. “If he so dangerous why visit him in jail?”
Shen went on to question Ashley’s decision to bring Holly along for these visits, while also implying that Ashley has made false allegations of abuse against Bar.
“He so toxic for the child why go above and beyond to make sure the child sees the dangerous parent?” Shen asked. “Yeah y’all dangerous with the lies and extreme women willing to go to get even is crazy!”
After catching wind of her soon-to-be former mother-in-law’s comments, Ashley took to her own Instagram Story to explain why she’s reserving all of her estranged husband’s allotted weekly visits. Oh, AND to deliver some insults right back to Shen.
“Shenandoah Marie Williams Toomey please relax,” Ashley wrote. “No matter what Bar and I have going on he will always HER FATHER and against your TRASHY advice he doesn’t want to just ‘leave Holly alone.’ So if you mad that his two weekly visits are taken by ME then when we spoke some months ago and I asked YOU to be a real grandmother and help facilitate their communication you SHOULD HAVE.
“Instead you worried about who’s eating my kitty and pretending for INSTA,” she continued. “If you want me to open up a visit for you ask nicely. ❤️ I’m doing my part as a mother, do yours for once.”
In a follow up Instagram Story, Ashley told Shen that Clark County– as in the Clark County Jail in Las Vegas, where Bar is currently locked up– “only allows video visits.”
“ … so if a FaceTime is going out of the way for my child I can only imagine the extents you went to for yours ❤️,” she added, referring to Shen’s claim that Ashley is going “above and beyond” to arrange visits so that Holly can see her father.
After responding to Shen’s comments, Ashley told fans she was “getting back to enjoying my life,” suggesting she would no longer be engaging in the back and forth with Shen. Meanwhile, Shen continued to rant Tuesday morning on social media while defending her parenting (and grand parenting) and seemingly doubling down on her claim that Ashley isn’t being truthful.
“Nobody’s child comes before mine. It doesn’t matter who it is. My baby girl is my business and when was affected I decided as a mother that the money was not worth the lies and bashing so I quit,” Shen wrote, presumably referring to her participation on ‘Teen Mom: The Next Chapter.’ “That’s that! I don’t bother them I don’t ask to c no one.
“I don’t trust her and I told her that when she texted me and we talked a week ago,” she continued. “So stop with the narrative love it’s played out and I’m prepared for your lies this time.”
UPDATE: While Ashley claimed yesterday that she was done talking about Shen on social media, she later returned to her Instagram Story to fire off some final words to her future former mother-in-law.
“Shenandoah, you been a hater from day one,” Ashley wrote. “You want your son in a way he will never want you 😂😂 if you cared about Holly your actions would actually show it. But you don’t, and thanks for finally admitting it ❤️❤️.”
Ashley also called out Shen for claiming that she “quit” ‘Teen Mom’ because the “money was not worth the lies and bashing.”
“Lol also, we all cashed a MTV check. EVEN YOU BABES ❤️ be grateful,” Ashley wrote.
RELATED STORY: ‘Teen Mom’ Star Ashley Jones’ Divorce From Bar Smith On Hold After She Failed to Show Up to Court; Ashley Explains Why
(Photos: Instagram; MTV)
20 Responses
I stopped watching before Ashley joined the show so all I know of her and Bar is from The Ashley’s recaps and stories…that said, this entire group (Ashley, Bar, Shen, etc) is a dumpster fire. That being said, Ashley seems to understand the saying “you have to love the child more than you hate each other” and is acting in Holly’s best interest. Bar is still her father and if Ashley just cut him off from Holly’s life that would be damaging. Holly will still have her fair share of damage from growing up with these people but at the very least, she can’t say “my mom didn’t let me see my dad.”
Shen is making no sense here. The bottom line is that Holly loves her Dad, and no longer being able to see him (even if it’s on video calls) would be traumatizing for her. So the answer is OBVIOUSLY for Ashley to make these video calls happen.
Shen needs to put HOLLY first. She’s more concerned with trashing Ashley than for her granddaughter’s mental health and happiness.
Bar being a potential danger to Ashley outside of jail and Bar having normal, safe video check-ins with his daughter can both be true. Shen is absurd to say that he must not be dangerous if Ashley is willing to let Holly videochat with her Dad.
Ashley’s no angel, and her replies are cringe and gross. But she’s absolutely the one in the right here. Shen will never grow up, it seems. It’s embarrassing.
Ashley is a smart person and also has a heart of gold when it comes to Holly. She wants to make sure that she can see her dad. Nothing wrong with that at all. Nobody should be judging her considering what she has overcome with Bar in her life. She is an adult and can make her own decisions.
Wait…Isn’t Ashley the one charging him for everything that happened when he broke into her home and she had to convince him it would be better for him if she was allowed to go out and talk to the police where she would lie and say he was there at her request, even though he wasn’t…….which was how she FINALLY got him arrested?
And isn’t she the one using the fact that he’s in jail for multiple charges to plead her custody case? Bc Bar is too harmful to have any custody, or even contact, with her child?
But now she’s using up the visitation with this man FOR her child?
Am I mixing up my teen moms?
She’s allowing their child to Facetime him because well, that POS is her dad. And it’s not a danger for her on FaceTime so I don’t see the problem with that.
Yeah I’m gonna have to side with Ashley for this one. She’s going so then Bar can FaceTime his daughter. Shen is just another one of the toxic boy moms that think they should come first even after the boy has their own family.
Not to mention; the police were there. We know they weren’t false allegations
Is it just me or does Shen give of Cindy Lauper vibes to yall?
No. But she definitely has a crackhead voice.
I meant as far as looks not her voice.
I know that. I was just making an observation.
Another good observation…. Holy shit hahaha
Bold of Shen to say ANYTHING after being accused of telling her son to “let Holly go”. Grade A parenting advice Shen. No wonder your kids have turned out like they have. This is 100% one of the few times that you can blame a parent for how their children turned out.
I would never take a child to visit their parent in jail. Usually, there is 3 inch glass and you have to talk via a 1985 era phone. Guards and other visitors hover around and it is loud. Not a good place for children.
It’s facetime calls. She’s not physically taking her to the jail.
Shen is such a POS “mother”, she’s like Jenelle in 20 years. All her kids are criminals and she blames anybody but her poor parenting and their bad choices.
This is too good of an observation. Shen really IS Jenelle in 20 years
ShenElle!!!!
shen’s always worrying about other people’s kids like hers aren’t always in jail while she’s always laying on her back. guaranteed if ashley wasn’t letting holly see bar shen would’ve still went on instagram to bash ashley, and also bffr shen like we’re gonna believe your delusional a$$ over ashley
Isn’t her oldest child in for killing somebody? The other one was killed by gun violence??
yup, Shen likes to keep it classy