Ashley Jones, the newest cast member of Teen Mom 2, had a simple message for her haters who threatened not to watch the show because she joined the cast: “Don’t watch then.”
Some fans of the show were happy to see Ashley join the cast, to see how her story plays out as she recently got engaged to baby daddy Bar Smith, and the couple raises their daughter, Holly.
One of Ashley’s castmates, Kail Lowry, welcomed her to the cast ahead of the season premiere, and Ashley was thankful, telling Kail, “It’s crazy as hell to be here , I’ve watched you girls for years . Thank you for welcoming me , and always offering good advice .”
But Kail’s followers weren’t as quick to welcome Ashley, and when it came to expressing their dislike of Ashley, they didn’t shy away in the comments.
Still, more longtime fans of the show threatened not to watch, not only because Ashley had been added but because Chelsea was no longer part of the cast.
Ashley took it upon herself to send a clear message to her haters
In an Instagram post, Ashley shared a mirror selfie, wearing a yellow jacket and matching clutch, ripped jeans and clear heels, and simply captioned the pic, “Don’t watch then ❤️”
Ever since it was made official that Ashley replaced Chelsea Houska on Teen Mom 2, fans of the franchise have voiced their opinions about the 24-year-old’s addition to the cast.
Ashley said she isn’t ‘replacing’ Chelsea, but she’s an ‘addition’ to the cast
If you ask Ashley, though, she’ll say she’s not replacing Chelsea: “First of all, I like to say that I’m not a replacement. I am just an addition,” Jones said.
“Chelsea has bared her soul on this show for years, and I would never want to replace her. You know what I’m saying? She’s irreplaceable, there’s no one that can replace that.”
Ashley also revealed during her Teen Mom 2 season debut that she was hoping Chelsea wasn’t leaving the show, telling Bar, “I was honestly hoping that Chelsea did not quit. You have to think, I’ve been watching her and them for years,” and admitted that it made her nervous.
Ashley’s castmates made her feel welcome, except for one
But other Teen Mom 2 fans weren’t thrilled about Ashley’s debut, although her fellow castmates have tried to make her feel welcome, with the exception of one. Jade Cline and Ashley had a tiff when it was announced that Jade was replacing Jenelle Evans on Teen Mom 2.
A fight nearly broke out during the Young + Pregnant reunion and Ashley was the only cast member to not congratulate Jade on her promotion to Teen Mom 2.
When Jade was asked how she felt about Ashley replacing Chelsea, she said, “I really don’t care. I don’t really care about anything else that’s going on with other girls… really. I’m just kind of the person that sticks to my own story, my own life, and my own business.”
Jade continued, “So, I’ve never really been the person to comment on anyone else’s lives. I don’t — I’ve never really ever spoke out about anybody else and what they’re doing and I mean that’s just kind of how I am and how I’ve always been.”
Ashley joins veteran teen moms Kail Lowry, Leah Messer, Briana DeJesus and Jade Cline for Season 11 of the show.
Teen Mom 2 airs on Tuesdays at 8/7c on MTV.
All episodes of Teen Mom 2 are now streaming on Paramount+. Try it FREE!
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