The alum of The Bachelor franchise are under scrutiny like never before. Due to their social media stardom and scores of followers, the members of Bachelor Nation have a responsibility to think long and hard before they post anything. Ashley Iaconetti has come under fire for an Instagram Story that displays a tone-deaf view towards teacher and student relationships. Her fans are disgusted by what they see as a total misunderstanding of sexual abuse.
Ashley is best known for her time on Bachelor in Paradise and her marriage to castmate Jared Haibon. She also hosts the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast with former Bachelor Ben Higgins. The podcast is primarily about the events and people in Bachelor Nation, but sometimes delves into other topics as well. Ashley has been a mainstay in the franchise and most recently appeared on Matt James’ season, where she reportedly butted heads with contestant Victoria Larson.
On a recent Instagram Story, Ashley made a request to her followers, saying she is “looking for people who have hooked up with their teacher...legally!” Ashley added that she will be sharing stories (anonymously) of people “who were of legal consenting age” when they were in a relationship with a teacher. She included an image from the TV miniseries A Teacher, that tells the fictional story of a teenager who is groomed by his teacher and enters into an inappropriate relationship.
Multiple Bachelor Nation fans called the request “disgusting” and questioned whether Ashley was qualified to tackle this kind of serious topic. Many fans took issue with the fact that the image was from a show about an abusive relationship and the damage it did to the teenage character. Other fans were correct to point out that just because a student is of consenting age, doesn’t mean a relationship with a teacher is legal or acceptable. Taylor Nolan, another Bachelor alum, is facing serious repercussions for offensive tweets, and now some fans are calling for Ashley to be similarly held responsible.
Ashley might be trying to have a genuine conversation about this type of sexual abuse on her podcast, but if so, she went about it in a horrible way. From how she presented the request, it seems as though she thinks that if a student is of “legal” age, a relationship with a teacher is somehow okay. But because of the difference in power and authority between a student and teacher, a relationship between the two can never really be consensual. Even if Ashley understands and agrees with that, the way she worded the request was way off.
There’s been a large push towards accountability in The Bachelor franchise. When the show’s alum do or post something tone-deaf or offensive, fans expect Bachelor Nation to speak out about it. It’s possible that Ashley does get the realities of student and teacher sexual abuse, but she failed at communicating it. Ashley hasn’t addressed the issue or apologized for the clueless and offensive request. If the fans complaining about the Instagram Story are any indication, Ashley’s podcast might soon see a dip in listenership.
Source: Reddit, Ashley Iaconetti/Instagram
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