Alix Earle’s Stepmom Opens Up About Spitzer Scandal
Alix Earle’s stepmother reflects on her past in the Eliot Spitzer escort scandal, revisiting a headline-making chapter tied to the influencer’s family.
Ashley Dupré is reflecting on the choices that brought her into the headlines, including the Eliot Spitzer scandal and her relationship with Alix Earle’s father.
Ashley Dupré, the stepmother of social media influencer Alix Earle, is revisiting the past that made her a tabloid fixture nearly two decades ago.
In a new essay for Elle, Dupré acknowledged what she described as her “reckless” decisions, including her involvement in the 2008 scandal surrounding former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and her subsequent affair with Earle’s married father, Thomas “TJ” Earle.
Dupré wrote that she takes responsibility for her choices while rejecting the idea that those decisions should define her forever.
“Context isn’t absolution,” she wrote, reflecting on the consequences of her past.
Ashley Dupré Reflects on Eliot Spitzer Scandal
Dupré first drew national attention in 2008 after being identified as an escort connected to Spitzer, whose resignation followed revelations about his involvement with a prostitution service.
In her Elle essay, Dupré recalled that she was 19 and working as a cocktail waitress when a man approached her about making money by going on dates with high-profile men.
She said she initially declined but eventually contacted him, explaining that she wanted money and independence. Dupré wrote that she worked in the escort business for about two years before the FBI approached her and showed her a photograph of a man she had seen.
She said she did not recognize him until investigators identified him as the governor of New York.
The resulting media attention was overwhelming, Dupré recalled, as her stage name and photograph appeared in the tabloids.
Looking back, she acknowledged that some of her decisions were reckless and selfish, while emphasizing that personal context does not erase responsibility for their consequences.
Dupré Takes Responsibility for Affair With Alix Earle’s Dad
Dupré also addressed her relationship with TJ Earle, who was married when they met in New Jersey in 2008.
She recalled an immediate connection between them, but acknowledged that their relationship crossed a line and hurt members of his family, including his then-wife, Alisa, and daughters Alix and Ashtin.
Dupré said she takes responsibility for her part in the affair and does not take the pain it caused others lightly.
Ashley and TJ later married in 2013 and built a blended family. Their relationship—and its controversial beginnings—has remained part of the public story surrounding Alix Earle.
Alix Earle Has Described the Impact on Her Childhood
Alix Earle has previously spoken about learning of her father’s affair and the media attention surrounding her family when she was a child.
During a 2023 appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Alix recalled paparazzi showing up at her home and her mother taking her and her sister to stay with relatives.
She said she began piecing together what had happened after hearing comments from others and searching online.
Alix has described the experience as confusing and painful, particularly because she was young and did not understand the circumstances behind the sudden public attention.
Her comments offer a perspective on how the scandal affected the family beyond the headlines.
Ashley Dupré Says Her Past Doesn’t Define Her
In her essay, Dupré reflected on how her understanding of public scrutiny and accountability has changed over time.
She wrote that she no longer feels compelled to convince everyone to see her differently, adding that the people closest to her know who she is today.
Dupré said she would not make all the same choices again, but has stopped wishing away the younger version of herself.
Her essay centers on accountability, personal growth and the possibility of moving forward without denying the harm caused by past decisions.
The reflection comes as Alix Earle and her family continue to draw public interest, with their personal history forming part of the story surrounding the influencer’s rise.
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