Jesse Ridgway and his wife, Ashley Ridgway, are sharing a deeply personal pregnancy update after receiving a Trisomy 21 diagnosis.
The YouTuber, known online as McJuggerNuggets, wrote on Instagram Stories on Wednesday, June 3, that he and Ashley had made the “very difficult decision” to end the pregnancy after learning their unborn child had Down syndrome. People reported that Ashley later reposted the statement on her own Stories.
“This week, my wife and I made the very difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy due to Trisomy 21,” Jesse wrote, according to People. “The choice was not made lightly.”
Ridgway Said the Decision Followed Medical Conversations
Jesse said the experience had been “extremely traumatic” for both him and Ashley, 31, who underwent the procedure earlier in the week.
He wrote that he initially tried to stay optimistic after the diagnosis, but later felt he did not fully understand what Down syndrome could involve. People reported that Jesse listed health risks that can be associated with the condition, including heart defects, hearing challenges, and delayed physical development.
TMZ reported that Jesse said the couple made the decision after extensive conversations with medical experts, friends, and family.
The couple’s explanation was not presented as an easy choice. Jesse acknowledged that some followers might be disappointed and said he knew the decision would be painful for many people to read.
He Addressed Fans With Down Syndrome and Autism
Jesse also spoke directly to followers with Down syndrome or autism, and to families who had shared their own stories with the couple.
People reported that he told them they matter and said he was glad they were here. He also praised families raising children with disabilities for their strength and courage.
That part of the statement was important because the couple’s decision quickly drew intense reaction online. In a follow-up, Page Six reported that Jesse defended Ashley after backlash and said the couple had received harsh messages, including death threats.
The safest reading of the statement is narrow: Jesse and Ashley were explaining their own medical and family decision, not making a claim about every person living with Down syndrome or every family facing the same diagnosis.
The Couple Announced the Pregnancy in March
The update came only a few months after Jesse and Ashley shared their pregnancy news publicly.
People reported that the New Jersey-based couple announced in March that they were expecting. In a joint Instagram post, they held up sonogram images and wrote, “BABY RIDGWAY – COMING FALL 2026.”
TMZ reported that the couple later filmed themselves reading the test results that confirmed the diagnosis.
That public pregnancy timeline made the June update especially difficult for followers who had watched the announcement turn from excitement into grief.
They Said They Hope to Try Again
Jesse ended the statement by saying the couple believes they made the best long-term decision for their family.
People reported that he said it would take time to move forward, but that he and Ashley are hopeful about trying again in the future and having a better outcome.
The announcement now puts the couple in a very public version of an intensely private situation. Jesse and Ashley shared the pregnancy, the diagnosis, and the decision with followers who have supported them for years, while also knowing the response would not be simple.
For now, their message is that the decision was painful, discussed with doctors and loved ones, and made after a diagnosis that changed the pregnancy they had announced with hope only months earlier.