Teen Mom 2 star Ashley Jones got real about her broken relationship with her biological father.
Ashley has been putting her personal life in the public eye since 2018, when she appeared on Young + Pregnant before graduating to Teen Mom 2 in 2021.
Much of Ashley’s storyline lately has focused around her and Bar Smith’s marital struggles and their talk of possibly divorcing. However, there is more to Ashley’s story that isn’t seen on Teen Mom 2.
Teen Mom 2 star Ashley Jones dishes on relationship with estranged father
Recently, Ashley answered her curious fans during an Instagram Stories Q&A where she opened up about her relationship with her estranged father.
One of Ashley’s 574k Instagram followers asked the California native, “How is your relationship with your biological dad?”
Ashley included a throwback photo of herself and her father from her graduation and shared, “I’m learning to take people as they are and accept what they can give for the sake of not missing out all together ❤ that has been working for me.”
Ashley doesn’t mention her biological father much on Teen Mom 2, but viewers might recognize Ashley’s mom Tea and her stepfather Ted from numerous appearances on the show. Tea and Ted have become a support system for Ashley as they know a thing or two about relationships, having been married for over 20 years.
During an appearance on The Doctors earlier this year, Ashley opened up about her strained relationship with her dad.
Ashley’s dad was absent, struggled with substance abuse issues
During the February 17 episode, Ashley admitted, “I dealt with a father who had substance abuse issues and he showed up financially but not emotionally.”
Because of Ashley’s father’s absence in her life, her outlook changed: “I have been hurt repeatedly by the one man in my life who is obviously supposed to show up.”
And unfortunately, that has leaked into her marriage to Bar Smith. “When my husband does not show up in miniscule ways I blow them up because of what I’ve been through,” Ashley added.
Although Ashley and Bar have shared plenty of struggles, they put in the work during Season 1 of Teen Mom Family Reunion with Dr. Cheyenne Bryant. Coach B worked with Ashley and Bar to help them see things from a different perspective, and during the Season 11 reunion, Ashley admitted that she and Bar have benefited from their work.
Teen Mom: The Next Chapter is currently in production and is slated to premiere in the near future.