After being made the subject of an extensive harassment campaign, Ashlyn Castro, who in recent weeks has been romantically linked in tabloids to Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, has debunked a slew of false claims that have circulated about her personal life.
In a video shared to TikTok on Monday, notably captioned “the hardest part is not speaking the truth, but finding the courage to do it,” Castro specifically addressed a “list” that’s circulating of her purported dating history, as well as called out a number of photos that have made the rounds despite having nothing to do with her at all.
“People have created an entire past dating history, attacked my morals and character off of nothing but lies from every way imaginable,” Castro said. “Every angle you can think of, people have attacked me, harassed me, been so disrespectful, showed up at my grandmother’s house. It’s just been too much.”
Elaborating on her dating history, despite such a thing being no one’s business, not even a little bit, Castro said that she’s had a mere three boyfriends over the past eight years. Her first relationship was with “a public figure” in 2017, a facet she links to the persistence of the general public opting to share made-up claims about her personal life.
As for the names tabloids have claimed she’s been in some way romantically linked to over the years, Castro pointed out that the photos cited as purported proof are either wildly taken out of context, or worse, the photos are of other women, i.e. not her. These people are “taking every little thing imaginable out of context” in pursuit of a false narrative, Castro added.
Elsewhere, Castro confirmed that she is “not on any exclusive adult content-style website,” referencing another fabricated claim that’s circulated about her. Instead, people have taken photos she’s shared on social media and repurposed them, including on dating apps she herself doesn’t actually use.
Deeper into the 10-minute video, Castro dispelled any speculation on her livelihood, another topic that, again, isn’t anyone’s business.
“I don’t know why people feel so entitled to know how I support myself and my livelihood when I don’t even share my life on the internet,” she said. “I’m not an influencer making money off of you guys trying to give you a certain perception. I post on Instagram for fun. … I don’t know why people feel like they should know how I support myself.”
Still, Castro provided a summary of the work she’s done in her life, including everything from working at a restaurant to modeling. Her late father, she added, was instrumental in helping her when she was working toward becoming a singer earlier in her life. In fact, per Castro, she worked for father’s medical spas before he became a part of a commercial cart detail company that has contracts with dealerships in the Vegas area. To this day, Castro explained, both she and her brother continue to work for that company.
Those targeting Castro have used her father’s passing in fake posts, including one that used an old photo of her to falsely suggest that she had swiftlymoved on after his death. Her mother, who struggles with mental health issues, has also been drawn into the harassment.
“This is extremely personal,” Castro explained. “This is my real life. I lost my father a few years ago. My mom is mentally ill. I shouldn’t have to talk about this. But moving forward, I will talk about things that are important such as mental health. This is something that I’ve wanted to use my platform for but I just wasn’t ready.”
Bringing the video to a close, Castro, who in 2017 found herself in romance speculation-focused headlines alongside Michael B. Jordan, underscored the gravity of her decision to speak out at length after more or less being forced to address the litany of false claims.
“This is the most vulnerable I can be,” she said.
As for Bellingham, neither he nor Castro have outright said that they are a couple. In Monday’s rumors-quashing video, however, Castro did slyly nod at such talk with a well-placed remark that could be interpreted as a subtle confirmation. See the full thing below..