Jesse Ridgway speaks out against backlash over hard family decision
- By Sarah Brohi -
- Jun 05, 2026
YouTuber Jesse Ridgway responded to online backlash after revealing that he and his wife, Ashley Ridgway, chose to terminate a pregnancy following a prenatal diagnosis indicating their unborn son had a high likelihood of Down syndrome.
Ridgway, widely known online as McJuggerNuggets, and his wife announced in March that they were expecting their first child. Weeks later, the couple disclosed that genetic testing suggested a 95% chance their unborn son would be born with Trisomy 21, commonly known as Down syndrome, a genetic condition caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21.
Following the announcement of their decision, the couple faced widespread criticism across social media platforms. In a post on X, Ridgway described the reaction as unprecedented. He further mentioned, “I’ve never seen such hate and vitriol for two people grieving the loss of their unborn child and making an impossible decision”.
Ridgway said the backlash included being labelled “murderous pieces of sh*t”, comparisons to Adolf Hitler, and what he described as “NON-STOP DEATH THREATS”. He also alleged that critics targeted aspects of his personal life, including his dog’s health condition. He also mentioned, “The last 24 hours have exposed a side of humanity that is deeply disturbing”.
Addressing those who disagreed with the decision, Ridgway said he respected families who choose to raise children with Down syndrome but maintained that every family must make its own choices.
“There have been tremendous stories of people who kept their Down Syndrome baby, and that’s awesome! Very courageous, and they do look very happy! That is your choice, and I support it. This was ours, and we can do that,” he wrote.
Ridgway also said he hopes speaking publicly about the experience will encourage others to discuss similar situations without fear of judgment, arguing that such conversations remain uncommon because many people are reluctant to share them openly.
I’ve never seen such hate and vitriol for two people grieving the loss of their unborn child and making an impossible decision.
The last 24 hours have exposed a side of humanity that is deeply disturbing. Being called “murderous pieces of shit, evil, compared to Hitler” and…
— Jesse Ridgway (@McJuggerNuggets) June 5, 2026