NEWSAlix Earle's Stepmom Ashley Says She Made 'Reckless' and 'Selfish' Choices by Romancing Her Now-Husband After Eliot Spitzer Scandal
Ashley Earle opened up about her scandalous past.
Sept. 17 2026, Published 6:23 p.m. ET
Ashley Earle is speaking out about the scandal that changed her life nearly two decades ago.
In a first-person essay for ELLE, published September 14, Earle addressed her relationship with now-husband Thomas "TJ" Earle, which began while he was still married to Alisa Earle.
The relationship eventually led to marriage in 2013 and made Ashley the stepmother of Alix Earle and Ashtin Earle.
She Worked as an Escort in New York
Ashley Earle admitted to crossing the line with Thomas 'TJ' Earle during their initial days together.
"We crossed a line we shouldn't have crossed, and I take responsibility for my part in that," she wrote of the affair, which began after the two crossed paths at a restaurant.
Looking back at the period before she met Thomas, Ashley recalled how she entered escort work after moving to New York.
"I was 19 and working as a cocktail waitress when a woman approached me and said I could make $1,000 an hour going on dates with wealthy men," she spilled.
Ashley eventually became publicly identified as an escort connected to then-New York Governor Eliot Spitzer in 2008, bringing the name Ashley Dupré into headlines.
"I wanted money and independence," she said. "But ultimately, I made the call. It was my decision."
She also reflected on the decisions that preceded the scandal without attempting to separate herself from them.
"Context isn't absolution," Ashley noted. "I made choices. Some were reckless. Some were selfish. They had consequences."
Her Relationship With Thomas Caused Pain for His Family
Ashley Earle and Thomas 'TJ' Earle's relationship ruined his first marriage.
Ashley also revisited what happened after the scandal with Eliot, including her involvement with Thomas, who was married when they met.
Ashley recognized the effect the affair had on Alisa and their daughters.
"I can acknowledge that the way our relationship began was complicated and caused pain without letting that define everything that came after it," she said. "Both things can exist at once."
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Alix and Her Stepmom Worked Through a Difficult Start
It took time and deliberate action for Ashley Earle and Alix Earle to forge a friendly relationship.
Ashley admitted that becoming part of Thomas' family did not immediately make her relationship with his daughters come easy.
"They didn't owe me acceptance," she expressed while recalling the difficult early years of the blended family.
Over time, she said, their relationships changed, explaining, "We kept showing up, kept talking, and gave one another room to feel whatever we needed to feel."
She also dished on her relationship with Alisa, saying she respects her and does not take the family's ability to move forward for granted.
She No Longer Wishes Away Her Younger Self
Ashley Earle has made peace with her past.
Ashley now finds herself discussing that history publicly again through Alix's new Netflix reality show, Earle Meets World, but said her perspective on the past has changed.
"I'm not ashamed of the young woman I was," she declared. "I wouldn't make all of her choices again, but I'm also done wishing her away."
