'It's just Ashley' getting escorted out of a mall. Taylor Swift fan pages on social media were lit up on Sunday night with videos and pictures of one Ashley Leechin. Ashley is partially famous on TikTok and Instagram for being a Taylor Swift lookalike. However, her latest act got her flak from the singer's fans as she went to a shop in Los Angeles, pretending to be Taylor, complete with a few 'bodyguards' dressed in black. (Also read: 6 universities offering Taylor Swift courses)
'Meet Ashley behind the mall'
Ashley wore a white top, blue jeans, carried a red bag and wore a red cap and Taylor's trademark red lipstick as she entered the shop with her entourage, trying to prank some shoppers. Her plans were trashed soon as security at the shop escorted her out. People gathered around them, trying to click Ashley's pictures, still believing her to be Taylor. Earlier on Saturday, Ashley also went to Disney World, pretending to be Taylor.
Ashley's response to flak
Ashley took to Instagram Stories to say that the act was not ‘malicious’ and celebrities use decoy's all the time. “Please don't expect me to turn off my comments, stop making content or disappear for that matter. It is called freedom of speech for a reason and you have as much air as you want to say what you need to say. The videos surfacing are taken way out of context & I just want to say to those who have messaged me and have said very kind things, I see you and I thank you. I just hope those who are angry over speculation do not dwell on this and can eventually enjoy their day,” she wrote.
‘Taylor won’t be proud'
{{/usCountry}}Ashley took to Instagram Stories to say that the act was not ‘malicious’ and celebrities use decoy's all the time. “Please don't expect me to turn off my comments, stop making content or disappear for that matter. It is called freedom of speech for a reason and you have as much air as you want to say what you need to say. The videos surfacing are taken way out of context & I just want to say to those who have messaged me and have said very kind things, I see you and I thank you. I just hope those who are angry over speculation do not dwell on this and can eventually enjoy their day,” she wrote.
‘Taylor won’t be proud'
{{/usCountry}}Fans of Taylor Swift are now furious at Ashley. Several took to her Instagram handle to leave angry comments on her recent posts. “I usually don’t comment stuff, but that ‘social experiment’ was done in such bad taste. Please, I’m begging you to see this from Taylor’s point of view. She was just absolutely BOMBARDED at her FRIENDS rehearsal dinner and you are now causing scenes at different locations? This is going to end up being a safety risk.” Taylor's fans recently flocked to her friend Jack Antonoff's wedding, hoping to find her there and causing a scene.
Another person wrote, “I don’t think Taylor would appreciate you trying to trick fans at Disney World. SEEK HELP.” A Taylor fan explained, “In your story you said celebrities hire decoys all the time. That’s different. You weren’t hired for anything. You are in desperate need of attention so you made a way to get it, to trick people, and to make headlines. Taylor was just bombarded at what should be a very private event and she has clearly stated how she hates being made an object instead of a person. And yet, you pretended to be here knowing it would cause a shitstorm. You took it too far this time, and I hope you take a step back and realize that.”
A video of Ashley went viral last year in which she was walking down a street and a Taylor Swift fan got emotional and overwhelmed thinking it's the singer. Ashley's friend kept telling him ‘It’s just Ashley', a phrase that is now associated with her.
Meanwhile, Taylor recently finished the first US leg of her billion dollars Eras Tour. She also announced the re-recordings for 1989 will release in October.
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