Ashley Ortega opening up about her relationship with her mom started a few needed conversations.
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Ashley Ortega entered Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition as a strong-willed, intelligent, and straightforward actress who some thought had what it takes to make it far. The Independent Tis-Ice Princess ng San Juan may have been misunderstood by some of her housemates, but Ashley stood on business and kept it real. This makes seeing her be one of the first two evictees of the season along with AC Bonifacio sting even more (though at least she and AC gave us an iconic reaction image out of it).
Her time on the show was short-lived, but in the three weeks we got to watch Ashley, one part of her story that stuck with us was her opening up about her relationship with her mom. Not only was she incredibly brave to open up about something so personal to a national audience, but her story is also one many Gen Z can relate to one way or another.
ASHLEY IN HER HEALING ERA
Since day one, Ashley has been open about the fact that she and her mom aren’t on speaking terms as she’s currently living separately from her. Over the following weeks, we got deeper insight into Ashley and her mom’s relationship. During her “dinner” with Gabbi Garcia where Ashley was face-to-face with her mom’s picture, the actress shared that while the two were initially close, with her mom being an influence on Ashley being a figure skater and an actress, the two eventually saw their relationship strain as they faced difficulties properly communicating their emotions to each other.
It’s something that came to greater focus as Ashley got older, realizing that she needed her own space from her controlling mom as she questioned whether what she was doing was best for her. The animosity came to a head when Ashley moved three years ago to live on her own. Yet, Ashley also revealed that she was ready to forgive and rebuild her relationship with her mom when she was ready to do so.
Then, following the housemates’ successful Pares selling weekly task, Ashley was informed that her mom left a letter for her. It stated how she still loved Ashley and that she was ready to reconcile with her daughter. The emotional moment meant a lot to Ashley, and was a significant step in repairing their relationship, even if the Gen Z personality would be evicted from the house soon after.
WITH TIME COMES FORGIVENESS
From what we got from this storyline, Ashley bravely shared an incredibly personal topic. It is not easy to open up to reconciliation between a child and a parent, especially one that has lingering tension for years. Ashley’s past is also one that quite a few young people can see themselves in with how relatable the feeling of being controlled by your parents to the point where it’s suffocating is, not to mention having us appreciate parents who listen and try to healthily understand what we’re going through.
In a country that puts a premium on family relationships, Ashley’s story of being independent of her mom is a needed moment to highlight and validate what other young people are going through, especially those who feel that living with their parents is too toxic and unhealthy for their well-being. It’s a discourse that’s also been brought up by the other housemates, such as Esnyr, in how the burden parents put on their children can be so overwhelming that it’s detrimental to their mental health.
Even Gen Z stars have experienced parents who feel like they neglect their needs. It can be a lot to take in and understand, but at the end of the day, healing is still possible, and sometimes, that healing can only begin once you set boundaries and detach yourself from the negativity. For Ashley, the start of her healing journey with her mom began in PBB and continues now that she’s outside the house. Ashley gave herself space and time away from an unhealthy situation, and it looks like she and her mom are ready to patch things up.
To those feeling the pressure of their parents, you’re not alone. The struggle is real, but it does get better, and as Ashley shows us, with enough time, space, and reflection, forgiveness and healing from the trauma is possible. And honestly, the fact that Ashley went through this and is now better than when she started as she finds her peace makes her a winner in our books.
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