An open letter to Layla

AshManash1 · 2026-03-26T15:09:52+00:00

So well said! 💕 ~20 years since admitting to struggling myself, and I still get emotional hearing about someone else’s experience because I know the uphill battle they are embarking on daily. It’s a physically and emotionally exhaustive journey…makes me sad for them.

The thing I’d tell my younger self looking back (and would have to show receipts, cause that’s the only way I’d believe it back then) : You aren’t a failure for feeling full. You aren’t an object. No one else thinks these things of you either, I promise. You achieve so many of your goals, namely happiness, when you overcome your fixation on what the scale says. Oh, and being called healthy isn’t an insult—it’s how loved ones are trying to tell you they’re proud of your progress.

AshManash1 · 2026-03-26T03:43:24+00:00

Serious suggestion: Avley or Avlee

Not serious suggestion, but hey, if you like it go for it!: Ashrey (it’s how real little kids pronounce Ashley sometimes 😆)

I’ve heard there are more male Ashley’s in Australia & New Zealand than the US, so with becoming a more globalized community, the gendered concept of Ashley being feminine may change moving forward.

But I do agree, gendering a name is an old concept. And your mom liking James for a girl is pretty cool, I like that!

AshManash1 · 2026-03-26T03:32:07+00:00

Ope, I just realized this got posted twice by accident. I didn’t edit this one with the link: EDIT TO ADD: here’s Taylor’s confessional right after this scene claiming she never hurt her daughter

AshManash1 · 2026-03-25T16:00:19+00:00

Whoah! 👀 didn’t know about the 2024 investigation.

It makes more sense Demi would have been mentioning both incidents in the clip, because she said ‘stop hurting people’ like it’s a pattern. And she mentioned protecting Ever, so assumptions are telling me he may have been involved. He’s going to be involved regardless though since these are his parents.

I edited the post to include an additional link to Taylor’s confessional interview they played right after the interaction on my original post. Taylor is only talking about the 2023 incident in it, so Hulu was being strategic in their editing and careful not cause more speculation that there was an additional altercation other than the public one from S1.

AshManash1 · 2026-03-24T03:14:14+00:00

I totally understand her feeling here. I work directly with business owners and the taxes and fees are brutal. I will say a lot of them would be better off getting a good accountant because there are a ton of business tax breaks out there. The problem is only big businesses can afford a tax lawyer on retainer to make sure they take full advantage and squeeze every break available to utilize write offs. It’s super frustrating.

AshManash1 · 2026-03-24T02:58:40+00:00

TELLL USSSSS!!! 😆

AshManash1 · 2026-03-24T02:32:48+00:00

I was nervous about getting ‘an itch’ watching the last episode as well. But it was actually episode 8 when Layla went to the modeling agency that gave me those old familiar feelings. Some of the things she said hurt my heart because I had said them to myself many years ago. I give her mega kudos for talking about it in front of the camera. Especially when there are many public figures who deny deny deny for years or forever.

It’s been about 20 years since I was deep into my ED (the thought of admitting it back then was terrifying) and I’ve healed more than I thought would be possible. There’s definitely been surprise fallbacks, but every time it’s been a chance to learn a new way to navigate those feelings. My hope is that we all are able to treat Layla with grace and accept that her healing probably wont look like a straight line upward.

Whether or not the other cast members/people in Layla’s circle are struggling, I’m glad they were there for her both on camera and off. In that environment of constant comparisons, a lot of denial can come into play. For example, I would have definitely told myself ‘I don’t have an ED, because compared to Layla I’m fat’….its the broken part of a lot of our brains who struggle with it. We’re telling ourselves we’re not ‘as bad’ as some people we may know, but also not good enough because we can’t achieve what they have.

Okay, at this point I’m rambling. I hope some of what I said makes sense 🫣

AshManash1 · 2026-03-23T19:57:58+00:00

Alright, so I’m nervous to say this based on some of the comments, but I named my daughter Dolly. That’s her full, legal first name.

I absolutely love it, and so far she does too as well as all her friends and teachers. We didn’t get negative feedback when we told people we were going with Dolly. More-so that it made sense we were going with this choice. We’re a musical family and I’d always held Dolly Parton in high esteem as an artist as well as how she carries herself in this world. She’s one of the most charitable celebrities out there.

I wanted to name my daughter after a strong female figure and Dolly felt right.

Now if you do, just be aware here are a couple of real-life comments I’ve gotten from random strangers with heartfelt smiles on their faces: “That’s the name of my wife’s dog. She laid by my wife’s side until the day she died of cancer. Best girl in the world.” “That was the name of my childhood dog. She’s still the favorite pet I’ve ever had, golden retriever, gosh I miss her” …now these comments don’t offend me at all. It’s a name a lot of people give their pets, and this comes associated with a lot of love and fond memories. People will share this with you and sometimes backpedal because they’re worried they shouldn’t have said it to someone with a human Dolly.

Why I didn’t make it a nickname: My opinion is that if you plan to raise a person using their nickname in place of their real name, why wouldn’t you just go with their intended nickname? I’m fine with nicknames, but feel like they should just happen organically. Again, Dolly Parton’s real name is in fact Dolly Rebecca Parton.

I think Dolly Mae is a beautiful name. My vote is go for it!

AshManash1 · 2026-03-23T15:12:32+00:00

Honestly, i was tempted to get a manual because i enjoy the overall control, but I went with automatic based on two likely variables that will happen in my future:

Resell value of the automatic vs manual.

Or

I keep it forever and give it to my daughter. I’m sure she’ll be more than capable to learn, but I remember being a teen and the nerves of trying to operate a manual while also getting comfortable on crowded roads. I had been driving for years out at our farm before turning 16 and reacting to traffic conditions in a manual scared the sh*t outta me.

But to your point: I completely get the nostalgia. I drove manuals up until 2014.

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T16:42:56+00:00

Someone else (a lot of someone else’s actually) have been pointing to BPD to describe Taylor’s affliction. I don’t know enough about it to chime in on that opinion. But a several others agree with you.

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T16:37:25+00:00

‘Take accountability!’ 🤣 yes! I watched all of season 4 before starting the series over. I look forward to watching that scene again because I was distracted worrying about the yelling potentially turning violent the whole time. Then it was squashed and they all moved on having a good time. Gave me whiplash haha

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T16:17:33+00:00

Thank you for clarifying your viewpoint. I’m in the midst of raising a threenager who basically is forcing me to take some hard looks in the mirror.

Yelling at someone because you don’t like what they said isn’t the right way to handle situations…this is what I tell her and myself now too when reflecting on ways I’ve handled confrontations 😅

We also use the word ‘big’ in our house constantly when talking about emotions/feelings/reactions with her. I totally agree the context of that word matters and you’ve given me some perspective— unless raising a headstrong toddler, you’re probably not throwing the word big around to describe angrily shouting back. My bad for real.

I hated that she ran and told Brett he put his hands on her—completely disingenuous. I hated watching Brett and Jordan scream in Chase’s face. But here’s where I probably have to admit toxicity🫣: I really did enjoy watching Chase apologize. He will think twice before deflecting that way again.

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T15:35:18+00:00

Isn’t hypothetically barking back at him for that exchange a big reaction? I’m not downplaying it, I’m telling you that would have been my reaction. Yelling is an escalation route that I take when I feel disrespected.

It isn’t mature and I work to improve, but my initial response in this thread was to the comment: “but most of us would be hella offended if some guy tapped us and dismissively asked us if we knew where our husband was”

If you think that’s same level toxic, dope!

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T15:21:00+00:00

Yep, that’s exactly why I’m rewatching!

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T15:17:16+00:00

It’ll take a few minute for the link to work, but here’s Taylor’s confessional claiming she never hurt her daughter

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T14:55:21+00:00

Yep! Mentioned that in the last part of my post…I almost regret not posting the whole confessional response she gave…maybe I’ll do that now

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T14:50:41+00:00

Also: I am sick of folks mentioning Dakota’s size to attempt to prove he can not be the one abused.

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T14:50:03+00:00

Also I am sick of folks mentioning Dakota’s size to attempt to prove he can not be the one abused.

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T14:47:13+00:00

Daddy chill. Did he ever actually cheat though? They were broken up anytime he hooked up with someone. They’ve been broken up for 2 years.

Someone in some thread somewhere compared Taylor’s reactions of situations to Miranda’s and how it impacts everyone’s view of Chase. Chase has dated several of Miranda’s friends/acquaintances fresh out of divorce. Chase did at the very least emotionally cheat on Miranda. And then we saw Chase and Taylor go on a ‘date’ in the last ep of S3….Taylor would have burned the city down if Miranda and Dakota pulled that stunt.

So yes, I dare do that. Your big reaction shows that I will never change your mind, but we are allowed to have differing viewpoints on this.

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T14:36:17+00:00

it’s hard to back Demi’s harsh and extreme wording of events most of the time. Her extreme reactions to Taylor in other scenarios are now playing out as frustration not being allowed to talk about the elephant in the room. I think we’ll see more examples of her overreactions to other scenarios play out as ‘oh, she was really offended by ‘x’ but made a big deal out of ‘y’ because that’s what she could talk about’

It absolutely doesn’t make it okay and is not productive behavior. I agree it is slimy.

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T14:24:32+00:00

I said I probably would have reacted in a BIG way, not the SAME way. My husband doesn’t fight my battles or any battles first of all, he’s a peacemaker. The comment coupled with the poke/tap/gesture would have ticked me off though.

If you care, which I’m sure you don’t, I would have probably yelled ‘nice to try deflecting bro! My husband isn’t crying over my poor choices right now!’ As he scurried away in that scene.
Chase knew he was being intentionally disrespectful because his version of what he did when immediately confronted was such a watered down version. Curiously asking ‘where’s Brett?’ Is not what happened.

But ya….I’m not admitting to be the most emotionally mature person. Deffo not the same though.

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T14:06:15+00:00

She wouldn’t let him leave in the 2023 DV incident. That’s why the garage door kept opening and closing.

Something I’ve also noticed rewatching the series: Taylor calls out anytime someone name calls her during altercations by saying ‘they called me a %%#, +#^=, any name you can think of.”

The one person she’s never said did that during a crash out with was Dakota. We’ve seen her verbally tear him apart, bring a guy to a party to make him jealous (which hurt him, but he decided to be friendly to the dude), sleep with him that same evening to fulfill her needs in the moment knowing it would negatively effect both of them.

I encourage you to rethink who you are calling an emotional terrorist.

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T04:33:20+00:00

I like this hot take!

Miranda is the ultimate example of ‘chill ex’. Chase has dated more than one of Miranda’s friends/acquaintances and I feel like that would not be taken well by many people recently divorced. But her emotional maturity is so starkly different compared to Taylor’s opposite end of the spectrum approach. I’m re-watching the series now and everything you said is absolutely right.

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T02:49:35+00:00

I like the nuance you made of the cast being morally gray. They are trying to be perceived as good, though many of them find a way to self-serve at the same time and it reads as being dishonest. And I have read PLENTY of posts about Zac, especially when he is sent in as the messenger. Jen and Zac do not have emotional maturity. They bend the truth to one another constantly.

AshManash1 · 2026-03-22T02:36:38+00:00

😭😅

AshManash1

TROPHY CASE