Ashley James has hit back at one of her followers who asked why she doesn’t gift her ‘free stuff’ to a struggling mother who can’t afford the products.
The pregnant influencer and DJ, 33, hosted a Q&A session to her Instagram on Thursday where one person wrote: ‘How do you feel accepting free stuff? Would you not give it to a mother who can’t afford it?’
Ashley responded to the question and admitted that the comment insinuated that she was ‘selfish’ and doesn’t ‘do her bit for society’.
Hitting back! Ashley James has hit back at one of her followers who asked why she doesn’t gift her ‘free stuff’ to a struggling mother who can’t afford the products
The former Made In Chelsea star insisted that she often sends her ‘free stuff’ to women’s shelters.
Ashley also revealed that she won’t be entitled to maternity leave and has to pay an accountant as she’s not on a PAYE scheme, explaining how ‘free stuff’ and ‘ads’ contribute towards her income.
Posting the follower’s question, she responded with: ‘When I worked at Abercrombie & Fitch I got 40% discount. It was a perk of my job I could share with friends and family in return for my hard work on not great pay.
‘When I worked at ITSU I got to eat free sushi everyday, an amazing perk I still miss. But that was in return for extremely long hours and a lot of stress. Now, as part of my current job I am lucky that I get sent things.
Response: The pregnant influencer and DJ, 33, hosted a Q&A session to her Instagram on Thursday where one person wrote: ‘How do you feel accepting free stuff? Would you not give it to a mother who can’t afford it?’
Assumptions! Ashley responded to the question and admitted that the comment insinuated that she was ‘selfish’ and doesn’t ‘do her bit for society’
‘But it’s not necessarily ‘free’, it’s a business transaction as I promote a business (and by the way I wouldn’t talk about every product I got free, I only share or accept the things I actually use and like.)
‘It takes time to produce the content, but also it helps brands with sales. And you guys sometimes find things you need or want/ I have integrity with it.
‘And I also always tag and talk about brands whether I’m paid for or not and even when I’ve bought it myself. I share the things I like. However… I don’t get maternity leave, I’m not on PAYE so I have to pay for an accountant.
‘And I don’t have the same job security as I did working for a company. Some people travel a lot as part of their jobs, some people are handymen and can avoid paying contractors. We all have different pros and cons to our jobs.
Kind: The former Made In Chelsea star insisted that she often sends her ‘free stuff’ to women’s shelters
‘Next the assumption I should give everything to people who can’t afford insinuates I’m selfish and don’t do my bit for society. It’s a false assumption, and for the record, I often send things to women’s shelters.
‘But equally, do you ask the same question to people who get staff discounts? To people who travel for work to give up their flights? Or to people who get maternity leave to give up their leave? I presume no!’
She signed off her fiery post with: ‘I hope this helps change your perspective or opinions over the ‘free stuff’ I get (which I am always very grateful for).’
It comes after Ashley admitted earlier this week that she never dreamed of becoming a mum and may not have had children if she didn’t fall pregnant in lockdown.
The DJ, who is expecting her first baby with boyfriend Tom Andrews, 30, told MailOnline she fears losing her identity when she becomes a mother, after spending years living in London as a single woman and prioritising her career.
Pregnancy: Ashley also revealed that she won’t be entitled to maternity leave and has to pay an accountant as she’s not on a PAYE scheme, explaining how ‘free stuff’ and ‘ads’ contribute towards her income
She also confessed to struggling with her ‘unpredictable’ breasts that often attract ‘unwanted attention’ after they increased by five bra sizes as a result of her pregnancy.
In an exclusive interview, Ashley, who is 20 weeks pregnant, explained she hasn’t always had conventional feelings towards motherhood but insists you can still be ‘an amazing mum’ even if it’s not something you visualised from a young age.
She told MailOnline: ‘It has never been my dream to be a mum. I don’t coo over other people’s children, especially if I don’t know them.
‘I feel like I don’t want to lose my identity when I become a mum. For me to be the best mum is for me to still be who I am.
‘That’s why I’m happy it’s been taken out of my hands because if it came down to planning, I don’t know if I ever would have.
‘I’m still very career focused and I like to invest time in my friends, having children shouldn’t mean you have to change.
‘When I said I wasn’t maternal a lot of people were like “good luck bringing up a child if you’re not going to care for it.”
‘I have no doubt that this baby is going to be so loved. You can still love your child and be an amazing mum without it having been a dream.
‘I just worry I’m going to end up with an army of men having not wanting children in the first place!’