“What if the world you knew got turned upside down and your very truth got turned into doubt and your secret heart was no secret now, would you love me still like you said you will from the inside out?” These passionate words resonate with true sincerity from the powerful belting vocal chords of up and comer Ashley Dupre. Truth be told the sultry songstress’s semi-autobiographical song has already had many of the now rhetorical questions answered. With the class and poise of a seasoned socialite, Ashley Youmans, (now Dupre) has weathered the storm of political and moral disapproval due to her connections to ousted New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. Dupre however has taken the flack in stride, with a positive attitude and cool head about her, and has continued to push a flourishing music career despite the bad press and somewhat negative opinions to win over fans and critics alike. The road has not been paved in gold however, and Ashley Dupre’s story is not for the faint of heart.
“I have been alone. I have abused drugs. I have been broke and homeless. But, I survived, on my own. I am here, in NY because of my music,” considers Ashley Dupre on her Myspace.com profile. The New Jersey transplant, like many of her contemporaries left a shattered home and ran to the big city with stars in her eyes and lyrics on her lips to break into the music scene and hopefully be the next big thing to escape the Garden State.
Finding her way to the center of the tabloid universe was easy for Dupre, however it was her “day job” that led her to the front of the NY Post. Dupre is best known to the world from her former job as a high end escort for New York’s wealthiest. One of her clients, former New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer, stepped down from public office amid allegations that would later implicate Spitzer in wrong doing on a grand scale for his relationship with Ashley Dupre.
After receiving many harsh commentaries about her “indiscretions,” Dupre makes no excuses in her blog for doing what she had to do to make ends meet and get by in the City that never sleeps.
“Is what I did any more dishonest?” Ashley Dupre rhetorically begs in her blog. “Some women (aren’t as vindictive), but still dive into relationships with wealthy guys who they don’t love or even find attractive, but they stay in it because they have a nice home, a car and spending money — they would rather stay in an unfulfilling or loveless relationship than lose that security.”
Beyond the scandal and the tabloids, Dupre has a turned the negativity to her advantage by expressing her experiences through her music. For all of the criticism that she has received in the media for “cashing in” on the situation, Dupre’s website is blatantly bare of any connection or mention of the scandal, save a small banner modestly stating “Thanks for all of the support love you all!”
Without any doubt Ashley Dupre’s main goal is to progress as a musician and songwriter, all while keeping her integrity and not bending to the negativity that has been stalking her since the encounter. “And while all this is going on, this is what I am really passionate about. My music. Here is a rough mix of a song I am working on that tells a little bit of my story. I hope you like it," the songstress blogged.
