In the constantly changing world of social media, influencers and creators rise and fall every day. Ash Trevino, a 35-year-old TikTok creator, born and raised in Texas, has made herself one of the most talked-about influencers on the platform. She has over one million followers, and gained popularity through her battles on TikTok live, and her unfiltered personality. But her fame is not perfect and has controversy along with it. Questions about her parenting, her personal choices, and her influence have rose as her popularity has increased. Beyond the criticism, Trevino continues to have an audience that remains invested in her life, despite if they are supporters.
For many people, the appeal of Ashley Trevino comes from her authenticity with the public. She is not afraid to share the highs and lows of her everyday life, without any filter. Her past relationships with multiple incarcerated men all the way to her struggles with hate comments, up to her parenting, she always makes sure to speak on drama she’s involved in. Whether the public agrees with her or not, Trevino doesn’t shy away from stating her truth.
“I think people like watching her because she’s always involved in some kind of drama,” junior Kim Garcia said. “She always tries to be controversial and people like watching that go down. Even if people don’t like her, they still watch her.”
Ashley Trevino content often blurs the line between concerning and entertaining. She has been in the middle of multiple debates on her parenting style, due to her Child Protective Services Investigations, which involve her daughters; Hailey, 15, and Evie, 13. No case has proceeded further than investigations, but public opinion in them remains at odds.
“I feel bad for her kids,” junior Mylee Barrons said. “If I was in their shoes, I’d be embarrassed seeing my mom get into online drama constantly. It’d also be embarrassing to have everyone know your business like them not having beds and them only eating like hot Cheetos.”
Another online controversy Trevino is in is her pattern of dating or hooking up with men who are significantly younger than her. Her most notable instance of this is when she hooked up with Santos, a 19-year-old TikTok creator, whose handle is @santosprc. Their relationship caused concerns among viewers, in which many believed the age gap was inappropriate.
“It’s just weird,” junior Isabela Suka said. “She’s a grown woman, and she’s dating guys who are barely older than her daughter. It’s disgusting.”
Trevino recently had a major setback where she got permanently banned from her main TikTok account. The banning stemmed from an incident where in a TikTok live stream battle, Trevino exposed her top half to the viewers purposefully. On this same live she also was engaging in intimate actions with a man who was in her room and giving her viewers a look at it. She violated TikTok guidelines and was banned shortly after. The loss of her main platform has sparked debate about whether she deserves her platform or not. Questions also rose after TikTok decided to unban her after these actions just days after.
“She doesn’t deserve her platform.” junior Easton Myny said.” But at the same time, if people actually had a problem with her, they wouldn’t watch her in the first place.”
Despite the drama, Trevino still manages to find ways to stay active online, where she makes thousands of dollars on live in single sittings. Whether she is arguing with other creators, or engaging in a scandal, it is clear that people are still tuning in. Whether out of support, criticism, or curiosity, Ash Trevino is a strong force in the influencer community. But one question still remains: Does Ash Trevino’s influence say more about her, or does it say more about the people who keep her relevant?
