Woman at the Center of Governor’s Downfall
Ashley Alexandra Dupre, 22, the prostitute known as Kristen in court papers, said in an interview, “I just don’t want to be thought of as a monster.”
She left a broken home on the Jersey Shore at 17 and came to New York City to work the nightclubs as a rhythm and blues singer. Now, at 22, she is the unwitting, and as yet unseen, star of the seamy drama that is the downfall of Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York.
Kristen, the high-priced prostitute described in a federal affidavit as having a Feb. 13 rendezvous with Mr. Spitzer at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington,has spent the last few days in her ninth-floor rental in an upscale apartment building in the Flatiron district. On Monday, she made a brief appearance in federal court as a witness in the case against four people charged with operating the prostitution ring, Emperor’s Club V.I.P. In a series of telephone interviews on Tuesday night, she said she had slept very little over the past week due to the stress from the case.
“I just don’t want to be thought of as a monster,” the woman said as she told the tiniest tidbits of her story. Born Ashley Youmans but now known as Ashley Alexandra Dupre, she spoke softly and with good humor as she added with significant understatement: “This has been a very difficult time. It is complicated.”
She has not been charged. The lawyer appointed to represent her, Don D. Buchwald, told a magistrate judge in court on Monday that she had been subpoenaed to testify in a grand jury investigation. Asked to swear that she had accurately filled out and signed a court financial affidavit, she responded affirmatively.
A person with knowledge of the Emperor’s Club operation confirmed that the woman interviewed by The New York Times was the woman identified as Kristen in the affidavit. Mr. Buchwald confirmed various details of Ms. Dupre’s background but would not discuss the contents of the affidavit.
From Ashley Alexandra Dupre’s MySpace blog:
positive energy will attract positive energy: Law of Attraction
Current mood: determined
Hello Everyone!! how are you?? This Blog i am going to just talk about my feelings on relationships…from a boyfriend/girlfriend, to closest friends, to family and business relationships…they are all the same to me…
The past few months have been a roller coaster with so called friends, lovers, and family…but its something you have to deal with and confront in order to move on…
I stepped away from each situation that happened and asked myself…
1) What is this person doing to make my life better? (financial, intel, drive, networking etc.)
2) How does this person make me feel? (happy, sad, motivated, depressed, constantly doubting, drama, etc.)
3) How is this person a positive influence in my life? (do they share the same interests, same dreams, does that person make me better when i am with them, or when they are in my life…i would be the same person if they werent in my life, but its just better with them in it…is my best interest always number one in their head AND heart, etc.)
from all this, i mean…
*Does that person make you feel good?
*Does that person drive you to be better?
*Is that person right there behind you when things arent that good, or even if they are??
*Will that person be an asset to your life…(will that person have value): doesn’t have to be financial, i am talking respect, courage, and umm RESPECT.
If you are in a relationship, and it is "doing absolutly nothing" for you, makes you feel bad about yourself or situations, just causing unessesary drama, and ruining things that you may actually care about…why would you want that in your life?? you need to surround yourself with the people that make you feel good, and that will help you get to that next step in your life. that is what a relationship is all about…growing and moving forward.
Surround yourself around people that are making moves, and doing what "they want and love" with their lives, positive energy…thats what life is all about…living. Because if you dont, misery loves company, they will only try to bring you down with them…but the question is, are you strong enough, to not let that happen?
Its hard to see if you let it get to that point…
…and then from all those answers you have to decide if that person is worthy of being a part of "your" life….because it is your life, your show…you decide who you want the characters to be…not the other way around. Every person is different, every person has their voice…can you recognize your voice, listen to it, and stick up for it??