YouTube personality Jesse Ridgway is doubling down on the decision he and his wife, Ashley, made to abort their unborn son after learning he had Down syndrome, while firing back at Christian and pro-life critics who condemned the couple.

Ridgway addressed the controversy in a recent video, roughly three months after the couple revealed they had ended the pregnancy following a Trisomy 21 diagnosis, the chromosomal condition that causes Down syndrome.

The YouTuber said he had largely stayed out of the public eye since then for “mental reasons, emotional … you name it,” but decided to speak out after months of criticism.

“I’ve had it up to here with people’s actions,” Ridgway said. “Actually, no real actions. It’s mostly just been words.”

Ridgway recalled that he and Ashley were “super excited” when they learned they were expecting a baby boy. That excitement turned to heartbreak, he said, after diagnostic testing indicated their son had Down syndrome.

“Our hearts broke,” he said.

The couple initially planned to continue the pregnancy. But Ridgway said he began researching what life with Down syndrome could mean for their son and their family, including the possibility of heart abnormalities, vision and hearing problems and developmental disabilities.

“I just did not fully comprehend just how much health turmoil there would be,” he said.

Ridgway also rejected what he characterized as a tendency to “glamorize” Down syndrome by describing it as “a blessing.” While acknowledging that many parents raise children with Down syndrome and “make it work,” he said his research ultimately convinced him that continuing the pregnancy “just didn’t seem right.”

“If you’re having a child, you want the absolute best for them,” Ridgway said. “You want to set them up for the best life possible. And it just felt like when you’re dealt with that, it’s a losing hand.”

However, the experiences of people with Down syndrome vary considerably. The condition can be associated with health problems and developmental delays, but people with Down syndrome can attend school, work, participate in their communities and lead fulfilling lives.

Ridgway also praised prenatal genetic screening, arguing that it gives parents an opportunity to identify conditions before they “detrimentally change your life forever” and, in his words, “start over.”

Those comments and the couple’s decision have generated strong criticism, particularly among Christian and pro-life voices. Some critics have called the abortion “eugenics” and “evil,” while others have argued that the couple had the financial resources to care for a child with additional needs.

Ridgway said some “very devout religious people” told the couple they were going to hell and directed what he described as “hate” toward them.

“It was just Hell,” he said. “It was one of the most disappointing/depressing/infuriating windows of my life thus far because we really … wanted this to work.”

His response to critics grew profane as the video continued. Ridgway argued that those condemning the decision would not have been responsible for raising the child, paying medical expenses or dealing with the challenges his family could have faced.

“If you want to keep your child with developmental issues, go for it,” he said. “By all means, that’s fine. That’s your choice. But we can have our choice. It’s not that complicated.”

Ridgway also responded individually to critics who accused the couple of monetizing the abortion and questioned how he could devote significant care to a dog with kidney disease while choosing to end his son’s life after a Down syndrome diagnosis.

Despite the backlash, Ridgway made clear that he and Ashley stand by their decision. His latest video has now reignited the controversy, drawing renewed attention to questions surrounding abortion, prenatal testing and how society views the lives of unborn children diagnosed with disabilities.