Ashley Cain Takes Accountability for Past Misogyny

Ashley Cain has said he 'cannot change his past' as he released a statement on Monday night after his history of misogynistic tweets and claims of misconduct was revealed. 

The star has come under fire after it emerged that he'd made social media posts calling women 's**gs', 's**ts' and 'psychos', on his X account, which has since been taken down.

The former footballer has since been sacked by the and The Daily Mail revealed on Monday that he has also been dropped by his management. 

And now in an Instagram statement, Ashley took accountability for his actions as he said he 'doesn't condone' his past behaviour. 

In a lengthy statement he began: 'To my community, You may have seen a recent article concerning language I used many years ago that I am not proud of. I don't deny it. I don't excuse it. And I certainly don't condone it.

'The truth is that these comments were made over a decade ago by a younger version of myself who still had a lot of growing up to do. I cannot change the past, and truthfully, I have never tried to hide from it.

'I have always believed that accountability matters. We should all take responsibility for our actions, good or bad. But I also believe in growth, in learning from our mistakes, and in proving through our actions that the person we once were does not have to be the person we remain.'

He went on to explain where he was at that time of his life after his football career fell apart and he turned to reality TV.  

He continued: 'At that time in my life, I was a young man who had watched his dream of professional football disappear through injury. I felt lost, frustrated and unsure of where my life was heading.

'Reality television gave me a second chance, but it also put me into a world that I didn't know, one in which I was rewarded for developing a provocative personality. None of that excuses the things I said, but it is part of the truth of where I was and who I was becoming.'

Praising the women in his life, he wrote: 'I was raised by incredible women. My mum, my nan, my auntie, my sister, my family and so many others who loved me, supported me and stood by me throughout my life. They taught me compassion, resilience and respect long before I truly understood the value of those things.

'Looking back now, I can see many moments in my younger years where I lacked maturity, perspective and understanding. Like many young men, I had lessons to learn, and life made sure I learned them.

'The reality is that growth doesn't happen overnight. It happens through experience. Through mistakes. Through hardship. Through being forced to look in the mirror and ask yourself whether you're willing to become better.

'Over the last decade, life has taught me lessons that no amount of fame, success or public opinion ever could. I became a father.'

Ashley's daughter, Azaylia, tragically died at eight months old after battling a rare form of  back in April 2021. 

Azaylia was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and had tumours on her lungs, stomach and kidneys. 

She was given several rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant at Birmingham Children's Hospital, but sadly died on April 24, 2021.

Reflecting on the tragedy, Ashley penned: 'I experienced a love so powerful that it changed every part of me. Then I experienced a pain so devastating that it nearly destroyed me. Losing my daughter changed me forever.

'When you sit beside your child and watch them fight for their life, everything that once seemed important suddenly becomes insignificant. The ego disappears. The image disappears. The noise disappears.

'What remains is perspective. What remains is purpose. What remains is an understanding of what truly matters.'

Since her passing, Ashley has pivoted his career toward extreme ultra-endurance challenges to fundraise for childhood cancer research.

Meanwhile he and Azaylia's mother Safiyya Vorajee pair created the Azaylia Foundation in August 2021. It's dedicated to raising awareness, funding vital research, and providing memorable experiences for children battling cancer. 

He wrote: 'Since then, I have dedicated my life to trying to honour my daughters legacy and help others wherever I can. To support children and families facing childhood cancer. To raise money that may help save lives. To speak openly about grief, trauma, resilience and mental health.

'Not because I am perfect, but because I know what it feels like to be broken, and I know what it takes to keep moving forward when life gives you every reason not to.'

Revealing he received abuse during the hardest parts of his life, he added: 'There were moments when the weight of everything felt unbearable. But life taught me something through that pain.

'Pain can make you bitter, or it can make you better. I chose better. Not because I am special. Not because I deserve credit. But because I knew that carrying anger, resentment and hatred would only create more

'So I forgave. I grew. I matured. And I focused my energy on becoming someone my daughter would be proud of.'

He added: 'I cannot change what I said over a decade ago. What I can do is take responsibility for it. What I can do is continue striving every day to be a good father, a good human and a positive force in the lives of others.

'The reason I am able to connect with people who are struggling, particularly young men, is not because I have lived a perfect life. It's because I haven't. I've made mistakes. l've experienced loss. I've faced consequences. I've learned lessons the hard way.

'And through all of it, I've learned that real growth isn't about pretending your past never happened. It's about owning it, learning from it and becoming better because of it.

'To everybody who has reached out with support, compassion and encouragement, thank you. Your messages have meant more than you know.

'My commitment remains the same as it always has: to live with honesty, to keep growing and to help others where I can. I cannot change the past. None of us can. But every day I wake up, I can choose the man I want to be, and I can choose the impact I want to have on the world around me.

'That is what I have tried to do for many years now, and it is what I will continue to do moving forward. Peace, love and respect.'