The Snowdens: Ashley, Dmitri, bachelorette #1, bachelorette #2, but definitely no Vanessa

[Mothra]

4 hours ago, ReadMeLattice said:

Idk seems like the carefully calculated type to me - the guy who MUST seem totally “together” and “alpha male” on camera/in front of others. Often they’re the most dangerous. I don’t think he would ever tolerate someone making him look bad or challenging him. And he’s clearly obsessed with sex and the idea of himself as some kind of Don Juan, so I could definitely see him pushing his extreme sexual preferences on others and just expecting them to go along with it. While Ashley definitely has a controlling side, I’ve always thought it was more of a thing where he “allowed” her to take the reins a bit in public because behind closed doors he calls the shots. 

I think there's a lot of truth in what you say about Dimitri's personality.  It makes even more of a puzzle to me why he would want to risk exposure on a tv show focused mainly on his sex life.  Hubris, for sure, and insatiable thirst.  But he and Ashley must have known that eventually one of these women would out them.  I wonder if participants sign a nondisclosure agreement that covers spilling details about the various couples' sex lives, and that's what Dimitri and Ashley were relying on, and why Vanessa didn't speak out.

Was there a tell-all last season?  If so, I'd love to watch it now, knowing what we know, to see how Dimitri interacted with the other men.

[princelina]

2 hours ago, Mothra said:

I think there's a lot of truth in what you say about Dimitri's personality.  It makes even more of a puzzle to me why he would want to risk exposure on a tv show focused mainly on his sex life.  Hubris, for sure, and insatiable thirst.  But he and Ashley must have known that eventually one of these women would out them.  I wonder if participants sign a nondisclosure agreement that covers spilling details about the various couples' sex lives, and that's what Dimitri and Ashley were relying on, and why Vanessa didn't speak out.

Was there a tell-all last season?  If so, I'd love to watch it now, knowing what we know, to see how Dimitri interacted with the other men.

I think he's pretty cool around them - in that show last year it was 
Bernie and his women, and that fake ice skater lady who were causing all the shenanigans and he acts like the wise elder giving polygamous advice from what I remember 😄.

I still think they're in this mostly to be on TV, as was Vanessa, as is Tayler.  And Chriseline is in it for a green card.  I kind of feel bad for her, but the way all of these women go in fawning all over the Snowdens, especially after 2 seasons of them on TV! Maybe she fell for the "earth mother/tribe" vibe, but when people behave in the opposite of common sense in every way, my pity is limited.

[NowVoyager]

https://www.tmz.com/2021/04/28/seeking-sister-wife-dimitri-snowden-restraining-order-dissolved/

'Seeking Sister Wife' Star Dimitri Snowden Restraining Order Dissolved

'SEEKING SISTER WIFE' STARRESTRAINING ORDER DISSOLVEDAfter 3rd Wife Strikes Out

4/28/2021 4:36 PM PT

"Seeking Sister Wife" star Dimitri Snowden no longer has to deal with a restraining order against him ... a judge just tossed the case.

Demitri was in court Wednesday when the judge dissolved the temporary restraining order his third wife, Christeline Petersen, got against him when she made allegations of domestic violence. The judge found Christeline did not meet her burden of proof.

Christeline testified what we had first reported ... claiming Dimitri slammed her head into the headboard and choked her during sex after she told him to stop.

Dimitri countered by showing text messages he claims Christeline sent him saying she liked the choking. In the end, the judge said she could not ascertain which party was telling the truth ... so she tossed the case. As for Christeline's separate allegations against Ashley -- one of Dimitri's other wives -- the judge tossed that case, as well.

As we first reported ... Christeline, who came to the U.S. from South Africa to be courted as a third wife on the TLC reality show, claimed in legal docs she suffered bruises, scratches and redness around her neck.

She also claimed her 2 daughters were afraid of Dimitri and Ashley because of the constant yelling. Christeline also claimed Ashley shoved her and prevented her from leaving the home.

[AZChristian]

I think I may stick to British vicar/detective shows.  At least then, I KNOW they're fictional.

Less effort than "reality" TV.

Edited April 29, 2021 by AZChristian
They ARE fictional. Not "not" fictional.

[ReadMeLattice]

Personally, I still believe it. Texts suggesting that at one point she was into trying choking during sex, or enjoyed it at certain times, don’t have anything to do with whether he assaulted her with the headboard, whether Ashley assaulted her, whether her kids were scared, whether there was psychological abuse, or whether he went too far with the choking. That could easily go from BDSM to straight up unwanted violence. 

I also don’t see what she’d get out of making it up. Seems to me like she’d stand to gain more by staying (possible money, financial support, a visa, fame on the show) than by getting restraining orders and leaving them. Plus both Vanessa and Tayler have offered messages of support — I think there’s something there personally. 

[PrincessPurrsALot]

That's my take too.  Trying this kind of sexual activity is one thing.  That does not mean that dmitri didn't take it too far.  I absolutely believe he took it too far. I also expect that he tried the same crap with the other women.  While we have a sense that Vanessa bailed once the cameras were off, she also brought her family to help her move and she ran away quickly and far. There are a lot of red flags there. 

[CloseThisAccount]

I can also see her texting him, saying she likes the choking as a way to placate him into not escalating. Y'know, "Gee, the choking sure is great. Let's keep with that & skip the knife-play, Dmitri." Or, "Yes, I love the choking" (i.e., so no need to keep aggressively punishing me for not liking it). 

 

[mittsigirl]

On 4/28/2021 at 1:19 PM, Mothra said:

No.  What happened to you was never, ever your fault.  Nothing you did caused this dreadful thing to happen.  Nothing.

Thank-you Mothra:)

[Booger666]

On 4/29/2021 at 4:12 PM, ReadMeLattice said:

I also don’t see what she’d get out of making it up.

From my 90d Fiancé limited knowledge: if a couple is in the green card process and they break up the American can put a stop to the process and the foreigner would have to return to their country. There are some exceptions.  One is if the foreigner left the relationship due to abuse then they make a case to continue the green card process even though they are no longer in the relationship.  No idea what is going on with the Snowdens, but this has arisen as a question of motive in the insane 90d fiancé world.

[EtheltoTillie]

14 minutes ago, Booger666 said:

From my 90d Fiancé limited knowledge: if a couple is in the green card process and they break up the American can put a stop to the process and the foreigner would have to return to their country. There are some exceptions.  One is if the foreigner left the relationship due to abuse then they make a case to continue the green card process even though they are no longer in the relationship.  No idea what is going on with the Snowdens, but this has arisen as a question of motive in the insane 90d fiancé world.

I think they have to have been legally married already, however, for this to apply.  The same rule applies for people who marry overseas and then come here.  We don't know if Christeline legally married Dmitri.  I doubt they went through a fiance visa process.  I suspect she came on a visitor's visa.  I think there is a process for getting married while here on a visitor's visa and applying to adjust status.

[sainte-chapelle]

On 5/2/2021 at 11:08 AM, Booger666 said:

From my 90d Fiancé limited knowledge: if a couple is in the green card process and they break up the American can put a stop to the process and the foreigner would have to return to their country. There are some exceptions.  One is if the foreigner left the relationship due to abuse then they make a case to continue the green card process even though they are no longer in the relationship.  No idea what is going on with the Snowdens, but this has arisen as a question of motive in the insane 90d fiancé world.

True as I believe Fern tried this with Jonathan then retracted the claims. I recall that during season  1 (grain of salt) several women claimed that Ashley and Dimitri were abusive. Vannessa breaking up over text and bringing trusted members of her family with her to remove her belongings struck me as odd. Where there is smoke there is fire. Has Tayler said anything?

[mamadrama]

 

On 4/5/2021 at 4:15 PM, Auntie Anxiety said:

Clearly, I have too much time on my hands. I checked out Ashley’s Facebook page (and I don’t even do Facebook, because I think it’s nonsense....and get off my lawn!) where she shills self-care products 🤮. Is anyone surprised that she refers to females as “womxn?” Poseur who really needs to get over herself. I’m still wondering exactly where she supposedly taught anthropology to unsuspecting young adults because I can’t seem to find that information. Don’t get me wrong; anthropology professors are often kooks so I’m not saying it’s impossible, by why would it be such a closely guarded secret?

My husband is an anthropologist and has taught at our state's second largest university for 12 years. I don't know a single not-for-profit university that doesn't require their anthropologists to publish regularly. It's a huge deal and something that tends to set anthropology apart from other social sciences. He has to publish every 2 years, but some schools are stricter. My BA is in Anthropology and I taught it part time for 2 semesters at a community college. Even then the competition was very stiff and publishing was required. 

There are more anthropologists than there are university-level teaching positions. Experience, publishing, and research are not just good to have but also required for most jobs. I haven't Googled her at all, but if she were truly a university professor, even just as adjunct faculty, at any not-for-profit school then she'd be easily searchable. It's a very small field and hard to find work in, which is why many anthropologists have multiple jobs. 

My guess is that she "taught" online at a diploma mill.

[CloseThisAccount]

15 hours ago, mamadrama said:

My guess is that she "taught" online at a diploma mill.

Ashley teaches us all by the wonder & wisdom of her enlightened example. 

[Pepper Mostly]

15 hours ago, mamadrama said:

My guess is that she "taught" online at a diploma mill.

and @TakeAPinotGrigio replied: 

Ashley teaches us all by the wonder & wisdom of her enlightened example. 

I was just about to say something like this! Ashley probably envisions herself in the center of a circle of adoring acolytes, who drink in her wisdom and hang on her every word. She probably calls herself a mentor. And I bet her brand of woo makes Gwyneth Paltrow look like Madame Curie. 

 

[PrincessPurrsALot]

1 hour ago, Pepper Mostly said:

and @TakeAPinotGrigio replied: 

Ashley teaches us all by the wonder & wisdom of her enlightened example. 

I was just about to say something like this! Ashley probably envisions herself in the center of a circle of adoring acolytes, who drink in her wisdom and hang on her every word. She probably calls herself a mentor. And I bet her brand of woo makes Gwyneth Paltrow look like Madame Curie. 

 

I actually think one of her goals of being on the show is to create a lifestyle group (cult?) where people pay for her advice.  They can learn about the diet, hooha steaming, pH balance, and why your husband needs additional women to choke.  Ashley needs more women to raise her children so she can build her brand. 

[CloseThisAccount]

<furiously rubbing at my forehead> You mean y'all weren't wearing bindis, too?

 

[candall]

On 4/27/2021 at 6:23 PM, mittsigirl said:

While watching him out for dinner with Taylor, there was an exchange between them that I suddenly felt a chill run through my body, and I realized that if he wasn't totally in control, then he could very well be very brutal. But I thought it was just my imagination and nothing more.  [...]

Never doubt your instincts, @mittsigirl.  Yours are honed.

The Gift of Fear, by Gavin de Becker tells us how to tune into the body's natural awareness (a subconscious intuition for danger that is hard-wired into our psyche). [Amazon]

This book, subtitled "Survival Instincts That Protect Us From Violence," is amazing and profound.  It's about human instincts and human behavior, and how we've all learned to tune out our inner voice for the sake of being polite or saving ourselves embarrassment.

You can find secondhand copies on Amazon and eBay.  Recommended for every woman and girl you know.

******

I'll be back later to complain about Dannnielle holding Roberta fully responsible for the sexual interlude with Asshole.  I'm sure he popped those horse teeth and gave her that high-pitched maniacal giggle and rolled over on top of her. 

I'd bet folding money it wasn't her idea to have their first sexual encounter be a two-minute quickie while "sister" went next door to pick up her pj's and toothbrush.

Oh.  Okay, I said it already.

 

[onatrek]

Seconding what @candall suggested as far as the book The Gift of Fear. It still sometimes pops up in Dollar Tree book sections also.  I feel like it should almost be required reading!

[mittsigirl]

31 minutes ago, candall said:

Never doubt your instincts, @mittsigirl.  Yours are honed.

The Gift of Fear, by Gavin de Becker tells us how to tune into the body's natural awareness (a subconscious intuition for danger that is hard-wired into our psyche). [Amazon]

This book, subtitled "Survival Instincts That Protect Us From Violence," is amazing and profound.  It's about human instincts and human behavior, and how we've all learned to tune out our inner voice for the sake of being polite or saving ourselves embarrassment.

You can find secondhand copies on Amazon and eBay.  Recommended for every woman and girl you know.

******

I'll be back later to complain about Dannnielle holding Roberta fully responsible for the sexual interlude with Asshole.  I'm sure he popped those horse teeth and gave her that high-pitched maniacal giggle and rolled over on top of her. 

I'd bet folding money it wasn't her idea to have their first sexual encounter be a two-minute quickie while "sister" went next door to pick up her pj's and toothbrush.

Oh.  Okay, I said it already.

 

Thank-you Candall! Wasn't he the guy who talked about this on Oprah a few years ago? The guy on her show spoke about this being built-in us, and that we should always listen to it and believe it when we feel it. After I listened to him, I began listening to my gut, and it really is very true. I will look the book up and get a copy to read. We should all listen to those gut feelings because they are usually always true.

[candall]

I'm sure he's the man you saw on Oprah--his message is one she would have recognized as critical.  

You assume you'll listen to your gut, but women have been so coached to be courteous, accommodating, nice--to be sensitive to the feelings of others--the voice gets tuned out.

When it happened to me, I felt the ping! but immediately dismissed it, telling myself:  "Oh, go ahead.  Don't be the rude American bitch who refuses to . . . WAIT!  This is straight out of that book!"  To this day, my friend says everything would have been fine and I tell her, no, we would not have been fine.

 

Sorry, Snowden snarkers, I wandered too far off topic.  (But find that book and pass it around.)

Edited May 5, 2021 by candall

[NowVoyager]

VANESSA SPEAKS!

This YouTube video starts off talking about Christaline and the TMZ story about her abuse and choking claims and restraining order. About 4 minutes in shows about 5 screen shots of Vanessa's Instagram as well as one from Taylor. Something about other women on Reddit saying the Snowdons did the same things to them.

 

[NowVoyager]

[princelina]

Thanks for the video - I just have to say that everyone involved in the Snowden Story is sketchy as can be.  Those of us who watched season 1 and have sense have known it all along about Dimitri and Ashley, whereas Vanessa claimed to have watched season 1 and then gone after Dimitri.  She was all smiles with the diet, the vag steaming, Ashley's plan to work and leave her home with the kids, and super eager to get that D.  Then she participated in the sham of a marriage ceremony and departed soon after the cameras, and now she's just full of cryptic, attention-seeking posts.  The speaker in the video wonders if she's being held back by an NDA, but she supposedly "married" into that family, and I don't see how an NDA would apply to the rest of her "married" life once the cameras left.  Now in season 3 we have two women who had two seasons of Snowden shenanigans to watch, and one's eager to move herself and her children halfway around the world to be with them, and the other is just going to abandon her home and all of her possessions just to stay in that room, watch their kids and eagerly anticipate the D?  It just gets harder to buy any of their stories as each week goes by.  And all Tayler has to say about it is a cryptic, attention-seeking post?  Please.  Who, seriously, watching this show, wants to move in with the Snowdens?  And attractive women can get the D; they don't need Dimitri for that.  If he's abusive I'm glad they're getting away from him, but these women are all either total famewhores and/or total morons.

[Auntie Anxiety]

1 hour ago, princelina said:

these women are all either total famewhores and/or total morons.

Ding, ding, ding. No more calls, folks. We have a winner.

WRT listening to your gut, I’m in full agreement! Can’t tell you how many sketchy situations I’ve sussed out and kept myself safe from. Listen to your gut reactions, kids. Go with your instincts. And if they are wrong, SO WHAT? I wish Dannnielle would have listened to hers instead of trying to pray the jealousy away. 

[EtheltoTillie]

5 hours ago, Auntie Anxiety said:

Ding, ding, ding. No more calls, folks. We have a winner.

WRT listening to your gut, I’m in full agreement! Can’t tell you how many sketchy situations I’ve sussed out and kept myself safe from. Listen to your gut reactions, kids. Go with your instincts. And if they are wrong, SO WHAT? I wish Dannnielle would have listened to hers instead of trying to pray the jealousy away. 

Some people think it's victim blaming to advise people ways to protect themselves from sketchy men/situations.  I disagree.  Don't go to frat parties and drink.  Don't walk home alone in strange areas.  Etc. 

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Folks, We have strayed too far off topic.  Let's get back to the Snowdens please. 

[Colfrmb]

Regarding the choking, etc, I feel like just because you say something in a text doesn’t mean you have to feel that way for the rest of your life and you don’t need to have another text to change your opinion.  Why couldn’t they just say, hey, it turns out I don’t like that so let’s stop it, and that be ok?  Do none of them discuss these things?
I wonder why all these women tried to restrain the Snowden’s from contact. Why not just leave and move on?  Did the Snowden’s berate them all every day by phone, email and text?  Then block them.  And where is that evidence?  Are all the victims seeking revenge?  Seeking monetary damages?  Trying to warn others?  We live in a time where all kinds of things are considered acceptable to some and the rest are supposed to accept it.   
I think this situation bothers a lot of us - because we have either been exposed to disturbing situations ourselves or know of others who have.  I suspect TLC is deceitful and some of these things might be sensationalized for TV and that also bothers me.  
in any case, it should be ok to change your mind and you shouldn’t need hard evidence to prove it.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

She could have said it was okay on a text when it was something lesser.  The he escalated and she was no longer comfortable with it.  As you said, it's okay to change your mind.  Consent can be rescinded as the situation changes. It could have felt silly and non-threatening at first, then became a situation in which he pressed harder and she felt she couldn't breathe.  She struggled and he increased pressure.  At that point it was absolutely not okay with her.  

The difficulty is since things happened when they were alone, she cannot prove it.  There are others standing by her.  I hate that the judge rescinded the restraining order.  It's not like it's hurting anyone to keep it in place if it allows her to feel more safe personally and to feel that her children are more safe. 

[Auntie Anxiety]

2 hours ago, Colfrmb said:

wonder why all these women tried to restrain the Snowden’s from contact. Why not just leave and move on?  Did the Snowden’s berate them all every day by phone, email and text?

My guess? The Snowdens tried like hell to shut them up in whatever way they could, including calling/emailing/texting them to curry favor, calling them to berate, calling them to threaten, etc. After all, the Snowdens need to keep the TLC gravy train going. They don’t appear to have a real business (I’ll bet the farm that their house is a rental) or income.

[sharkerbaby]

1 hour ago, PrincessPurrsALot said:

She could have said it was okay on a text when it was something lesser.  The he escalated and she was no longer comfortable with it.  As you said, it's okay to change your mind.  Consent can be rescinded as the situation changes. It could have felt silly and non-threatening at first, then became a situation in which he pressed harder and she felt she couldn't breathe.  She struggled and he increased pressure.  At that point it was absolutely not okay with her.  

The difficulty is since things happened when they were alone, she cannot prove it.  There are others standing by her.  I hate that the judge rescinded the restraining order.  It's not like it's hurting anyone to keep it in place if it allows her to feel more safe personally and to feel that her children are more safe. 

Nope, you can not restrict someone's freedom without cause just so that someone else feels better/safer.  That is not how this country works and could easily lead to some very bad abuses and unwarranted consequences.  And I would pose, an unjustified restraining order does indeed harm at least one individual if not more.

And just for the record, I am NOT making any assessment, judgement, or accusation regarding the validity of Christeline's claims nor on Dmitri's or Ashley's actions.  I simply am not invested enough in any of these people to consider the circumstances and then form an opinion whatsoever.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

3 hours ago, Auntie Anxiety said:

My guess? The Snowdens tried like hell to shut them up in whatever way they could, including calling/emailing/texting them to curry favor, calling them to berate, calling them to threaten, etc. After all, the Snowdens need to keep the TLC gravy train going. They don’t appear to have a real business (I’ll bet the farm that their house is a rental) or income.

Hey now, dmitri invents all kinds of things that no one wants and Ashley is a lifestyle guru to no one; they are raking in the dough!  😄

 

[marlor]

Wow! If you want to listen to a really insightful podcast about the Snowden's wife before

Vanessa, listen to Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald. She pretty much backs everything Christaline claimed. It also happened to her and more.

[princelina]

6 hours ago, Colfrmb said:

I wonder why all these women tried to restrain the Snowden’s from contact. Why not just leave and move on?  Did the Snowden’s berate them all every day by phone, email and text?  Then block them.  And where is that evidence?  Are all the victims seeking revenge?  Seeking monetary damages?  Trying to warn others?  We live in a time where all kinds of things are considered acceptable to some and the rest are supposed to accept it. 

That's why Vanessa's and Tayler's posts from above bug me - they're not trying to warn others, they're just acting mysterious which, IMO, is just attention-seeking behavior.  Which is why they were all snuggling up to the Snowdens to get on their show in the first place.

[marlor]

56 minutes ago, princelina said:

That's why Vanessa's and Tayler's posts from above bug me - they're not trying to warn others, they're just acting mysterious which, IMO, is just attention-seeking behavior.  Which is why they were all snuggling up to the Snowdens to get on their show in the first place.

According to the interview of The Snowdens wife before Vanessa, In the beginning they all are wanting to boost their social media. After the abuse the they want out and have to sign MDA's. The disgusting part is that TLC knew of Dimitri's abuse before their season started.

[LucyEth]

Saw an interview with former would be wife on YouTube.  Part 2 tonight.  Interesting information on the real life of the Snowdens.

[ReadMeLattice]

Here’s the interview with Dimitri’s previous “wife,” Ariadne. 
 

Basic bullet points:

-she claims Dimitri choked her sexually and also choked her in a rage

-claims Dimitri has physically abused Ashley 

-claims Dimitri and Ashley constantly tried to get her to have threesomes 

-claims Dimitri is a felon and keeps guns in the home illegally 

-claims Ashley pressured her to be naked around the house and was cruel to her children 

Idk, I have a hard time believing all these women are 100% lying and not a single instance of abuse has occurred. 

Edited May 6, 2021 by ReadMeLattice

[candall]

On 5/5/2021 at 10:30 AM, NowVoyager said:

It initially escaped me that these gems were all from Vanessa!  Wow, thanks for putting in the effort.  She's definitely trying to send a message.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

3 hours ago, ReadMeLattice said:

Here’s the interview with Dimitri’s previous “wife,” Ariadne. 
 

Basic bullet points:

-she claims Dimitri choked her sexually and also choked her in a rage

-claims Dimitri has physically abused Ashley 

-claims Dimitri and Ashley constantly tried to get her to have threesomes 

-claims Dimitri is a felon and keeps guns in the home illegally 

-claims Ashley pressured her to be naked around the house and was cruel to her children 

Idk, I have a hard time believing all these women are 100% lying and not a single instance of abuse has occurred. 

Part 1 was mainly full of things we already knew; they basically reviewed the media that posters have uncovered. It did include an additional video of a man who states his partner took their children and went off with dmitri.  Part 2 is seriously scary.  She is saying she told TLC during season 1 after they showed dmitri sleep with Jocelyn.  

She affirms things we have suspected - dmitri has no money; Ashley doesn't like to care for the children; Ashley both helps bring in new women and then resents them for having sex with dmitri; dmitri has sex with the new women as soon as he can regardless of Ashley's feelings; Ashley uses the women to do all of the chores she does not want to do. 

She also talks about some really terrible things that they did to her.  It is very disturbing.  Adding notes under spoiler tag because of how disturbing they are.

Spoiler

Ariadne accuses dmitri of physically assaulting and choking her in front of the children. One of the children grabbed a kitchen knife to defend her.  He abused Ashley.  She accuses him of raping her; she was sleeping on her stomach when he pinned her to the bed and sexually assaulted her.  

I also watched the interview with Heather McDonald.  Ariadne's story is consistent.  The interview starts about 25 minutes in. 

 

[NowVoyager]

3 hours ago, ReadMeLattice said:

Here’s the interview with Dimitri’s previous “wife,” Ariadne. 
 

Basic bullet points:

-she claims Dimitri choked her sexually and also choked her in a rage

-claims Dimitri has physically abused Ashley 

-claims Dimitri and Ashley constantly tried to get her to have threesomes 

-claims Dimitri is a felon and keeps guns in the home illegally 

-claims Ashley pressured her to be naked around the house and was cruel to her children 

Idk, I have a hard time believing all these women are 100% lying and not a single instance of abuse has occurred. 

Omigosh!!! This interview is riveting! I initially balked at the 90 minutes, but it sucked me in. I find Ariadne Joseph 100% believable and compelling. Her consistent body language and tone of voice and amount of details. Just... wow... I'm about half way through.

Edited May 7, 2021 by NowVoyager

[NowVoyager]

Whew!!! @ReadMeLattice brought the receipts, honey! My head is still spinning. Let me add a review transcript, because sometimes weblinks get taken down:

https://starcasm.net/snowden-ex-ariadne-joseph-abuse-allegations/

Ashley & Dimitri’s ex sister wife Ariadne Joseph says Snowdens are ‘monsters’ and she warned TLC legal team

 Asa Hawks  May 6, 2021  Ashley Snowden, Dimitri Snowden, Seeking Sister Wife

A woman who was previously in a relationship with Seeking Sister Wife couple Ashley and Dimitri Snowden is speaking out in the wake of abuse allegations made against the couple by their recent sister wife, Christeline Petersen.

Actress Ariadne Joseph did a 90-minute live interview with John Yates on YouTube and shared her terrifying story of alleged abuse at the hands of the Snowdens. She also reveals that she spoke with the TLC legal team about the Snowdens during the first season of the show, but after they said they would look into it, she never heard back.

Before I begin this overview/recap of Ari’s interview, I want to strongly encourage to watch the full video (embedded below). There is SO much more information than I could ever include in a single post like this. Plus, it is absolutely worth it to get the story straight from Ari. She handles a lot of incredibly difficult topics with absolute class, humility and sincerity. It’s a very enlightening reflection that helps shed light on how anyone can find themself in an abusive relationship.

I will start with the full interview:

Ari begins by explaining that she met Ashley and Dimitri Snowden in a polygyny Facebook group roughly eight years ago. (Ari used the term polygyny, so I will use it as well.) Ari was in a relationship and pregnant with her third daughter at the time, so her communication with the Snowdens was limited.

Roughly two years later, she reconnected with the Snowdens online and became friends with Ashley. The relationship was going so well that Ashley traveled to visit with Ari, who lived in New Orleans, for three days. Ashley’s visit started off well, but it went a little sour by the second day. Ashley flew back to Pennsylvania, where she and Dimitri lived at the time.

Fast forward a year and a half and Ashley reached back out to Ari online. She apologized for how poorly their first meeting went and said she was inspired to reconnect by a recent dream she had of Ari. Ari decided to give the relationship another go, and this time she made the trip with her four-year-old daughter to the Snowdens’ new home in Georgia. Ari says she has three daughters, but her two older daughters stayed with their dad.

When Ari arrived in Snowdenopolis, things escalated VERY quickly. She said Ashley greeted her at the door completely naked, and she was told that it was preferred that the wives not wear clothes in the house. Even wearing a pair of panties was an issue. Dimitri was also often naked, and Ari had to ask him to at least wear boxers around her daughter.

In addition to the laundry-saving nudity, Ari says that the Snowdens lived in a small, two-bedroom apartment and all the adults had to sleep in the same bed. Oh, and Ashley was not usually allowed to leave the house without either Dimitri or Ashley being with her.

And speaking of things escalating quickly, on the same day that Ari arrived, Dimitri proposed. Despite the list of concerning things about the Snowdens’ lifestyle, Ari accepted Dimitri’s proposal.

John asks Ari why the numerous red flags weren’t enough to turn her away. Ari says it was mainly because the Snowdens are extremely adept at selling themselves.

“Dimitri is very charming,” Ari admits. “He comes off as this man who would give you anything and everything. Ashley has this very sweet, loving, supportive, not jealous, ‘this is what we want’ type attitude. And that was not the case. I learned that as time wore on.”

Ari made the trip back to New Orleans where she followed Dimitri’s recommendation and sold most of her belongings. Dimitri rented a U-Haul and the two of them (plus Ari’s youngest daughter) drove the U-Haul and her vehicle back to Georgia.

At the time that Ari moved in, she says Dimitri worked from home and Ashley was unemployed. Ari says the Snowdens had very little money, and they used her vehicle. She gave Dimitri and Ashley money on numerous occasions, and Ari says she spent most of her time cooking, cleaning and home schooling.

Later in the interview, John asks Ari what she thinks Ashley is looking for from a sister wife. “I think she wanted a maid,” Ari replies. “She wanted somebody to clean, because her ass didn’t clean — excuse my French. She didn’t like to clean. She didn’t like to be around her kids. She wanted a babysitter. She wanted an ATM because the women that came in, all of them said the same thing: that they were taking money from them. If she could have had a lover, you know, somebody to perform things on her, I’m sure that would have been something that she’d welcome as well.”

Ari says she was never interested in Ashley sexually, despite Ashley’s numerous attempts to light that fire. It’s unclear if that rejection was the reason, but Ashley would eventually turn on Ari and grow to despise her. The two would later clash and Ashley packed her bags and kids and moved to Cincinnati for about a month.

Two days after Ashley left, there was a Super Bowl party. Later that night, Ari discovered Dimitri and a woman asleep together on a couch in the basement on the Snowdens’ house. (The Snowdens had upgraded from their apartment to a rental house. The woman sleeping with Dimitri on the couch is the same woman whose ex reported his children missing and claimed that they were last seen with Dimitri. She also handled Dimitri’s taxes and believed she was pregnant with Dimitri’s baby. You can watch John Yates’ video about all of that here.)

The next day, Ari confronted Dimitri about the woman, as well as some text messages she found on his phone. She says that he went into a rage, put his hands around her neck, and pushed her over a table that had multiple guns on it. She points out that Dimitri having guns was an issue because she later found out he was not legally allowed to have them.

“Dimitri is a felon,” she reveals. “Dimitri was convicted of car theft when he was, like, 19 or 20.”

One of the guns on the table caused a laceration on Ari’s back that started bleeding. Dimitri eventually let her go, then he punched through a makeshift plywood desk while still enraged and screaming.

While Dimitri was screaming, Ari ran out of the office. When she opened the door to leave, her 14-year-old daughter was standing in the doorway with tears streaming down her face and a knife in her hand “because she thought she had to protect her mother.” (The 14-year-old daughter did not make the initial trip with Ari, but arrived not long before the attack.)

Ari took the knife and she and her daughters went upstairs where they all locked themselves in a room. Dimitri was pounding on the door, and after Ari had her daughters lock themselves in a connecting bathroom, she opened the door. Dimitri pleaded with her to talk. One of Ari’s daughters came out and confronted Dimitri, and even pushed him.

Ari got between Dimitri and her daughter and was eventually able to convince Dimitri to leave.

“I just sat on the bed,” Ari recalls. “I was numb. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t really know what was happening. I just — I was still very shocked that all of that happened because I did not expect it. Even though I saw how badly he talked to Ashley, and how he treated her…I did not expect that at all.”

Dimitri apologized numerous times, and the next day he continued to be remorseful. Ari adds that Dimitri asked her not to call the police.

Immediately I started to try to figure out how I could get out of the house, but at this point I didn’t have any money to leave…I didn’t know anybody in Georgia. I had left everything in Louisiana to move [in] with them. So I had no safety net. That’s what they do. They isolated me from my friends, from my family. I had no connections. And they’ve done that to everybody, you know? I firmly believe that they felt like they could get away with abusing Chrissy [Christeline] because she had nobody here. She’s from South Africa. She knows nobody in America. And so they felt comfortable mistreating her.

Ari talks about another incident when Dimitri allegedly came into the bedroom when she was asleep and sexually assaulted her:

I didn’t want what happened to me — and I really don’t want to say what happened — but I had never done that in my life. And there was no way that I could get free because he had the back of my neck. You know, when you’re in a situation where you’re married, or with someone, and you both have had consensual sex, it’s hard to reconcile in your mind that this person has violated you, has taken something from you without permission — without asking. So I knew that it was wrong, but I didn’t even know how I would go and report that as being, you know, the ‘r’ word. But when I saw Chrissy’s story, I was triggered, and it brought it all back. And I’m thinking, ‘Oh my god. Oh my god.’

Going back home was extremely difficult for Ari because she previously had to fight her parents about her decision to move in with the Snowdens. “My mother hated it. She hated the idea, and I sold them to her — the way they sold themselves to me. I believed that they were these amazing people and I’m reassuring my parents, ‘They’re good people. This will be a good situation.’ Yeah. I had to go back and tell them that they were right. And not only were they right, but these people abused me and traumatized me and my children. That was probably one of the hardest things I ever had to do.”

The problem wasn’t just Dimitri. Despite Ari saying that she has messages from Ashley admitting that she was also abused by Dimitri physically and emotionally, Ari says Ashley is now complicit in the abuse:

One of the things that attracted me to them was their relationship. They seemed so loving and so kind to each other. But, of course, you never know a person — or people — until you live with them. So I realized it was a facade, and that he was an a**hole and that she was being abused. But she was also an a**hole. They both became a**holes, and what I noticed is that they were at their happiest when they were terrorizing me — when I was the enemy.

… It’s crazy because it seems like she’s taken on his personality, or taken on who he is, and now she is an abuser too. She’s a manipulator. And as I’ve said, they’re never as happy as they are when they’re terrorizing someone. They gang up on you.

There was one instance in which Ari attempted to talk with Ashley about Dimitri sleeping with other women, and Ashley turned it around and told Ari that it is women like her that prevent women from “escaping the sickness of patriarchy.”

Ari couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I told her, ‘The fact that you are upset, or mad, that I’m telling other women and warning other people about Dimitri and about what this man does — you’re sleeping next to a demon, to a sexual deviant. And you know this.’…He would use her to bring the women in. I mean, she lured me in!”

John asks Ari if she knows how many other “sister wives” the Snowdens had prior to appearing on Seeking Sister Wife. Ari estimates there were roughly a couple dozen women before her that the Snowdens courted to be a sister wife. She adds that she has been in contact with at least twelve of the women.

The interview with John wasn’t the first time Ari has opened up about her abusive relationship with the Snowdens. She says that she found out that Ashley and Dimitri were on Seeking Sister Wife after the first season premiered, and she contacted the legal team at Discovery (TLC’s parent company). She says she spoke with a representative and gave them all of the information she had on the Snowdens. they told her they would look into it further, but she never heard anything back. Ari says that multiple other women have also contacted TLC/Discovery about the Snowdens.

John sums it up this way: “TLC was warned about him, and they decided to look the other way and potentially victimize a lot of other women that the Snowdens can get their grasp on.”

“Pretty much,” Ari concurs. She then reveals that it was her outspokenness that inspired the Snowdens to start having their potential sister wives sign non-disclosure agreements (aka NDAs). She says that the Snowden NDAs are in addition to whatever TLC or show producers have the cast members sign, and that’s why Vanessa, Christeline, and Tayler haven’t been able to talk at all about their experiences with Ashley and Dimitri. “They couldn’t say anything about the relationship,” Ari says. “No text messages, nothing.”

Ari has spoken with the three women that appeared on the show, and she did reveal a little bit about their experiences secondhand. (Although she is very careful to not say enough to get them into trouble.) She says Vanessa wasn’t just having second thoughts when she left and relocated to Australia, “she was running for her life.”

And what about Christeline? Ari says she and her children are currently in hiding “because she’s afraid. She’s frightened.” Ari says that Christeline’s story is way worse than her own.

More from Ari on TLC ignoring the warnings and electing to continue filming the Snowdens as they court additional women:

TLC. Those a**holes…Chrissy and her children didn’t have to go through that, they didn’t have to experience that. Tayler, Vanessa — they did not have to experience this. Had TLC took those people off the air and allowed them to be exposed the way they should have been, because when I came out and I released all that information — and I had text messages and pictures — they scrubbed the internet of it. Some of the groups, the TLC groups, took all of the information out. So, they did nothing. They allowed this piece of s**t to be on this damn show, and they continue to abuse, and misuse, and traumatize women.

Does Ari watch Seeking Sister Wife?

I HAVE NOT watched the show, and I refuse to. But I’ve seen clips, and it’s disgusting. It’s disgusting. It’s disgusting to see Ashley pretend to be something she’s not. I’ve gone to her Instagram page and I’ve seen some of the sh*t that she’s writing. She’s so — she’s so fake. She’s a great wordsmith, I’ll give her that. She’s a great writer, but she’s full of sh*t. That woman does not live the things that she talks about. She doesn’t. She’s not spiritual. No person who’s connected to spirit in a healthy — in a benevolent way would do something like this to children and women. You just wouldn’t! Like, who — what woman does this?! What woman allows other women to be victimized? I just, I don’t understand it. I don’t understand it. And yes, I think she’s a monster. I think she’s a monster just like him. There’s no way if you love and you’re about sisterhood that you would allow women to be destroyed right in front of you. And that’s what she’s doing. She’s contributing to their destruction.

Ari in conclusion:

There’s a lot more to these situations, and I believe that it’s going to become public. The world’s going to find out the truth. All of the truth — ALL OF IT. It’s time. It’s time. Somebody has to stop this. I was begging TLC, just hoping that they would stop, they would take them off the air at least so that they won’t have public attention, because then other women will see this and fall in love with this image they’re creating online or on TV and want to be a part of this family…not even knowing that they’re putting themselves in a situation where they’re going to be abused. They’re going to be victimized. Their children are going to be traumatized. Poor Chrissy’s little girls were traumatized in that house. Her babies didn’t deserve that.

As I mentioned at the very beginning of this post, I strongly recommend that you watch the full video. In addition to having the information presented by Ari herself, you will also find out about things like the STD Dimitri gave Ashley, Dimitri’s first marriage, and why none of the potential new Snowden sister wives have gotten pregnant.

I want to thank Ari for speaking out. And not just speaking out now with John, but also speaking out to Discovery / TLC a long while ago. If multiple women approached them with believable evidence of the Snowden’s history of abuse towards their potential sister wives, I believe a lawyer might be interested in talking with Christeline and Vanessa about potentially filing a lawsuit against TLC.

If you want to show Ari some love and support, you can reach her on Instagram. If you just want to say negative stuff, then I recommend you head over to a Seeking Sister Wife Facebook group or other forum.

UPDATE – From Tayler via John on Instagram:

Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm. You can contact Asa via Twitter, Facebook, or email at starcasmtips(at)yahoo.com
 

[princelina]

7 hours ago, marlor said:

According to the interview of The Snowdens wife before Vanessa, In the beginning they all are wanting to boost their social media. After the abuse the they want out and have to sign MDA's. The disgusting part is that TLC knew of Dimitri's abuse before their season started.

I have no problem believing most of what I'm hearing about the Snowdens, because I've found them creepy from season 1, but at the same time these ladies (including the one whose interview I spent the last hour watching) are shady and kind of full of shit also.

[NowVoyager]

9 hours ago, PrincessPurrsALot said:

Part 1 was mainly full of things we already knew; they basically reviewed the media that posters have uncovered. It did include an additional video of a man who states his partner took their children and went off with dmitri.  Part 2 is seriously scary.  She is saying she told TLC during season 1 after they showed dmitri sleep with Jocelyn.  

She affirms things we have suspected - dmitri has no money; Ashley doesn't like to care for the children; Ashley both helps bring in new women and then resents them for having sex with dmitri; dmitri has sex with the new women as soon as he can regardless of Ashley's feelings; Ashley uses the women to do all of the chores she does not want to do. 

She also talks about some really terrible things that they did to her.  It is very disturbing.  Adding notes under spoiler tag because of how disturbing they are.

  Hide contents

Ariadne accuses dmitri of physically assaulting and choking her in front of the children. One of the children grabbed a kitchen knife to defend her.  He abused Ashley.  She accuses him of raping her; she was sleeping on her stomach when he pinned her to the bed and sexually assaulted her.  

I also watched the interview with Heather McDonald.  Ariadne's story is consistent.  The interview starts about 25 minutes in. 

 

I watched this video, too. Thanks for posting it. As you said, Ariadne's story is very consistent.

[Colfrmb]

I watched part of the interview with Ari.  Wow.  I wish I didn’t know these things.I still say that I worry for the children who are dragged through this mess.

[LucyEth]

I am wondering what the situation was with Tayler and Christaline both being in the house at the same time?  Were they both being mistreated by the Snowdens?  Did they both witness each other’s abuse?  Did Tayler get out before Christaline?  The timeline is confusing.

[AZChristian]

44 minutes ago, LucyEth said:

I am wondering what the situation was with Tayler and Christaline both being in the house at the same time?  Were they both being mistreated by the Snowdens?  Did they both witness each other’s abuse?  Did Tayler get out before Christaline?  The timeline is confusing.

I don't think Dmitri had the balls to try to take on Tayler.  She looks like she could protect herself.  But Christaline is small, making her an easier target.

I may have to give up this show entirely.  Between the Snowdens and the other womanizing assholes, I need to spend my time on something more positive.

[EtheltoTillie]

7 hours ago, AZChristian said:

I don't think Dmitri had the balls to try to take on Tayler.  She looks like she could protect herself.  But Christaline is small, making her an easier target.

I may have to give up this show entirely.  Between the Snowdens and the other womanizing assholes, I need to spend my time on something more positive.

Yes I was thinking the Snowdens were comic relief in contrast with the disturbing Merrifields and Clarks. But the Snowdens are just as bad. 

Edited May 8, 2021 by GussieK

[Colfrmb]

When Chrissy and Tayler were living with the Snowden’s at the same time, were there 4 people all in the same bed?  

[LucyEth]

12 hours ago, Colfrmb said:

When Chrissy and Tayler were living with the Snowden’s at the same time, were there 4 people all in the same bed?  

I wondered the same thing since Ari stated they had to all share the same bed.

[Colfrmb]

I would love for one of the recruit wives to post a copy of the “NDA”.  I can’t believe that it’s airtight.  

[ReadMeLattice]

On 5/8/2021 at 12:11 PM, LucyEth said:

I wondered the same thing since Ari stated they had to all share the same bed.

I wondered if they gave up that idea once they decided to be on the show and realized that probably wouldn’t go over well with viewers.