After months of silence, former Real Housewives of New Jersey star Ashlee Holmes is stepping back into the spotlight with a raw and honest update on her health.
The 34-year-old reality personality and makeup artist took to social media on Sunday, June 22, sharing a video where she slowly steps back from the camera to reveal her current body. The post, paired with a candid caption, marks her return to social media after what she describes as a difficult and deeply personal journey.
“The good news? Family is great. Career is great,” Holmes began. “The ‘bad’ news? Due to some health issues that I’m still navigating, in addition to some personal stressors, I have gained roughly 40lbs since December — and even more over the last year.”
RHONJ's Ashlee Holmes Opens Up About Health Struggles and 40-Pound Weight Gain 8
Holmes didn’t hold back in sharing the emotional toll the changes have taken on her. She admitted that the physical transformation led her to withdraw from social platforms.
“I’ve been feeling pretty reclusive,” she wrote. But after time away, she says she now feels “a level of safety and confidence” that allows her to re-engage and speak openly about her experience.
Though Holmes didn’t specify her exact diagnosis, the hashtags included in her post—#autoimmune, #thyroidhealth, and #pcos—hint at underlying medical conditions that could be contributing to her weight gain and overall health challenges.
“So… this is where I’m at in my body right now,” she continued. “It may seem like nothing to a lot of you, but it matters to me. I’m taking all of the steps to get healthy from the inside out.”
RHONJ's Ashlee Holmes Opens Up About Health Struggles and 40-Pound Weight Gain 9
Support quickly poured in, including a heartfelt comment from her mom, RHONJ alum Jacqueline Laurita, who wrote, “You look beautiful to me!”
Holmes rose to public attention in 2009 when her mother joined the cast of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Over the years, she’s carved out her own path as a professional makeup artist, all while remaining candid about the highs and lows of life in the public eye.
Now, it seems she’s ready to continue that openness—this time, bringing her followers along on her journey toward healing and self-acceptance. And as she puts it, she’s focusing on getting “healthy from the inside out”—a message that resonates far beyond reality TV.
