Ashly Perez Bio

Ashly had 19 different jobs before she landed a prestigious position at one of the leading independent digital-media companies in the world. She had worked as a frozen yogurt topping scooper, a camp counselor, and an office manager at her father’s dental clinic. She also worked as an English teacher in Daegu, South Korea.

Her work took her all over Asia. Ashly would write blogs and articles for ‘BuzzFeed,' a New York-based internet media organization. She had also applied for a job in the company and was waiting for a reply. Ashly wrote a lifestyle article for ‘BuzzFeed,’ titled 'I Wasn't Beautiful Enough To Live In South Korea,' which emphasized on the country’s obsession with women's appearances. The post became viral and helped her bag a job at 'BuzzFeed.' Ashly was offered an editorial fellowship with the company. She moved to New York in 2013 and did a six-month internship with 'BuzzFeed.'

After the internship, Ashly was made a video producer and development partner of 'BuzzFeed Motion Pictures.' She also created and edited content for the website.

As a development partner for 'BuzzFeed Motion Pictures,' Ashly co-created 'BuzzFeed Violet,' featuring 'BuzzFeed's' first scripted characters. In December 2015, Ashly and her fellow producers, who were also cast as 'Violet' characters, released their first stand-alone series, 'You Do You.' The series revolved around four female 'BuzzFeed Violet' characters. Soon, the series gained momentum and garnered the top spot on 'iTunes TV.' It remained at the top for the entire first week of its launch, pulling down two megahit series, 'The Walking Dead' and 'Keepin' Up with the Kardashians.' The second season of 'You Do You' was globally launched in the summer of 2016.

Ashly was known to be a “straight” ‘BuzzFeed Violet’ character. However, she revealed on 'You Do You’ that she was bisexual. The announcement was made public in a video titled ‘Coming Out’ that was featured on 'BuzzFeed’s' 'YouTube' channel. This shocked her fans, as she also had an on-screen husband named Andrew Ilnyckyj. On August 15, 2014, Ashly shared their nautical-themed wedding on her 'Instagram' page. Ashly had once indicated through a 'Twitter' post that she was in a relationship. However, she never mentioned anything about her secret girlfriend. As of June 2018, Ashly is unmarried.

At 'BuzzFeed,' Ashly also worked on two viral quizzes, namely, 'What City Should You Actually Live In?' and 'What Career Should You Actually Have?' Ashly is credited for bringing the automobile company 'Toyota' on 'BuzzFeed’s' board. 'Toyota' sponsored their first scripted series.

Ashly’s life has been an inspiration to many. She once delivered an inspirational speech at 'Colorado State University.' The speech was on obtaining one’s dream job. While working with 'BuzzFeed,' Ashly had largely spoken about the stereotypes that Asian women face. She also discussed her experiences of being ridiculed for her looks, complexion, and body type.

Ashly is a member of the 'Asian Student Union' and has often boldly expressed her views on the way Asian women are portrayed in movies and on TV. She has also shared tips to create content that is free of stereotypes and that displays concern for women, irrespective of their complexion, facial features, and sexual orientation. Ashly is a huge supporter of the LGBTQ community.

In February 2018, Ashly announced her departure from ‘BuzzFeed.’

Ashly Perez was born on July 8, 1989, in California. She has Cuban, Filipino, and Korean roots. She belongs to a family of doctors, lawyers, and nurses. Ashly’s mother stayed in the Philippines before she immigrated to the US at the age of 18. Ashly's parents are supportive of her career. They attended a 'BuzzFeed' event in October 2013. Ashly once described Mallory Wang, former 'BuzzFeed Director of Insights,' as her long-lost sister.

Ashly majored in international studies at 'Pepperdine University' in Malibu, California. She believes that the video ‘Things Beyoncé Does That’d Be Awkward If You Did Them’ is one of her silliest works. However, it is also one of her favorite videos.