| Intro | American actress and activist |
| A.K.A. | Ashley Bratcher |
| Is |
Actor Film actor Television actor |
| From | United States of America |
| Type | Film, TV, Stage & Radio |
| Gender | female |
| Birth | 1987, North Carolina, USA |
| Age: | 33 years |
| Residence | Georgia, USA |
| Politics | Republican Party |
Ashley Bratcher is an American actress and anti-abortion activist. As an actress, she frequently stars in Christian films, and is best known for her portrayal of the anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson in the 2019 film Unplanned.
Early life
Bratcher was born in North Carolina. She grew up living in a mobile home and considers Georgia her home state. Ashley began acting on stage at age 16, and attended Campbell University where she graduated with honors. She briefly worked as a middle school teacher before becoming a full-time actress.
Career
After acting in several short films and minor roles, Bratcher starred in 2015 as the female lead of Christian romance film Princess Cut. She continued to act in several other faith-based films, such as War Room and 90 Minutes in Heaven. In 2018, she was approached for the lead role for Unplanned, a drama about the life of Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood director who became an anti-abortion activist. After learning about Abby’s testimony, Bratcher was deeply moved and quickly accepted the role. Others discouraged her from working with the film out of concern that she would be blacklisted, but Bratcher quickly accepted the role saying it was “worth it”. The cast and crew commended her on her commitment to the role, and Abby Johnson complimented Bratcher on accurately portraying her.
Personal life
Family and faith
On April 23, 2010, Bratcher married her high school sweetheart David Bratcher after seven years of dating. They have one child together, a son. The family resides in Georgia. According to Bratcher, her son was the result of an unintended pregnancy and she and family were forced to rely on WIC and Medicaid in order to get by. She also reported initial feelings of shame associated with her pregnancy but now credits the birth of her son with making her a better person and deepening her devotion to Christianity.
Anti-abortion efforts
Shortly before the release of Unplanned, Bratcher told the media that her mother, who became pregnant with her at 19 years old, had pawned a family heirloom in order to cover the cost of an abortion but ultimately changed her mind, resulting in Bratcher’s birth.
Since the release of Unplanned, she has spoken at crisis pregnancy centers nationwide. She also voiced her support of the Living Infants Fairness Equality (LIFE) Act (Georgia HB481), a legislative effort that would ban abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.
Hobbies
Bratcher is a competitive practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which she sees as an avenue of personal growth.