Ashley Iaconetti opened up about overcoming gender disappointment.
Iaconetti, 38, took to Instagram on Sunday, May 3, to open up about the joys of having sons after previously experiencing gender disappointment. “To any expectant moms out there who have gender disappointment in having a boy… One of the many wonderful things about having a little boy is that I just had my face held by his little hands and was told many times how beautiful I am,” she captioned a pic of herself beaming.
The Real Housewives of Rhode Island star shares two sons with her husband, Jared Haibon, whom she met while filming Bachelor in Paradise. The couple welcomed Dawson Demitri, named after Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), in January 2022. Two years later, in July 2024, the couple expanded their family again with the birth of Hayden Cruise, named after actors Hayden Christensen and Tom Cruise.
Iaconetti previously opened up about feeling gender disappointment in March 2025 while doing a Q&A with her followers on Instagram.
‘The Bachelor’ Alum Ashley Iaconetti’s Quotes About ‘Gender Disappointment’
When one asked, “Do you ever get over the thought of not having a daughter?” Iaconetti replied, “I have gotten over it for myself for sure, but I do feel sad Haibon doesn’t get to be a girl dad because I think he’d be so wonderful at it.” She added, “I asked him last night if it makes him sad and he said he would have liked to be a girl dad, but doesn’t want three [kids].”
She first revealed that she initially had gender disappointment when learning Dawson’s sex during an August 2023 episode of her podcast, “Ben and Iaconetti I Almost Famous.”
“I had such gender disappointment with Dawson,” she said, sharing that she “had a feeling” that she was pregnant with another boy. “I’d be happy if we had a boy too because then I’d want them to have that, hopefully, brother bond,” Iaconetti explained.
How Ashley Iaconetti Overcame ‘Gender Disappointment’ With Son Dawson
Iaconetti and Haibon met during season 2 of Bachelor in Paradise. She arrived in Mexico hoping to form a romantic connection with Haibon, 37, but he did not reciprocate her feelings.
The next summer, the pair returned to Bachelor in Paradise for season 3, but Haibon again was not interested in pursuing a relationship with Iaconetti. In 2017, Iaconetti moved on with Kevin Wendt, causing Haibon to realize that he actually did have feelings for her.
The duo announced that they were officially a couple in May 2018. The following year, Haibon got down and proposed to Iaconetti while making an appearance on season 5 of Bachelor in Paradise.
The TV personalities tied the knot in August 2019 in Haibon’s native Rhode Island.
