Ashley Kerwin
Ashley Kerwin is a fictional character on Degrassi: The Next Generation. She is portrayed by Melissa McIntyre.
Season 1
Ashley's reign
At the beginning of the series, Ashley is a stereotypical prep and over-achiever. Being extremely popular, she sets her sights on becoming Degrassi's student body president. However, step-brother Toby Isaacs, who is frustrated by her unchallenged status, convinces JT to run against her, thus creating a conflict between the step-siblings. In the end, Ashley wins the election and they both realize that they have to try and get along with each other.
Peer Pressure
Ashley is dating Jimmy Brooks. She feels insecure about their relationship when Paige convinces her that they should take it to the next level already (Spinner simultaneously convinces Jimmy of the same thing) and wills herself to sleep with him before they both admit that neither of them are ready for sex. They spend the evening blowing up condoms and content with what they have with each other.
A Bad Birthday
Ashley begins to feel smothered by Jimmy who is always at her house. She decides to break up with him, but the trouble is, it's his birthday. Toby overhears her decision to break it off, and secretly warns him to stop smothering her. When Ashley goes to Jimmy's to celebrate his birthday, he asks her when she was going to break up with him. She nervously says, "Let's forget about this. It's your birthday," which makes Jimmy break it off first. Ashley leaves in tears.
The next day, Ashley reluctantly decides to get back together with him.
Paige Micalchuk and the Sex Kittens
As the cabaret nears, Ashley decides that she and Terri should enter under the band Two Girls and a Keyboard. But Paige wants to join the band too. She convinces Terri, who has just gotten into tarot cards and the mystics to fake a reading where the oracles tell Ashley to let Paige in the band. Ashley finally agrees and Paige joins the band. The two have friction from their head strong natures and argue about the name of the band. Paige insists on Paige Micalchuk and the Sex Kittens (shortened as "PMS"), but Ashley argues for the newly updated Three Girls and a Keyboard.
Terri sides with Paige, but Ashley still doesn't listen. This sparks a huge argument between Terri and Ashley which causes Ashley to quit the band. The band is a huge hit at cabaret, and win the contest. Ashley decides to return to the band, but listens to Terri more often. Thus begins PMS.
Taking ecstasy
In the episode Jagged Little Pill, a girls' night at Ashley's turns into a disaster. JT, whom Toby invited, brings ecstasy as a party favour. Sean tells JT and Toby that he's going to go into the kitchen to split the pill between the three of them but runs into Ashley. He replaces the E with aspirin and tells Ashley to throw the ecstasy out. However, instead of throwing it out, Ashley takes it. She calls Jimmy and his friends and Jimmy notices right away that she's high. Meanwhile, Sean and Emma (who had also been invited over) fight, leaving Sean depressed and alone in a bedroom. Ashley then proceeds to cheat on Jimmy by hooking up with Sean and then publicly dumps him after he finds out what she did with Sean. She also makes an enemy out of Paige Michalchuk by insulting her. Her mistake costs her long-time boyfriend Jimmy as well as all of her friends, except best friend Terri.
Season 2
The fallout
After undergoing counselling, Ashley returns to Degrassi, hoping to win back her friends. All of them (even Paige) seem willing to forgive her. Even Jimmy is willing to give her another chance. However, Ashley later accepts a date with Sean, whom she had hooked up with in June. Terri expresses her disapproval but Ashley brushes her off. Paige soon finds out about Ashley and Sean's impending date and is disgusted, as Ashley is technically back with Jimmy. Paige informs him as to what's going on, leading to a scuffle between Jimmy and Sean. Jimmy then calls Ashley a slut, saying that's what he calls girls who cheat on him. Ashley indefinitely postpones her date with Sean and he loses interest as well. The final straw is when Paige offers Terri an ultimatum - be cool by hanging out with Paige and Hazel during high school, or be a freak like Ashley. Terri eventually sides with Paige.
Going Goth
Ashley is befriended by Ellie Nash, the school's resident goth-chick. She sheds her preppy image by cutting her hair short, wearing dark makeup, and dressing in black. She is generally ridiculed by her peers for her new appearance.
PMS's Return
When Paige decides to start up PMS again, she is skeptical about reaccepting Ashley into the band. But when the lyrics and singing talent is at a low, she goes to Ashley's house and pleads for her to return to the band. She tells Ashley to write something "real." Ashley reluctantly agrees, and conveniently writes a song about rape, just as Paige is recovering from hers. Paige tells Ashley to go with the old lyrics, and storms out when Ashley tells her she doesn't know anything about rape. Ashley follows her to the hall and insists on the old lyrics when Paige reveals her victimization. Paige's confidance in Ashley alone (besides Hazel who wasn't much of a help, except to convince Paige it was rape) restarts their old friendship.
Jimmy's Old Flame
Ashley and Jimmy reveal that they still have requited feelings for each other, and decide to begin dating again. However things aren't the same for them. Jimmy proves to still only be in love with the pre-goth Ashley which pressures her to dress normal. Paige makes a comment about how she was just getting used to her new look, and Ashley is conflicted.
She soon realizes that the preppy version of her is merely something from the past and that changing back isn't worth it if she can't be herself. She feels Jimmy doesn't understand or truly accept the "new" her and eventually breaks it off with him.
The Start of Something New
By the end of Season 2 Ashley and Craig express interest in each other. The two bond while working on a class project "The Taming of the Shrew" and eventually begin to spend more time together. When Craig's father dies, Ashley is there for him and tries her best to understand his situation, despite his emotional outbursts. The season ends with the two at school dance together, after being elected Luau King and Queen.
Season 3
The love triangle
Ashley and Craig have been happily dating since the end of Season 2. However, although Craig wants to go all the way, Ashley pulls back because she wants to know that he loves her first. She almost breaks it off with him when he has difficulty telling her so, but they make up after Craig tells her through a song. She decides that she's ready. Craig excitedly shares the news with Spinner, who proceeds to anger Ashley by making jokes about what she and Craig are about to do. Ashley, feeling betrayed, calls it off. Craig storms away, only to be comforted by Manny, whom he ends up having sex with. Ashley and Craig make up, but he continues seeing Manny behind her back nonetheless.
Craig's infidelity is revealed at Christmas, when Ashley peeks at the the present he bought for her and finds a figure-skater charm bracelet, only to see Manny wearing it the next day. She confronts Manny, who, under the impression that Craig and Ashley are no longer together, confirms that Craig and Manny had been dating the entire time. Furious and hurt, both Ashley and Manny dump Craig, leaving him perpetually alone.
It is soon discovered that Manny is pregnant due to the one time when she and Craig had sex. Ashley's fury increases exponentially and she humiliates Manny and Craig by telling the whole school. Later, PMS (Ashley, Paige, Hazel, and Ellie's band) and Downtown Sasquatch (Craig, Spinner, Marco, and Jimmy's band) compete in a Battle of the Bands contest, for which Ashley writes a scathing song about Craig in order to get him back for the "pain [he] caused." They soon reach a mutual understanding when Craig apologizes in song, thus winning both the contest and Ashley's forgiveness.
Season 4
Ashley and Craig's Rekindling
Ashley and Craig call a truce at the beginning of the season by developing a friendship with each other. Ashley helps Craig picked out a guitar, despite his reluctance at first and eventually Craig lets Ashley perform with the band. However, their friendship elevates into something more when Craig realizes that he still has feelings for her. They get back together and everything seems perfect until Craig gets carried away with their relationship.
After renting an expensive hotel room for the two of them to have sex in, Craig proposes. Ashley, taken aback, says no, leading Craig to trash the hotel room in a fit of rage. It is later discovered that Craig is bi-polar. Ashley, who truly loves him and would like to eventually get married someday, stays with him and deals with his sudden mood-swings, paranoia, and insecurity. However, at the end of the season, she leaves for England for the summer, telling Craig that she needs time apart from him. Craig flies off the handle, going off his meds and causing his bi-polar disorder to flare up again. He manages to calm down thanks to Joey.
Season 5
Ashley Stays in England
At the beginning of the season, Ellie receives an email from Ashley, saying that she has decided to stay in England for the year and will not be returning to Degrassi. She stops contacting Craig (something that he notes but doesn't make a big deal of), as she begins to date "Alastair aka Ali" in London, leaving Ellie to break the bad news to Craig.
Ashley Returns
Ashley returns to Degrassi in the 2-part season finale and decides to finish high school in Degrassi in Season 6. She is noticeably happier and kinder. This is evident when she tries to push Jimmy and Ellie together after Jimmy admits to her that he has feelings for Ellie and Ellie tells her that "[she's] crushing on someone, as usual." However, when Jimmy realizes that Ellie's crush is not him, he leaves. After telling Ashley that no one wants to date a guy in a wheelchair, Ashley kisses him, possibly indicating the rekindling of their relationship.
Season 6
Ashley confronts Jimmy's insecurities
As Ashley begins her final year at Degrassi, she continues a relationship with Jimmy that begun the year before. However Ashley begins to think she's doing something wrong because Jimmy is pushing her away. It is then revealed that he has insecurities because after the shooting, he hasn't able to get an erection. Ashley tries to help him but after not being able to perform he gets upset. Ashley then quickly assures him that she doesn't need sex for their relationship to last and that to her Jimmy is already the man she needs.