Ashley Elliott: 10 Facts About The TikTok Star
Ashley Elliott, or Combat Gel Lady, has amassed over 15 million followers on TikTok because she is hilarious, honest, and has a very interesting hair product — with a seriously strong hold. She's become a big star in a relatively short time, and her fans love her, but what do we really know about her? The platform has launched her new career and catapulted her to stardom, but she has been working hard since she was a teen, and there seems to be no stopping her.
Though some things in her personal life have blown up and created unexpected drama, she continues to thrive. "I remember telling a man that if I ever lost them, I would die," she shared in a TikTok video from 2023. Well, guess what? She's still alive, she's still making content, and she's still super interesting. Meet Ashley Elliott and discover these 10 facts about her.
Ashley Elliott has a US Army career
Ashley Elliott shares many aspects of her life on TikTok, including some insight into her military career. She is an information technology specialist and has spoken about what this entails in a video uploaded to TikTok in 2022. "I do IT, information technology," she shared. "So basically, if your computer's not working, you're just like, 'Sgt. Elliott, come help me!' And then I'm just going to restart your computer."
She also posted on TikTok encouraging others to "speak up" regarding the treatment of women in the military and addressing gender stereotypes. This includes only receiving promotions because of your gender or the belief that women should not serve. In a separate TikTok post from 2022, Elliott discussed this again. "So I've got something pretty personal that I want to talk to you guys about," she said. "I've been so angry about it for so long, I needed time to just reflect and get my thoughts together before speaking on this. As we all know, I am in the Army and I have always been proud of that and I always will be. With that being said, not all of the experiences I have had and not all the people I have met have been great."
She also captioned the post with the points she wanted to highlight, writing, "1.) women BELONG in the military and 2.) as a leader, be careful with your words."
She's a big fan of body art
Something fans of Ashley Elliott may have noticed about her is she's a big fan of body art, and she has quite the collection. This includes a butterfly tattoo behind her ear, a half-sleeve design comprised of flowers, and an upper arm tattoo with roses, butterflies, and a clock. She also has ink that pays tribute to her daughter, Angelina, with her name on her bicep.
Her extensive body art collection may surprise some, considering her career in the military, which imposes restrictions on the content and location of the designs those serving in its forces can have. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the prohibited areas include the head and the face.
Elliott is comfortable in her own skin and has posted several photos on Instagram of herself in a swimsuit, putting her body art on display. Her posts also encourage body positivity and acceptance.
She has a hair gel brand
Ashley Elliott has a hair gel brand, Combat Gel, which she has marketed with the clever slogan that its hold is "stronger than your relationship." It is available in a variety of flavors, including watermelon and peach, and the consistency is super thick. It also works on most hair types, including type 4 hair (as demonstrated by TikTok user Brrrila).
When Elliott creates her go-to military hairstyle, which is a sleek bun, she uses her gel to keep the hair perfectly in place. Fans may be wondering how much gel she uses because if you watch her videos, you'll see that when applying it, she does not use the product sparingly. "A lot of people ask me how many containers of gel I go through because they see my hair is always really slicked back, and in my videos I put a ton of gel in my hair," she said in a TikTok video from 2021. "I don't go through that much, to be honest with you guys." She then joked about having bought a container the day before that was now almost finished, saying, "It's not that much."
She has also got her brother involved in her business. Elliott shared the news in an Instagram post in March 2023, informing fans that her sibling will "be helping us pack orders!!"
Ashley Elliott has a close relationship with her sister
Family is important to Ashley Elliott, and she has a close bond with her sister. She has shared a video of herself doing her sister's hair in a military bun, using her brand of hair gel, and several of Elliott's Instagram posts have showed their closeness. So, it's hard to believe they weren't always besties!
In honor of her sister's birthday in May 2023, Elliott posted a bunch of snaps. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL SISTER!!!!!" she captioned her Instagram post. "We hated each other for the first 16 years of my life, but I promise you ... when you moved out of mom's house, I definitely missed you. We have been best friends ever [since]! You are an amazing sister, mom, friend, and wife! I am so proud of you, and I love you very much!"
Elliott's sister has also discussed their relationship on her own Instagram. Posting a photo of them from vacation in Hawaii, she told fans that she would miss her younger sibling. "I'm gonna miss you, baby peeps. I got to spend 2 weeks with her after not seeing her for 2 years," she wrote. "I wish we lived close to each other."
She loves to snack on pizza
Ashley Elliott has shared her "weight loss journey" with fans, posting a before and after picture on Instagram in October 2020. In the caption, she wrote, "1 year apart! Keep pushing!!" But she's all for a reward when she feels she deserves it. In November 2022, she posted a photo of herself on Instagram, surrounded by McDonald's, and captioned the picture with "Lost 3/4 of a pound so I deserve a little cheat meal."
She has also made jokes about fitness and shared snaps of herself snacking on pizza. In an Instagram post from June 2023, Elliott captioned a photo with "Fitness? Yeah I'm fitness pizza in my mouth." And again, four days later, she shared a bunch of snaps of herself enjoying pizza. "Find someone who looks at you the way I was eyeballin' this pizza," she captioned the post, showing off her humor.
But Elliott is also all about balance, and she has discussed her workouts. Taking a gym selfie, she captioned an August 2021 Instagram post, "I don't post about it anymore but my butt is still in the gym [every day] between 0300-0400." Some serious dedication to start so early, right?!
She often featured her husband in her videos
Ashley Elliott's husband has appeared in many of her videos, giving fans a glimpse into their relationship. They celebrated their fifth anniversary in 2022, and Elliott shared a video montage of some of their sweetest moments. In the video post's caption, she also made her feelings clear. "Happy 5-year anniversary to my favorite human! I wouldn't be me without you," she wrote. "I love you more than you'll ever know!"
From the videos she posts on TikTok, they have had a lot of fun together, and he had been very supportive of her. When she reached 10 million followers on the platform in 2021, she did his makeup as part of a celebration. There is also a post of Elliott attempting to put her man in a chokehold, and they've shown off his dance moves and her singing skills. But it's not all fun and games, and Elliott clearly appreciates her husband. When she got her first paycheck from TikTok, she used it to buy him a PlayStation 5 — she posted the unboxing on the platform in a 2021 TikTok video.
However, in 2023, their relationship seemed to take some more dramatic and troubling turns.
She has faced allegations over her marriage
Ashley Elliott's marriage became a hot topic when she posted a video on TikTok in August 2023 about a heartbreaking scenario. "So, I have been working since I was 16 years old, and let me tell you the reason why I will never stop," she said. "Let me tell you what one of my biggest fears is: Just imagine you find a man. He is amazing, he is making great money, and he wants to take care of you for the rest of your life." She discussed how the person in the scenario would choose not to work and would be financially reliant on their partner. Then, in the future, he might leave his wife for another woman, leaving her with nothing.
The comments section of the post was filled with concerned messages. Elliott responded by trying to put fans' minds at ease. "This has nothing to do with me," she said in another TikTok video. "I literally brought up a scenario saying if you were married to a man for 20 years, you've never had a job, you've never had any skill sets because you thought he would take care of you for the rest of your life and imagine if he left you for somebody else." But this escalated quickly, with reports emerging that he had cheated on her and they were splitting.
Elliott later commented on this further on TikTok, admitting, "My marriage is not OK, and that's just real."
Ashley Elliott is a mama
Ashley Elliott is a mother to two children who sometimes feature in her videos, such as in a post about doing their hair. Becoming a mother has changed her life, and she acknowledged this in a TikTok post as well. In a poignant video, which shows her young child reaching out to touch her face, Elliott wrote, "They will never realize how if it wasn't for them, you would have given up."
She has also discussed her changing body after childbirth. In a TikTok post from 2021, she noted that her husband was still "loving every bit of jiggle," of her mom-bod, and his actions helped her to realize she does "look good."
Fans of Elliott also know that her children are biracial, and she has highlighted the importance of Black History Month and raised awareness for political and social activism. She shared her thoughts in an Instagram post from 2020 about the Black Lives Matter movement. "To anyone that wants to comment back with 'all features matter' or 'all lives matter' is getting blocked," she told followers at the time.
She had braces while in the military
Ashley Elliott has shared many aspects of her life on social media, endearing herself to fans with her honesty and openness. This includes her decision to get braces as an adult. She shared the process as well as some frequently asked questions from her fans. "Yes, it's true, you cannot join the Army with braces," she said in an October 22 TikTok video. She then showed her braces to the camera and explained that you can have braces after basic training and after you are qualified for your job. She also addressed a question about having adult braces, telling fans, "When I was a kid, my parents were poor."
As for what it was like having braces? She posted a video on TikTok in 2021 that showed her morning routine, her different methods for cleaning her braces, and how she took off and reapplied their bands. Fast-forward to 2023, and she no longer has braces.
She jokes about her dancing skills
If you're a fan of Ashley Elliott, you've likely seen her dance moves, and if you haven't, you're in for a treat! She has a very unique move, basically her version of a twerk, and it is hilarious. She has made multiple TikTok videos poking fun at herself and her dance moves, or lack thereof.
This includes teaching fans how to replicate her trademark dance, which has become a viral sensation. In a TikTok video from 2021, she posted herself wearing a dress and encouraged fans to "Do this dance if you want to get his attention." The move, which features her upper back and shoulders hunched over, is bound to get attention and encourage a few giggles, and it's become a fan favorite. The comments section is filled with amused fans. "With those moves how are you not verified??" one commenter wrote. "Best advice thank you. Will try tonight," another said.