Netflix’s new age-gap dating experiment left one contestant’s journey completely on the cutting room floor. Ashley Wottring, a 39-year-old business owner from Indiana, revealed she was cast on Age of Attraction but never appeared in the final episodes. The Age of Attraction contestant cut from the series went viral after sharing her story on TikTok, including the revelation that she’s a virgin waiting for marriage.
“I was on Netflix to do a show. Age of Attraction,” Wottring said in her video. “I know what you’re thinking right now… wait, we didn’t see you. Sadly, my story was cut.”
Wottring didn’t apply for the show herself. A friend received a casting inquiry on social media and immediately thought of her. The friend responded, “I’m married, but you have to meet my friend Ashley.” On Wottring’s 38th birthday, she got a text that changed everything: “Don’t hate me, but I just gave your name to a casting director.”
“If it was any day other than my birthday, I’m honestly not sure I would have even answered,” she admitted. “But once you get to a certain age and you really want to be married and have kids, birthdays can be a little bit tough. That biological clock reminder is like time is ticking and you have to find someone soon.”
Wottring prayed about the decision before joining. She put it in God’s hands: if the door opened, she’d walk through. If it closed, she’d accept that too.
Despite her absence from the final edit, Wottring formed real connections during filming. She made “two very strong connections” that she can’t yet discuss in detail without spoiling potential outcomes.
“For me, it was a very healing process,” she explained. “Because it had been so long since I had felt for a guy, I was starting to actually think, ‘Did I break? Can I still have feelings?'”
The experience proved she’s still capable of romantic connection, something she’d begun to doubt after years of singledom.
Near the end of her TikTok, Wottring dropped a personal detail she’d kept private for years. “There is probably one thing about me that has really affected my dating life,” she said. “I’m going to start to talk about it more, but it’s something that I haven’t really talked about in a really long time outside of my close circle. That is that I’m a virgin waiting for marriage. I know. Take it in.”
The admission resonated deeply with viewers. Many commented about feeling seen and less alone in their own journeys. Wottring plans to continue speaking openly about her dating life, hoping to help others navigating similar paths.
“I feel like it’s such a lonely time to be 39 and single and no kids,” she said. “Hopefully it will help people feel like you’re not alone in this phase.”
Age of Attraction premiered March 11 on Netflix, hosted by Nick Viall and Natalie Joy—a married couple with their own 18-year age gap. The concept brings together singles ranging from early 20s to 60, who date without knowing each other’s ages. When couples feel ready to commit, they enter the “promise room” to reveal their age gap and decide whether to continue.
The show follows six couples who move into the same apartment building after making commitments, then face challenges as their new normal sets in. Episodes 6-8 drop March 18, with the finale arriving March 25.
Wottring’s official Netflix bio described her as someone who quit corporate America to start her own business and moved home “with her vibrant Greek family.” She wants “a big fat Greek wedding of her own one day” but isn’t rushing.
After her TikTok went viral, Wottring posted a follow-up video. “The secret is out… I am a 39-year-old virgin,” she captioned it. “I definitely did not wake up this morning thinking that I was going to share my story.”
She added: “After going on the new Netflix show Age of Attraction, I really just wanted the opportunity to share a little bit about my dating life and why it’s been so hard to meet someone up until this point.”
For now, Wottring continues sharing her journey online. And she’s keeping the door open for love, whether Netflix cameras are rolling or not.
