Columbus couple has powerful message for online bullies

A cute photo featuring a Columbus, Georgia couple became the subject of ridicule last month.

Ashley Stevens, her boyfriend Christopher Reed, and Ashley’s dad were all attending her cousin’s wedding when Ashley caught the bouquet. She decided to capture the moment with a picture.

That image was posted to Reddit by one of Ashley's friends and quickly went viral. Immediately strangers began commenting and they were cruel.

They made fun of Christopher’s weight and appearance and some even questioned why Ashley was with him.

Ashley took to Facebook to express her feelings. She told people not to look at the negative comments and instead focus on her relationship with Christopher.

“Well let me just tell you, I won the jackpot with Christopher,” Ashley wrote. “He may not have rock hard abs like the world tells girls to want in a guy, but really, why does that even matter when you are trying to really find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with?

He is so thoughtful and patient, he always shows me how much he loves me in little ways, he is my best friend. I love him for who he is and he loves me for who I am.”

Following their new-found fame, the couple stopped by Good Day Atlanta Monday morning with a powerful message.  

“When I first started reading all the comments and saw how people were so rude about it I was really kind of shocked because no one knew us personally,” said Ashley.  She said that was what really inspired her to post the image to Facebook in the first place.

“All these people are so unhappy that they just have to comment and say something,” said Christopher. “All we can do is pray for them and say we forgive you and we apologize that we can’t help you more than that.”

Ashley said it has been awesome to see how many people have been positively impacted by their story.

The couple attends Columbus State University together. They are both 21-years-old.

For more on the original viral post, click here.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW ON GOOD DAY ATLANTA. 

APP USERS: Click here to view the photo gallery, courtesy of Ashley Stevens.