As Press Closes In, 'Kristen' Clams Up

The woman introduced to the world this week as a prostitute named “Kristen”—aspiring singer Ashley Alexandra Dupre—is trying to maintain some privacy as she keeps close tabs on her Facebook and MySpace accounts, CNN reports. After the New York Times revealed her identity, she began cleaning up her profiles on the sites, seemingly trying to exert control over what the public could see.

Dupre might once have welcomed publicity in hopes of boosting her music career. But, says an expert, "Unfortunately, you can't say, 'Oh well, I didn't want that kind of publicity, I only wanted positive publicity.'" As the story spread, Dupre left a notice on Facebook saying she’d completed a “thorough profile scrub.” She later noted that she was “sneaking out the back door" and ignored 1,100 friend requests. (More Eliot Spitzer stories.)