This is one of these stories that no matter what angle you tell it from, someone gets pissed. Last week I interviewed Jay Ashley and he happens to mention, in passing, that he and Aurora Snow broke up. Ashley, being a consummate gentleman, told me that Snow was now seeing writer Richard Abowitz.

Then Abowitz sends an e-mail this morning that sounds like he’s not too happy with the fact that Ashley reported any of this. Then the word goes round that Snow might not be too happy with the fact that Abowitz didn’t sound too happy in his comments. And my head hurts.

All Jay Ashley now wants to do is make it clear that he wishes Snow nothing but the best. Which is what it sounded like in the beginning. Ashley also wants to add one other element to what’s now become a theatre of the absurd.

“This has become completely asinine,” says Ashley whose ears must have been ringing today.

“To clarify, I did not introduce the two of them- they met at a convention. I encouraged those two to hang together because they’re more intellectual equals than her and I were. That’s just fine. To clear another issue up, I have no ill will towards Aurora. I love her so much it’s not even funny. Right now it’s not meant to be. So she needs to be where she’s happy. And I understand that.”

“Richard may have gotten a little overprotective and I guess my only advice is that he should talk to his girl before he gets online,” Ashley says.

“Aurora and I had a personal issue as any relationship does. We couldn’t work through it. The problem lies in things I did to upset Aurora. Richard thought I was angry and trashing her and that wasn’t the case. I encouraged those two to hang out because I thought he was a stand up guy. And I still do, He’s a nice guy and he’s great for her as a friend. But he doesn’t know the ins and outs of what our relationship was. It was 7 1/2 years.”

“I know he compares it to his, but there is no comparison. Our relationship burned bright, it burned hard, it burned fast. And it burned out and it’s really sad. I like him. I think he’s great for her as a friend. He helps her out. He introduces her to good people and he keeps her exactly on what she needs to be focused on which is herself and her career. I commend him for that.”

“I love Aurora to death with all my heart and soul,” Ashley continues.

“I hope to God we can maintain some semblance of a friendship so that one day we might be able to work things out. Right now her and I are just struggling to get a friendship going. And I’m trying very hard to maintain a friendship with her.”