Was the Ashley Madison website ever shut down?

No, the Ashley Madison website has never been permanently shut down. Despite a highly publicized security breach in 2015, in which hackers accessed user data and threatened to release it unless the site was closed, Ashley Madison remained operational. The company behind the website, Avid Life Media (now rebranded as Ruby Corporation), faced significant scrutiny and legal action but worked to bolster its security measures and continued to offer its services. This event did lead to heightened awareness regarding digital security and personal privacy online, but it did not result in the permanent closure of Ashley Madison.