Lifestyle influencer Ashlee Jenae was celebrating what appeared to be the happiest week of her life when her trip to Tanzania took a devastating turn. Days after getting engaged during a safari and marking her 31st birthday, the influencer, whose real name was Ashly Robinson, died under circumstances her family now describes as suspicious.
According to TMZ, Ashlee had traveled to Tanzania with her fiancé, Joe McCann, for a birthday trip that quickly became a major moment in her life. On April 3, she shared a video of McCann proposing during a safari, capturing him down on one knee against the backdrop of the African landscape.
The couple had also spent time at the luxury Serval Wildlife Resort, where rooms can cost nearly $950 per night, before continuing their stay at a private villa at Zuri Zanzibar.
Just two days later, Ashlee posted what would become her final social media update. The April 5 post showed her feeding a giraffe while standing beside red and white rose petals arranged to spell out “HBD Ashlee.”
In the caption, she wrote, “Chapter 31 and I’m exactly where I need to be.” Friends and followers flooded the post with birthday wishes, unaware it would be her last.
On Sunday, April 12, Ashlee’s family released a statement confirming that she was later found unresponsive in her villa. “That dream turned into our family’s worst nightmare,” the statement read.
According to the family, she was rushed to a local hospital after being discovered unconscious, but doctors pronounced her dead hours later.
The family said authorities in Zanzibar are actively investigating what happened and made clear that they do not believe all of the facts have been established.
“At this time there is an active investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ashly’s suspicious passing,” the family said.
They added that they are cooperating with officials as they search for answers and urged the public not to treat any information released outside of the family as confirmed.
Ashlee's family also pushed back on reports circulating online about how she died. In their statement, they said any information not released directly by the family should be treated as unverified while the investigation remains ongoing. That response came after claims surfaced from people close to the situation alleging that McCann told others Ashlee died by suicide.
For now, officials in Zanzibar have not publicly announced a cause of death, and no determination has been released by investigators.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or visit 988lifeline.org for support.
