This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The fiancé of a popular New Jersey social media influencer is breaking his silence after having his passport seized by authorities amid an investigation into her apparent suicide while the pair was vacationing off the coast of Africa last month.
Ashly Robinson, who was also known as Ashlee Jenae, died while on a trip to Zanzibar celebrating her 31st birthday just days after getting engaged to her boyfriend, Joe McCann, according to her family members.
McCann, who initially had his passport seized by Zanzibar authorities amid the investigation into Robinson’s death, spoke out for the first time in a lengthy statement posted to social media.
“There are no adequate words to describe the total devastation, emptiness, and shock I feel after losing my best friend, confidante and fiancé, Ashly Jenae Robinson,” McCann said. “As a father myself, I am also heartbroken for Ashly’s parents, Yolanda Endres and Harry Robinson. Ashly’s death is an incomprehensible tragedy.”
The grieving fiancé went on to remember Robinson’s creativity as an influencer, as well as her love of music and hosting gatherings with her friends.
“Devoted fans knew Ashly through her charismatic online persona Ashlee, but the person I loved was Ashly, a woman who embodied the virtues of compassion, empathy, kindness, generosity, and love,” McCann continued. “A nurturing presence, Ashly cared deeply for the people closest to her, which to my eternal gratitude included me.”
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McCann finished the post with an emotional tribute to Robinson, signed “Joe.”
“Ashly was an angel who shined her light on everyone fortunate enough to be in her presence. There is no way to fill the unfillable void left by Ashly’s passing and no way to make sense of this unfathomable loss,” McCann said. “All we can do is carry on Ashly’s legacy of helping other people and strive to live up to her virtues every single day.”
The post comes on the same day Robinson’s family laid her to rest in New Jersey, with sources telling TMZ that McCann was not invited to the content creator’s funeral.
Robinson’s death was ruled a suicide after she attempted to hang herself from her door in her hotel room on April 9, local authorities said. She was subsequently transported to a local hospital, where she died from her injuries one day later.
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Tanzania Police previously revealed Robinson’s death is “attributed to a misunderstanding” between the influencer and McCann, while adding that the incident forced hotel staff to separate the newly engaged couple by placing McCann in another room “for their safety.”
Shortly after her death, local authorities said McCann “continues to be questioned by the Police Force and his passport has been suspended,” but did not elaborate on the nature of the investigation.
Sources told the BBC that McCann was being interviewed as a witness in the case and is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Robinson’s remains were returned to her family last month, though her personal belongings — including her engagement ring — have yet to be handed over by authorities, her father, Harry Robinson, told TMZ.
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Her father reportedly said he believes the items are being held by authorities as the investigation remains ongoing.
In the immediate aftermath of Robinson’s death, her family spoke out to dispute authorities’ ruling that the 31-year-old influencer died by suicide.
In a previous interview with TMZ, Robinson’s parents, Harry and Yolanda Robinson, rejected authorities’ ruling that their daughter would take her own life, adding, “She was a beacon of light. A happy, go-lucky girl. Very excited to go on this birthday trip which later turned into a proposal.”
Her family also reportedly said that McCann waited 11 hours after Robinson was transported to the hospital before he contacted them, and only reached back out again to inform them she had passed.
Robinson’s parents told TMZ they have not heard from McCann since she died, a development that they find “very very odd,” FOX 29 reported.
“The sadness, the unanswered questions, and the distance from home have made this tragedy even more overwhelming for our family,” Robinson’s parents said in a previous statement shared to social media.
“At this time, there is an active investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ashly’s suspicious passing,” they added.
Robinson, a popular social media influencer, had 145,000 followers on Instagram and regularly posted lifestyle content.
Details regarding the status of McCann’s passport and whether he has since returned to the United States remain unclear.
Fox News Digital reached out to McCann’s attorney, Zanzibar Police and the U.S. Department of State.
