As new details emerge in the startling death of lifestyle influencer Ashlee Jenae, everyone from Cardi B to Joe Schmoe has an opinion on the unsettling case.
Born Ashly Robinson, the Miami-based influencer was celebrating her 31st birthday with a luxurious trip to Tanzania with her older white fiancé, Joe McCann, 45, who she had been dating for about a year and a half, according to her parents. McCaan surprised his girlfriend with a romantic proposal during a safari, complete with a rare albino lion. Ashlee shared the intimate moments with her 120,000 Instagram followers, painting a picture of a promising future full of love and leisure.
“Chapter 31 and I’m exactly where i need to be,” she wrote on April 5.
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However, just days after her dreamy birthday and engagement, the trip turned into a nightmare when she was found unresponsive in her hotel room and then rushed to a local hospital. Ashlee died the following day, on Friday, April 10. McCann, a cryptocurrency dealer in the United States, reportedly told authorities that she died by suicide, specifically by hanging in a wardrobe using cloth from her dress.
Earlier, the couple had an argument so intense that the staff at Zuri Zanzibar, the hotel they were staying at, had to intervene and separate them into different rooms. Local authorities were contacted because of concern about Ashlee’s well-being, according to a report from TMZ.
BBC reports that Zanzibar’s North Unguja police chief Benedict Mapujira said the case was reported late last Wednesday at a nearby police station after hotel staff raised the alarm over a guest suspected to be suicidal.
Earlier today, Ashlee’s parents, Harry and Yolanda, spoke with the outlet about the mysterious circumstances surrounding their daughter’s death. Harry revealed that McCann only reached out to them once, 11 hours after Ashlee was taken to the hospital, which her father described as “really strange.” Harry said McCann assured them everything was fine, but ultimately she ended up dead. The family says they have not heard from him since.
“We’re not too sure what happened. That’s what we’re trying to figure out. I got two emails today from the embassy in Zanzibar, and they said the investigation is still ongoing. We have not determined the cause of death yet at all,” said Harry. “We just want answers.”
The family wants to review surveillance footage from the hotel where Ashlee’s unconscious body was found to put a timeline together. Her father has launched a GoFundMe with a $50K goal to cover the cost of returning her body to the States and other mounting expenses as they deal with an ongoing investigation overseas, per TMZ.
The BBC also reports that earlier today the Zanzibar police said in a statement that McCann is speaking to police as a witness and has had his passport “withheld,” although no arrests have been made. Previously, police told local media that McCann was not suspected of any wrongdoing.
The case has garnered worldwide attention and spurred conversations about interracial dating, materialism, influencer lifestyle, suicide, femicide, mental health, and the killing of Black women.
Here are 25 social media reactions to the cryptic case. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.