UPDATE — 4/15/26, 4:32 p.m. ET: The family of Ashlee Jenae claimed that they have not heard from the late influencer’s fiancé Joe McCann since her death.
Jenae’s family claimed to TMZ that McCann got in contact with them 11 hours after Jenae was taken to a hospital. Jenae’s father told the outlet he found that to be “really strange.” The father shared that McCann told them that everything was fine, but Jenae was allegedly pronounced dead at the hospital. (A cause of death has not been revealed at this time.)
Original story below.
The family of influencer Ashlee Jenae, whose real name is Ashly Robinson, is mourning her death at age 31.
“Ashly Robinson, was on what should have been one of the happiest trips of her life, a birthday celebration in Zanzibar, Africa. Ashly’s birthday was April 5th, she just turned 31,” a statement from the Robinson and Endres family read via Instagram on Sunday, April 12. “Surrounded by beauty, love and wildlife, she became engaged during a safari, an unforgettable moment that marked the start of a future she was so excited to build.”
The statement continued, “She and her fiancé, Joe McCann, were staying in a luxury villa at the Zuri Zanzibar, continuing what we believed was her dream trip. But just days later, that dream turned into our family’s worst nightmare. Ashly was found unconscious in her villa and was rushed to a local hospital, where her death was confirmed hours later.”
The statement noted that “nothing about this loss feels real,” explaining that “one moment she was celebrating love and life in truly Ashly fashion, and the next, she was gone.”
“The suddenness, the unanswered questions, and the distance from home have made this tragedy even more overwhelming for our family,” the statement read. “At this time, there is an active investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ashly’s suspicious passing. Although we have many questions, we are placing our trust in the officials in Zanzibar and are working closely with them as we seek clarity and answers.”
The statement continued, “Ashly was deeply loved. She was vibrant, full of life, and had so much ahead of her. Our family is completely devastated, and we appreciate the prayers, and compassion we have received as we navigate this unimaginable loss. We respectfully ask that any information not directly provided by our family be treated as unverified and not considered factual at this time.”
In the caption, the family tagged Robsinon and added the hashtags, “#justiceforashly #ashleejenae.”
Users mourned Robinson in the comments section of the post, writing, “Im so sorry for your loss, my deepest condolences, my prayers are with her loved ones and family at this time 🙏🏽🤍🕊️ May she rest in paradise.”
Another added, “Praying for justice and clarity. Thank you for an update. This is heartbreaking.”
Robinson, who has more than 90,000 Instagram followers, shared her last post on April 5. In the image, Robinson posed while feeding a giraffe as rose petals spelled on the floor, “HBD Ashlee.”
“Chapter 31 and I’m exactly where i need to be,” she wrote.
