Cause of Death Revealed for Influencer Ashlee Jenae, 31, Who Died on Vacation with Her Fiancé in Tanzania

NEED TO KNOW

• A cause of death has been revealed for Ashlee Jenae, the 31-year-old influencer who died while on vacation in Tanzania with her fiancé, Joe McCann

• The content creator — whose legal name was Ashly Robinson — died on April 9, per multiple reports; her family confirmed the tragic news days later with an Instagram statement

• The case initially garnered intrigue after authorities said they were questioning McCann, though he was not accused of any wrongdoing

Ashlee Jenae’s cause of death has been determined.

According to local outlet The Citizen, authorities concluded their investigation of the 31-year-old influencer’s death in April, while she was on a trip with her fiancé, Joe McCann, to the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania. Working through the Criminal Investigation Department, the Zanzibar Police Force reportedly found that she died by suicide as a result of mental distress.

The content creator — whose legal name was Ashly Robinson — was pronounced dead in the hospital on April 9, per the Tanzanian news source.

Ashlee Jenae and her fiancé Joe McCann.
Credit: Ashlee Jenae/Instagram

Robinson shared a range of lifestyle content to her 88,000 followers on Instagram. The content creator, who was based in Portland, Ore., also frequently posted with McCann, sharing photos of their date nights and vacations.

The case initially garnered intrigue after police said that they were questioning McCann — to whom Robinson had gotten engaged days before her death — and had temporarily withheld his travel documentation as the investigation into her death continued. (He was not accused of any wrongdoing.)

On May 5, McCann, who had not previously publicly addressed Robinson’s death, shared a lengthy statement on X. In his post, he reflected on his grief and remembered his relationship with the late internet personality, calling her death an “incomprehensible tragedy.”

“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,” he opened the message. “As a father myself, I am also heartbroken for Ashly’s parents, Yolanda Endres and Harry Robinson.”

McCann continued: “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. A nurturing presence, Ashly cared deeply for the people closest to her, which to my eternal gratitude included me. She fattened me up with her amazing cooking and had a great relationship with my kids. Each day, we shared both quiet moments of reflection and the many joys of being in love with each other.”

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“What Ashly desired most was to become a mother and to raise a family together,” he added. “There is no question that she would have been an amazing mom.”

Robinson’s family first shared the news of her death in a statement on April 12. In the wake of her death, her parents opened a GoFundMe, where they raised over $64,000 to support funeral arrangements and travel costs.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.

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