Content creator Ashly Robinson, known online as Ashlee Jenae, has died while on a trip to Zanzibar, Tanzania. She was 31.
Robinson’s family confirmed her death in a statement shared on Sunday (April 12), saying she had been celebrating her birthday and a recent engagement with her fiancé, Joe McCann, when she was “found unconscious in her villa” and rushed to a local hospital, where her death was confirmed hours later.
“But just days later, that dream turned into our family’s worst nightmare,” the family said.
The family described her passing as sudden and said there is still uncertainty surrounding what happened. “At this time there is an active investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ashly’s passing,” the statement read. “Although we have many questions, we are placing our trust in the officials in Zanzibar as we seek clarity and answers.”
Local authorities in Zanzibar have publicly shared a different perspective. According to local reporting, police said they believe Robinson died by suicide and that there were no signs of foul play based on the evidence gathered so far.
Officials also said Robinson and McCann had a “misunderstanding” during the trip and were later placed in separate rooms by hotel staff. Authorities have not accused McCann of any wrongdoing and said they do not plan to pursue legal action against him.
Still, Robinson’s family has made clear they are not treating the matter as settled.
“The suddenness, the unanswered questions, and the distance from home have made this tragedy even more overwhelming for our family,” they said.
Robinson had been documenting moments from the trip on social media in the days leading up to her death. On April 3, she shared a video of McCann proposing during a safari. In what appears to be her final post, shared April 5, she celebrated her 31st birthday, writing, “Chapter 31 and I’m exactly where I need to be.”
“One moment she was celebrating love and life in truly Ashly fashion, and the next, she was gone,” the family said.
Robinson, who built a following of more than 88,000 on Instagram, was known for sharing lifestyle and travel content. Her family described her as “deeply loved,” adding that she was “vibrant, full of life, and had so much ahead of her.”
The investigation into her death remains ongoing.
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