Influencer discovered lifeless after weird proposal video with lion and ‘struggle’ with fiancé
Influencer Ashlee Jenae has died aged 31 in “suspicious” circumstances in Zanzibar after posting a safari proposal video featuring a white lioness, with reports of a “blowout fight”
Ashlee Jenae (legal name Ashly Robinson), was a 31-year-old lifestyle influencer(Image: ashleejenae/Instagram)
An influencer has died at the age 31 in suspicious circumstances after her partner had proposed to her in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Ashlee Jenae, whose legal name was Ashly Robinson, had been on a trip for her 31st birthday with her fiancé Joe McCann a crypto hedge fund founder.
Days earlier, she had posted a video of McCann proposing to her during a safari. The heartfelt video, which featured a white lioness in front of the couple, became a major talking point after the tragedy that followed just days later.
The clip shows Robinson and McCann strolling hand-in-hand behind the big cat in a savanna-style setting, before McCann drops to one knee and produces a large diamond ring.
Robinson appears to accept immediately, with the pair hugging and kissing for the camera. Robinson captioned the post simply “somewhere in Africa”, but reports have claimed the proposal scene was filmed at Serval Wildlife Resort in the Siha District near Mount Kilimanjaro, a luxury lodge known for close-up animal encounters.
The romantic trip reportedly took a darker turn on April 8, when Robinson is said to have phoned her mother, Yolanda Endres, and told her she and McCann had a “blowout fight” and were staying in separate rooms at their luxury resort. On April 9, McCann reportedly called Robinson’s parents to say she was being taken to hospital and was “stable”, HuffPost reported.
Nevertheless, Robinson was reportedly later found unconscious in her villa and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a local hospital. Local reports and a hospital document initially suggested she died by suicide, stating hanging and listing the cause of death as cerebral hypoxia from strangulation and suffocation.
McCann had also said that Robinson had taken her own life, Bild reported. However, her family and friends have strongly disputed that account, saying she was happy and had no history of self-harm.
As for the proposal video, despite some viewers questioning whether the lioness was edited in, reports say the animal was real, with the resort’s animals acclimatised to humans, giving the video its “staged” look, NJ reported. Robinson had also posted pictures feeding a giraffe at the same location in the days before her death.
Now, the clip is being repeatedly shared by Robinson’s family and friends, who say it shows her looking vibrant and happy shortly before she was found dead.
Additionally, the couple had argued so intensely that hotel staff intervened and placed them in separate rooms.
Relatives and supporters have consequently called for #JusticeForAshly on social media and are requesting access to resort CCTV as they seek answers about what happened.
McCann has not been arrested or charged and is being treated as a witness, but as of mid-April his passport has reportedly been confiscated to ensure he remains in the country for questioning while authorities await official autopsy results.
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