Ashly Robinson, popularly known online as Ashlee Jenae, has died at the age of 31 while on vacation in Zanzibar.
Her family confirmed her passing in an Instagram statement, revealing that Robinson had travelled to the island with her fiancé, Joe McCann, to celebrate her 31st birthday on April 5.
The couple reportedly got engaged during the trip, with Jenae sharing clips from the moment with her more than 113,000 Instagram followers on April 3.
According to the family statement, Robinson was later found unconscious in her luxury villa at the Zuri Zanzibar resort. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead hours later.
The family described her death as “suspicious” and confirmed that an active investigation is ongoing. They urged the public to avoid speculation and to rely on official updates from authorities in Zanzibar, adding that they are working closely with officials “as we seek clarity and answers”.
“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. 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 reads.
“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.
“Nothing about this loss feels real. 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. 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. 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.”
Authorities in Tanzania, however, have presented a different account, alleging that Robinson died by suicide.
They also claimed there was a “misunderstanding” between Robinson and McCann before her death, which reportedly led hotel management to separate the couple into different rooms.
A few days before her death, the influencer had posted clips from her trip showing her feeding local wildlife, captioning one post: “Chapter 31 and I’m exactly where i need to be,”.