Ashlee Jenae’s fiancé, Joe McCann, says she “quickly spiraled” after a March conversation with her doctor about the possibility she might not be able to carry a child. He describes alarming behavior during a March snowboarding trip in Oregon and later during a
Ashlee Jenae’s birthday trip to Tanzania ended in silence after she was found hanging in her villa, rushed to a hospital, and later died on April 9—days after her cause of death was officially ruled a suicide.
Weeks before that final day, her fiancé, Joe McCann, says her mental state changed fast, and the warnings were there long before they reached Zanzibar. He tells that she “quickly spiraled” and had threatened suicide in the weeks leading up to her death.
McCann says it started with a March chat with her doctor, who he says told her there was a chance she may not be able to carry a child. He says she was “devastated” by the news.
He also links those days to what he describes as a sudden shift in her behavior. McCann says things took a turn weeks before they went to Zanzibar in April. beginning with a March snowboarding trip in Oregon. He describes Ashlee—whose real name is Ashly Robinson—as “completely unrecognizable” on that trip.
According to McCann, Ashlee suffered a concussion when she hit her head on a rock while snowboarding, even though she was wearing a helmet. He says that during the trip she was having panic attacks and public outbursts that he claims were new for her, at least in his experience.
McCann says the suicidal threats began during that Oregon trip.
He adds that at one point during their drive back to the mountain at “high speed” on a rural highway. Ashlee tried to open a car door. He says he pulled over, and she insisted on walking back. According to him, she walked a mile before getting into an Uber. Back at the Oregon house they were staying, he claims she went outside and started walking into traffic.
When the situation settled, McCann says Ashlee began crying and told him she was afraid she couldn’t have a baby with him and that he would leave her. He says he consoled her and assured her he’d never leave. He also says he had bought an engagement ring to show he was committed to her.
McCann says the next day felt like a reversal: he describes it as “like a switch flipped,” claiming Ashlee was “completely back to normal overnight.”
But he says that steadiness didn’t last. When they went to Africa a couple weeks later. McCann says Ashlee became “erratic” once they arrived at the Zuri Zanzibar Resort on April 6. He claims her behavior was “entirely consistent” with how she had been acting in Oregon. including several public outbursts during their time on the island.
He also says she was acting “bizarre” and out of character, chain-smoking cigarettes and drinking wine first thing in the morning.
McCann says throughout the trip Ashlee tried to call off the engagement and demanded he take the ring back. but he says he refused. He tells us that after one public outburst in particular. he asked the resort how much a separate villa would cost. After that. he says he returned to the shared villa to find Ashlee still heated. and he says he called off the engagement.
He describes the argument that followed, saying Ashlee allegedly started yelling and smashing things, telling him, “I hope I choke and die in here tonight.” McCann says the neighboring villa reported the argument to the front desk.
After the argument, he says he voluntarily moved to his own villa. He tried calling Ashlee’s phone and villa multiple times, he claims she refused to answer. He says her last communication to him was simply the word “Stop.”
In the days that followed, social media speculation swelled around Ashlee Jenae’s death. Many people believed the circumstances were suspicious because she appeared to get engaged during the Zanzibar trip.
McCann disputes that story. He says the engagement people saw wasn’t the real thing. He tells that they had actually gotten engaged privately on March 27 after a night out at an NBA game, and he says the safari proposal everyone saw was “just for show” for social media and her followers.
Ashlee Jenae Ashly Robinson suicide Joe McCann Zuri Zanzibar Resort Tanzania Zanzibar Oregon snowboarding trip concussion panic attacks engagement social media speculation NBA game March 27 April 6 April 9