Joe McCann is fighting back against the public speculation that has surrounded him since the tragic death of his fiancée, influencer Ashlee Jenae. In an extensive new interview with TMZ, McCann is sharing a treasure trove of text messages, photos, and personal accounts to clear his name once and for all.
Ashlee Jenae, born Ashlee Jenae Robinson, was found unconscious in her Zanzibar, Tanzania villa on April 9 after celebrating her 31st birthday and getting engaged just days earlier. Despite the Zanzibar Police Force officially ruling her death a suicide and clearing McCann of any criminal charges, the court of public opinion had already convicted him.
McCann alleges that Jenae suffered from childhood trauma that she hid from everyone, including her family. He claims she was silently struggling with declining mental health, which only worsened when she learned she may not be able to conceive children. McCann says Jenae picked Zanzibar for her birthday and planned the entire trip, but once they arrived, her recently growing “outbursts” continued.
He also reveals that the public engagement seen on social media wasn’t real, they had actually gotten engaged privately on March 27, and the safari proposal was staged for her followers. Authorities later confirmed that Jenae had asked ChatGPT a disturbing question about suicide weeks before her death, and her phone contained farewell messages and evidence of depression.
McCann says that during a heated argument, Jenae told him to call off their engagement, something he initially refused to do. He eventually gave in, and she responded by destroying her villa. Later that night, she sent him chilling messages: “Don’t let anyone I didn’t like carry my casket… No attempt this time. Goodbye Joe.”
He says he tried desperately to reach her and eventually broke into her villa when she wouldn’t respond, finding her unresponsive. Hotel staff and local authorities attempted to render aid, but to no avail. Her cause of death was listed as cerebral hypoxia caused by strangulation and suffocation.
In Jenae’s honor, McCann is planning to create a nonprofit foundation dedicated to preventing self-harm. “Her death will not be in vain, and her legacy will be preserved,” he said.
