The partner of a social media influencer is opening up about her sudden death on their luxury vacation in Africa.
Joseph Isaac McCann, 45, was engaged to Ashly Robinson, 31, when she was found dead in April. Atlanta Black Star previously reported the couple was on vacation at a resort in Zanzibar.
The Tanzanian authorities closed the investigation, ruling it a suicide.
Speculation grew around the circumstances surrounding Robinson’s death. The influencer, also known as Ashlee Jenae, appeared to be thriving with the love of her life.
Her family said they didn’t hear from McCann until the next day.
“He told me that Ashly did something to herself and she was being taken to the hospital, and he told me she was stable,” her mother, Yolanda Denise Endres, told WPVI. “I said what happened, and he told me it had been 11 hours prior.”
McCann sat down with TMZ’s Charlie Neff, seemingly to clear his name.
“To understand what happened in those final days, it’s important to understand what happened a few weeks prior to us leaving for Tanzania,” McCann said.
According to McCann, Robinson was told by her doctor earlier this year that she wasn’t able to carry a child.
“That night she broke down crying. I consoled her, held her, and told her everything was going to be okay and that we’re still going to have a baby,” he told TMZ.
McCann is the founder of Asymmetrical Financial and likely has the resources to look into alternative ways to have children.
But in March, McCann said Robinson hit her head while on a snowboarding trip. He claimed she refused to go to the hospital to get checked out for a concussion.
Robinson eventually went to the hospital and was diagnosed with a concussion. McCann insinuated this led to her developing a mental illness.
“Ashly was completely unrecognizable in her actions and words,” he said. “A different person. She was visibly upset.”
Concussions are a common type of traumatic brain injury, but they can have a significant impact on someone’s mental health. Lone Star Neurology says it can depend on how severe the patient hit their head.
According to McCann, authorities uncovered a conversation between Robinson and ChatGPT. He said she asked the program about taking significant amounts of Valium as well as how much Valium it would take to kill her.
McCann said Robinson’s behavior took a bizarre turn when they went to Zanzibar.
“She was chain smoking cigarettes (Ashly didn’t smoke). She woke up and drank a bottle of white wine immediately (I’d never seen her drink in the morning except maybe a glass of wine or mimosa at brunch),” McCann told TMZ. “This was not Ashly at all. This was someone else.”
The day before Robinson was found dead, the couple got into an argument on the beach. McCann seemingly blamed Robinson for an “outburst” that caught security’s attention.
That’s when McCann said he decided to inquire about a separate villa.
He said that when he went back to the room, Robinson tried to start another argument.
“It was at this moment that I finally told her, ‘OK, give me the ring back. The engagement is off.’ She reacted by yelling, smashing lamps and glassware in the room, and telling me, among other things: ‘I hope I choke and die in here tonight’.”
McCann told TMZ later that evening that he received a series of ominous texts from Robinson.
“Sorry, I wasn’t enough; I tried my best. Goodbye forever. Remember me as someone who cared,” she wrote. “Don’t let anyone I didn’t like carry my casket.”
Many people online speculated that McCann had something to do with Robinson’s death. One factor is that McCann is white and Robinson is Black.
“Any insinuation that I had anything to do with Ashly’s death is categorically false, defamatory, and malicious,” McCann told TMZ.
McCann asserted he never harmed Robinson. He claimed she became physical with him on “more than one occasion.” He said he believed it was trauma from previous abusive relationships.
“I regret that I couldn’t alleviate Ashly’s deep mental anguish and pain sooner,” he told TMZ. “She shared numerous deeply disturbing things with me.”
McCann said Robinson’s family didn’t invite him to the funeral. Respecting their decision, he said he posted a eulogy on his social media.
McCann is setting up a foundation in honor of Robinson to support people struggling with mental health issues.
“As a father myself, I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to lose a child,” McCann said, referring to Robinson’s family. “Ashly was my soulmate, and I will never allow her to be forgotten.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness, call the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
