The father of Ashlee Jenae (real name Ashly Robinson) has launched a GoFundMe to deal with the mounting costs of burying his daughter after her sudden death in Tanzania, which is being investigated.

Harry Robinson’s GoFundMe says that the family is “navigating an ongoing investigation and the challenges of being thousands of miles away while trying to bring Ashlee home with dignity and seek answers.”

According to the fundraiser’s description, the donated funds will “support travel costs, arrangements, and unexpected expenses during this time.” The goal for the GoFundMe campaign is $50,000. At the time of this writing, it’s raised just about $16,000.

Authorities in Zanzibar claim that Jenae died by suicide after getting into an argument with her fiancée, Joe McCann, while they were on a couple’s trip in Tanzania. North Unguja Regional Police Commander Benedict Mapujira claims that Janae hung herself inside her room at the Zuri Zanzibar resort on Apr. 9.

She was discovered unconscious and rushed to a hospital where she died on Apr. 10. Zanzibar police believe that Jenae died by suicide, but there’s speculation that foul play could be involved.

According to authorities, Janae was involved in a dispute with McCann before her death, which led to hotel staff reportedly getting involved and separating the two into different rooms.

Robinson previously spoke about the theory that his daughter died by suicide, saying that this was presented to their family early on.

Janae had returned to Tanzania to celebrate her 31st birthday with McCann. On Apr. 3, she posted a video revealing that McCann had proposed to her.

Amidst online speculation about the situation, Cardi B seemingly addressed Janae’s death, writing on X, “That girl did not off herself!!!!”

Jenae’s mother, Yolanda Denis Endres, revealed her thoughts about what happened during an interview with WPVI in Philadelphia. “She’s never done anything that would ever, ever lead me to believe that she would do something to harm herself,” Endres said.
Ashlee Jenae's Death Ruled a Suicide by African Authorities
Image Courtesy of Ashlee Jenae. Used with Permission.

Authorities in Zanzibar say lifestyle influencer Ashlee Jenae died by suicide following an argument with her fiancé during the couple’s trip to Tanzania, a development that has intensified public scrutiny around the case.

According to TMZ, North Unguja Regional Police Commander Benedict Mapujira said that Ashlee, whose legal name was Ashly Robinson, died after allegedly hanging herself inside her room at the Zuri Zanzibar resort on April 9.

Per The Citizen, hotel staff had already intervened earlier in the day after Robinson and her fiancé, Joe McCann, got into a dispute severe enough that the couple was moved into separate rooms.

Mapujira said resort employees became increasingly concerned about Robinson’s condition and contacted authorities after she was believed to be at risk of harming herself.

“The fiancé, as it was reported, had disagreements, and later hotel management decided to separate their rooms, so the woman had her own room, and the man had his own room,” he said.

Police said Robinson was still alive when officers were notified and was transported to a hospital, where she died the following day.

Previously, her family said there was still no official determination and characterized the circumstances surrounding her death as suspicious. Robinson’s father, Harry, said the suicide theory was presented to the family early on, but stressed that investigators have not yet provided them with a final ruling.

Robinson had traveled to Tanzania to celebrate her 31st birthday and became engaged to McCann during the trip. On April 3, she posted video of the proposal during a safari.

Two days later, she shared what would become her final Instagram post, showing herself feeding a giraffe beside rose petals spelling out “HBD Ashlee.” She captioned the image, “Chapter 31 and I’m exactly where I need to be.”

In the days after her death, Robinson’s family urged the public not to treat unofficial reports as fact while they worked with local officials, the U.S. embassy, and a funeral director to bring her body home.

“One moment she was celebrating love and life in true Ashly fashion, and the next, she was gone,” the family said in a statement. They added that the “unanswered questions” surrounding the case have made the loss even more difficult.

Online speculation has continued to grow, with some social media users questioning the official timeline and calling for additional investigation. Authorities, however, say McCann has not been detained and that there is currently no basis for criminal charges. “We can’t take legal action or detain him under these circumstances,” Mapujira said.

Robinson’s family says they are still waiting for final answers as the investigation continues.