Fiancé of NJ Influencer Ashly Robinson Breaks Silence After Passport Seized in Zanzibar Suicide Probe

The fiancé of New Jersey social media influencer Ashly Robinson, also known as Ashlee Jenae, spoke out for the first time after authorities seized his passport during an investigation into her apparent suicide last month off Africa's coast.

Robinson died on a trip to Zanzibar to celebrate her 31st birthday, days after getting engaged to Joe McCann, her family said. Local authorities ruled her death a suicide after she tried to hang herself from her hotel room door on April 9. She was taken to a hospital and died the next day from her injuries.

McCann posted a lengthy statement on social media. "There are no adequate words to describe the total devastation, emptiness, and shock I feel after losing my best friend, confidante and fiancé, Ashly Jenae Robinson," he said. "As a father myself, I am also heartbroken for Ashly's parents, Yolanda Endres and Harry Robinson. Ashly's death is an incomprehensible tragedy."

He described her creativity as an influencer, her love of music and hosting friends. "Devoted fans knew Ashly through her charismatic online persona Ashlee, but the person I loved was Ashly, a woman who embodied the virtues of compassion, empathy, kindness, generosity, and love," McCann said. "A nurturing presence, Ashly cared deeply for the people closest to her, which to my eternal gratitude included me."

McCann ended with a tribute signed "Joe." "Ashly was an angel who shined her light on everyone fortunate enough to be in her presence. There is no way to fill the unfillable void left by Ashly's passing and no way to make sense of this unfathomable loss," he said. "All we can do is carry on Ashly's legacy of helping other people and strive to live up to her virtues every single day."

The post came the same day her family held her funeral in New Jersey. Sources told TMZ that McCann was not invited.

Tanzania Police said her death stemmed from a "misunderstanding" between Robinson and McCann. Hotel staff moved him to another room for their safety. Authorities said shortly after her death that McCann was still being questioned and his passport was suspended, without giving details.

Sources told the BBC that McCann was interviewed as a witness and faced no accusations. Her remains returned to her family last month, but her father, Harry Robinson, told TMZ her personal items, including her engagement ring, are still held by authorities as the probe continues.

Robinson's parents, Harry and Yolanda Robinson, disputed the suicide ruling in a prior TMZ interview. "She was a beacon of light. A happy, go-lucky girl. Very excited to go on this birthday trip which later turned into a proposal," they said.

The family said McCann waited 11 hours after she reached the hospital to contact them, then only called again to say she had died. They have not heard from him since and find it "very very odd," FOX 29 reported.

"The sadness, the unanswered questions, and the distance from home have made this tragedy even more overwhelming for our family," her parents said in a prior social media statement. "At this time, there is an active investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ashly’s suspicious passing."

Robinson had 145,000 Instagram followers and posted lifestyle content. It is unclear if McCann's passport has been returned or if he is back in the United States.

Fox News Digital contacted McCann's attorney, Zanzibar Police and the U.S. Department of State.