Members of Jade Jones’ bachelorette party have broken their silence on the death of Makenzi Kern, who died suddenly on the group’s trip to St. Barts.
Multiple women who were on the vacation left comments on Jones’ emotional message about Kern’s death, which she posted on Wednesday, June 17.
“My best friends in this life and the next. she’s forever watching over you J 🩷,” wrote Abbie McIntosh, who joined Jones and Kern as cheerleaders at Iowa State University.
Jones also met her fiancée, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, at Iowa State.
“The most beautiful girls in the world,” wrote Jones’ friend and fashion stylist Destiny Crump. She added, “Angel girl!!! I love you so much 😭🤍.”
Jones’ friend Jillian Carlson commented, “The best guardian angel 🤍” and “The most beautiful girls in the world.”
Carlson also shared a photo via her Instagram Story of herself, Jones and Kern from Jones’ bridal shower in April, alongside three white heart emojis.
Kern died due to unexpected “health complications” on June 8 while in St. Barts. She was 26. No cause of death has been released publicly.
Her family does not expect foul play, drugs or alcohol to have played a role in her death, according to TMZ.
“Kenzi was the funniest, goofiest person I’ve ever met,” Jones shared via Instagram on Wednesday. “She was always making me belly laugh. She had such a gift of bringing happiness to every room she was in. Some of my favorite memories with Kenzi are the simple ones- spending a summer living in her city, leaving our mark on the capital district, running around our cars at stop lights, cheering on the bandshell together, obsessing over The Office, dancing on countertops to Hannah Montana, and watching her light up anytime she got to be on a boat. She truly found happiness in all the little things in life.”
Jones said that Kern “supported Tyrese and me through every chapter,” calling her late friend the couple’s “biggest cheerleader.”
“I can’t even imagine our wedding day without her there celebrating with us,” Jones said. “The day will not be the same without her, but I know she will show us she is there somehow. She has been there for all of our moments since the day I met Tyrese. But Kenz will forever live on in my memories, my laughter, my stories, and in the person I am because of her. I will never stop laughing about all our memories together.”
She continued, “I am forever grateful that I got to love someone as truly special as Kenzi, and to have been loved back by her. Kenz was truly a light in this world, and that light will continue to shine in everyone who was lucky enough to know her. I love you forever until the end of time Kenzi. You are truly so beautiful inside and out & a once-in-a-lifetime kind of friend. Thank you for always showing up for me, for making me laugh until I cry, and for being such an unforgettable part of my life. I’ll always miss you but I know you’ll be with me, wherever I go.”
