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Makenzi Kern was busy celebrating her friend Jade Jones‘ upcoming wedding just days before suddenly dying on Jones’ bachelorette trip.
Jones, the fiancée of Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, tagged Kern in photos from the vacation to St. Barts, which took a tragic turn on June 8 when Kern “unexpectedly” died. She was 26.
Kern passed away due to “health complications” and her family does not expect foul play, drugs or alcohol played a role in her death, according to TMZ. An official cause of death has not been publicly released.
Jones and her crew of friends were all smiles in multiple posts shared via Instagram before Kern’s death, showing the group enjoying pool time, taking a boat excursion and getting dressed up for fancy dinners. Kern was also tagged in a photo posted on June 3 by Destiny Crump, who was also on the trip.
“my mommy so hot,” Kern commented on one of Jones’ photo carousels, which was posted on June 2.
Jones, 28, and Kern met as cheerleaders at Iowa State University, where Haliburton, 26, was also a basketball star.
Kern supported her friend at her Chicago bridal shower in April, even getting into one of their old cheerleading formations to hoist Jones up in the sky.
“The bridal shower of my literal DREAMS!!!!”” Jones shared via Instagram at the time. “I will never get over this weekend!! I have the best support system & women surrounding me with so much love!! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world 💕🎀🌸.”
Kern commented, “love you so much 🩵.”
Jones has not commented publicly on Kern’s death.
According to her obituary, Kern was “surrounded by her closest friends on a once in a lifetime trip” at the time of her death.
“To know Makenzi was to love her,” her obituary reads. “She lived life to the fullest; she was silly, goofy and could brighten everyone’s spirits when she was around. She grew up in Council Bluffs Iowa and graduated from Lewis Central High School in 2018. She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in 2022 in Human Development and Family Studies from Iowa State University where she cheered for the Cyclones. During her time at ISU, she deepened her friendships there that she maintained way beyond her days at ISU.”
Kern’s final days were spent playfully experiencing what she enjoyed most.
“She loved the water,” her obituary continues. “She talked her mom into going to the pool to go swimming in the middle of a rain storm during their trip to Disneyworld. She was a mama’s girl those early years and could talk her into just about anything. She loved boating with her dad, water skiing, and got to try out a Seabob for the first time in St Barths. According to her friends, they had to drag her off because she loved it so much, evidence that she was having an amazing time.”
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