Don’t do Kern he was busy celebrating his friend Jade Jones‘ upcoming wedding just days before Jones’ untimely death on her bachelorette tour.
Jones, the fiancee of the Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburtontagged Kern in photos from a vacation to St. Barts, which took a tragic turn on June 8 when Kern died “suddenly”. He was 26 years old.
Kern died of “health complications” and his family does not expect foul play, drugs or alcohol to have played a role in his death, according to TMZ. The official cause of death has not been released publicly.
Jones and her crew of friends were all smiles in a series of Instagram posts before Kern’s death, showing the group enjoying pool time, going on boat trips and dressing up for fancy dinners. Kern was also tagged in a photo posted on June 3 by Destiny Crumpwho was also on the trip.
“My mom is so hot,” Kern said in one of Jones’ photo carousels, posted on June 2.
Jones, 28, and Kern met as cheerleaders at Iowa State University, where Haliburton, 26, is also a basketball star.
Kern supported her friend at her bridal shower in Chicago in April, even getting into one of their classic sweeps to lift Jones into the sky.
“The bridal shower of my absolute DREAMS!!!!”” Jones shared on Instagram at the time. “I can’t finish this weekend!! I have the best support system and women around me with so much love!! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world 💕🎀🌸.”
Kern said, “I love you so much 🩵.”
Jones has not commented publicly on Kern’s death.
According to his obituary, Kern was “surrounded by his closest friends on his life’s journey” at the time of his death.
“To know Makenzi was to love him,” reads his obituary. “He lived life to the fullest; he was sassy, no-nonsense and made everyone happy where he was. He grew up in Council Bluffs Iowa and graduated from Lewis Central High School in 2018. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in 2022 in Human Development and Family Studies at Iowa State University where he enjoyed the deep friendships he made with the Cyclones that lasted beyond his days at ISU.”
Kern’s final days were spent enjoying what he enjoyed most.
“He loved the water,” his obituary continued. “He told his mom to go swimming in the middle of a rain storm when they visited Disneyworld. He was a momma’s girl at that age and could talk to her about anything. He loved boating with his dad, water skiing, and even got to try the Seabob for the first time in St Barths. According to his friends, they had proof that he loved him very much.”
