A bachelorette trip for Jade Jones, the fiancée of Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, turned tragic when one of her friends suddenly died.
Makenzi Kern died “unexpectedly” on the vacation in St. Barts earlier this month, according to TMZ.
Kern, 26, passed away due to “health complications” and her family does not expect foul play, drugs or alcohol played a role in her death.
Jones, 28, and Kern met as cheerleaders at Iowa State University, where Haliburton, 26, also played basketball.
Kern died on June 8, shortly before the bachelorette party was due to fly back to the United States.
Jones shared multiple social media posts showing off highlights from the festivities before Kern’s death.
“Hali Ever After!!!!! stay tuned xx,” she wrote via Instagram on June 2, giving a peek into the early days of the trip.
On June 6, Jones shared another carousel of photos via Instagram showing the group at the beach, having a pool party and exploring St. Barts by boat.
“Hopped on a flight to cloud 9,” she captioned the images.
Jones has yet to publicly comment on Kern’s death.
According to her obituary, Kern was “surrounded by her closest friends on a once in a lifetime trip” when she died.
“To know Makenzi was to love her,” the obituary reads. “She lived life to the fullest; she was silly, goofy and could brighten everyone’s spirits when she was around.”
The obituary continues, “She’d be upset with all of us for putting up a fuss about her in this way or making her the center of attention. She liked to fly under the radar, just crack a joke or sarcastic comment and make everyone laugh. One might say that she got her sarcasm from her father. Even though she never wanted to be the center of attention, people gravitated to her. She had a way of making everyone she met a friend. Which is why she has so many long lasting relationships.”
Jones and Haliburton got engaged in July 2025 when the NBA athlete dropped to one knee at Iowa State’s Hilton Coliseum.
“The place where our story started, and where our next chapter begins ❤️💍,” Haliburton shared via Instagram at the time.
In April, Jones celebrated the couple’s anniversary with a nod toward the future.
“7 years & counting…. I cannot wait to be your wife!! 🫶🏼,” she wrote via Instagram. “My best friend in every life time!! I love you so much 🤍.”
