The final images from what was supposed to be a dream celebration have surfaced, offering a poignant glimpse of joy before tragedy struck the bachelorette party of Tyrese Haliburton's fiancée, Jade Jones.
Makenzi Kern, a 26-year-old Iowa State University graduate and close friend of Jones, died from a medical emergency on June 8 while on the lavish trip to St. Barts. Her family confirmed the news, stating she passed away “surrounded by her closest friends on a once in a lifetime trip.”
Photos posted by Jones on Instagram two days before Kern's death show the group of 13 women basking in Caribbean sunshine. In one image, Kern beams with arms outstretched, wearing a blue two-piece outfit as the squad poses by the pool with champagne flutes. Another snap captures the suntanned bridal crew on a boat, toasting to “Hali Ever After” — a playful nod to the Indiana Pacers star's last name.
“She loved the water,” Kern's obituary reads. “She talked her mom into going to the pool to go swimming in the middle of a rain storm during their trip to Disneyworld.” The tribute describes Kern as someone who “lived life to the fullest; she was silly, goofy and could brighten everyone’s spirits.”
Kern, who cheered for the Cyclones at Iowa State — the same college where Haliburton made his name — had nearly 5,000 Instagram followers. Her last post was in February 2024. Her family does not believe foul play, drugs, or alcohol played any role in her death.
The tragedy has drawn attention to the dangers of how media covers sudden deaths of young people. Jones has not publicly addressed her friend's death, but the photos she shared remain as a bittersweet reminder of a celebration that turned to heartbreak.
Kern graduated from Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 2018 and earned a bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Iowa State in 2022. Her friends remember her as someone who could light up any room and who loved boating with her dad, water skiing, and trying new adventures — including a seabob she got to use for the first time in St. Barts.
“According to her friends, they had to drag her off because she loved it so much, evidence that she was having an amazing time,” the obituary notes.
This heartbreaking incident echoes other recent tragedies that have shaken the sports world, including the sudden passing of former NFL star Aldon Smith. While the circumstances differ, the loss of vibrant young lives always leaves a void.
As the Haliburton family and their friends mourn, the final photos from St. Barts stand as a testament to a life filled with laughter, sunshine, and love — cut far too short.
