A Caribbean bachelorette party hosted by Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton’s fiancée ended in tragedy as one of the attendees died just two days after turning 26.
Makenzi Kern passed away unexpectedly from health complications, a source familiar with the situation told TMZ. Her family does not suspect foul play or that her death was caused by drugs or alcohol.
According to her obituary from her native Iowa, Kern was ‘surrounded by her closest friends on a once in a lifetime trip to St. Barthelemy Island’ when she passed away.
Haliburton’s fiancée Jade Jones previously posted several pictures from the trip before Kern’s passing on June 8. Kern celebrated her birthday on the island just two days earlier.
Like Haliburton and his fiancée, Kern attended Iowa State, where she was a cheerleading teammate of Jones’. Neither Haliburton nor Jones have commented publicly on last week’s tragedy in St. Barthelemy.
Kern is survived by her parents, step parents, sister, step siblings, grandparents and her boyfriend.
Makenzi Kern passed away unexpectedly from health complications, a source told TMZ . Her family does not suspect foul play or that her death was caused by drugs or alcohol
Makenzi Kern (right) died while on a bachelorette party trip with her friend Jade Jones (left)
Jones and Haliburton have been since attending Iowa State with Kern seven years ago
‘She loved the water,’ read Kern’s obituary. ‘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.’
‘Kenz,’ as she was known, was working as a membership director for a YMCA branch in Nebraska.
Jones posted photos of the trip on June 6, showing herself with eight or so friends around the island.
‘Hopped on a flight to cloud 9,’ Jones wrote on June 6.
Jones and Haliburton have been together for more than seven years, dating back to his time as a rising guard for the Iowa State Cyclones. Haliburton would go on to be drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2020 and was later traded to the Indian Pacers, whom he led to the 2025 NBA Finals.
Unfortunately, he suffered an Achilles injury during the Finals loss to Oklahoma City and consequently missed the 2025-26 season.
