TMZ Under Scrutiny For 'Disrespectful' Tyrese Haliburton Headline

It was sadly revealed this Monday that tragedy struck at the bachelorette party of Jade Jones, the fiancee of Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. One of her friends passed away while they were in St. Barts.

Jones' friend, Makenzi Kern, died unexpectedly from health complications. She was just 26 years old. According to TMZ, the family does not suspect that drugs or alcohol played a role in her death.

Kern's obituary stated that she was "surrounded by her closest friends on a once in a lifetime trip" when she passed away. She was described as someone who could "brighten everyone's spirits when she was around."

When TMZ broke this tragic news, fans were shocked by their headline: "Tyrese Haliburton's fiancée Jade Jones' friend dies during her Bachelorette party."

As you'd imagine, basketball fans thought TMZ used Haliburton and Jones' names to cause a stir.

Heartbreaking for all involved.

"Extremely disrespectful headline. This is such a tragic thing that happened," one person replied. "Please continue to keep the Kern family in your thoughts and prayers."

"Rest in peace but this headline is insanely written and probably disrespectful," a second person wrote.

"If you have to put two possessive apostrophes to connect a death to a celebrity, maybe you shouldn't," a third person said.

"The most disrespectful headline to everyone involved. Despicable," a popular social media account commented.

Jones and Kern were teammates on Iowa State's cheerleading squad. Clearly, their friendship lasted well past their time with the Cyclones.

Our thoughts are with Kern's friends and family members.

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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 7:44 PM.