Married At First Sight New Zealand star Andrew Jury was behind bars when he died aged 33 last Thursday.
Andrew’s father Roy Jury confirmed to the New Zealand Herald his son was on remand at Mt Eden Corrections Facility in Auckland at the time of his death.
The former reality star, who starred on MAFS NZ in 2017, passed away just hours before a scheduled court appearance after medical and emergency staff desperately tried to save him.
According to the publication, Andrew was was ‘facing charges that included assault with intent to injure, willful damage and possession of an offensive weapon’.
The Herald also reported that Roy ‘held concerns for his son’s mental state’ ahead of the hearing and he was ‘struggling’ in prison following his April 2 arrest.
‘It should have been a red flag when Andy stopped communicating with family and friends,’ he said.
Mt Eden prison general manager Dion Paki confirmed Andrew’s death on the morning of June 27.
Andrew was just 26 years old when he made his MAFS appearance in 2017.
His co-stars Brett and Angel Renall and Benjamin Blackwell announced the reality TV star’s shock death in a joint statement over the weekend.
‘It’s with the heaviest hearts we’ve come together to acknowledge the passing of Andrew Jury,’ it read.
‘We had the absolute pleasure of filming and participating in a show which leaves us intricately linked for a lifetime.
‘Despite his struggles, Andrew was always friendly and the life of the party during our shared experience and he really valued his time on the show.’
Following his appearance on MAFS, Andrew kept a low profile and rarely shared details of his life on his Instagram page.
His final photo was posted to his grid on 28th May 2023 to mark his 32rd birthday.
He shared a selfie and wrote: ‘Haven’t posted since last year, updated pic of me, 32 ain’t so bad people #roastme.’
It comes after Warner Bros Discovery, which broadcasts MAFS in NZ, revealed they have wellness protocols in place as concerns grow for all MAFS stars’ well-being.
‘WBD takes duty of care extremely seriously and has protocols in place regarding the wellbeing of cast and crew,’ a spokesperson of the company said.
‘All MAFS NZ contributors have access to mental health professionals throughout the process, including pre-screening, during production and after broadcast.’
While announcing Jury’s death over the weekend, Brett and Angel Renall and Benjamin Blackwell sent their condolences to his family.
‘At this time our entire cast wish to send our deepest condolences and love to his family – Ben, Angel, Brett, Vicky, Haydn, Lacey, Claire, Dom, Aaron, Luke, Belinda,’ they wrote in their statement.
Andrew was paired with bride Vicky Gleeson-Stokes, and while the pair stayed together during the finale, they split after filming ended.