Bride and Prejudice Australia star Dannii Erskine is believed to have died following a fatal car accident in April.
The 28-year-old rose to prominence when she appeared in the controversial “forbidden wedding” series in 2019 when she made a bid to wed her then-partner, Denton Ansley.
As reported in episode 283 of the So Dramatic! podcast, fans were first made aware of Dannii’s alleged passing when a Memorium post was shared to her Instagram Story in recent days.
With a photo of Dannii within a wreath, it read: “REST IN PEACE Dannii Erskine. 1995 – 2023.”
The same post was shared to her Instagram grid on April 29, alongside a caption with more information about her death.
“28/04 took Dannii’s life to a speeding driver – A awful accident [sic],” it read. “We appreciate and respect wishes we have received as a family [sic].”
The post also said that Dannii’s social media page would be “deleted in the next day”.
Another Story was later shared to the account, with an image of Dannii and a loved one.
“Rest well Dans,” the post read. “Funeral arrangements are in the process if you haven’t received a message privately and are interested in saying goodbye.
“Email familycorrospondace@gmail.com [sic] before account is deleted permanently.”
Dannii Erskine’s sister confirms Bride and Prejudice star’s death
So Dramatic! received an email on April 30 from a user claiming to be Dannii’s sister, Dee Erskine, confirming the Bride and Prejudice star’s death.
Permitting us to “publish the correct story”, Dee revealed Dannii was “in a serious accident” when returning from the shops.
“As she went through a green light, a driver was intoxicated and T-boned her,” she explained. “She was alive and taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.”
Dee said her sister’s “skull was crushed upon impact with the airbag”, with further “injuries beyond repair”.
“She passed away the morning of the 29th [of April] at 12:01 am,” she said, adding she was the one sharing posts to Dannii’s Instagram account.
Dee later clarified that her sister was “officially pronounced braindead” at 12:01 am, with life support machines being turned off at 5:45 am.
She continued: “She will be loved, very much missed and it was a horrible tragedy. Please be safe on the roads. This can happen to anyone.
“She was 28. Full of life and trying her best to move on and meet someone. Now she won’t get that chance.”
During episode 283 of the So Dramatic! podcast, host Megan Pustetto expressed doubts about the validity of Dannii’s Instagram posts and the email from Dee.
Explaining that the email had “bounced back” and Dee would not take her calls, Megan said “something seemed off” about the situation.
“I was thinking this all seemed a bit spammy, hacky, hoaxy.” Megan said. “It’s very bizarre.”
Dannii Erskine’s death follows concerning social media behaviour
Dannii’s sudden death comes just days after some suspicious activity on her Instagram page.
“Something is going on with Dannii… Her Insta name was changed to black_shadow_rip and then changed to shing_star_bookofblackshadow,” one So Dramatic! fan wrote in the Communi-TEA Facebook group.
They also referred to a post about an autobiography, in which Dannii said was “inspired by true and heartwrenching events”.
“For the protection of myself and privacy of others all names have been changes to a aliases [sic],” the caption read.
At the time, the book was slated for an April 2023 release. However, it is yet to be released to the public.
Then, an image of Dannii was shared alongside the caption: “One day we will meet again. Rest easy. #justicewillbeserved.”
The posts were soon deleted and Dannii’s Instagram handle reverted to her original profile name, @dannii_erskine.
Dannii is the fourth Bride and Prejudice Australia participant to die in recent years and the second to die in a car accident.
Her 2019 co-star James Ciseau died in 2019, with his wife Tori later dying by suicide in 2022.
Micah Downey, who also appeared on the show in 2019 alongside his ex-fiancée Milly Johnson, died after a battle with substance abuse.
The American succumbed to a deadly cocktail of illegal and prescription drugs at the age of 26 on December 28, 2019.
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