{"id":38592,"date":"2025-11-24T09:51:39","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T09:51:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/?p=38592"},"modified":"2025-11-24T09:52:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T09:52:40","slug":"kandi-burruss-ex-fiancee-aj-jewell-was-tragically-killed-heres-what-happened","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2025\/11\/24\/kandi-burruss-ex-fiancee-aj-jewell-was-tragically-killed-heres-what-happened\/","title":{"rendered":"Kandi Burruss&#8217; ex-fiance\u00e9 AJ Jewell was tragically killed, here&#8217;s what happened"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Everyone&#8217;s favourite former Real Housewives star, Kandi Burruss, has confirmed she and Todd Tucker are divorcing after 11 years of marriage.<\/p>\n<p>Conversations have naturally turned to the major relationships that shaped her past. One of the most heartbreaking chapters involves her former fianc\u00e9, AJ Jewell, whose death in 2009 was a huge moment not just in her personal life but in early <a href=\"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2021\/02\/15\/bolo-real-housewives-of-atlanta\/\">Real Housewives of Atlanta<\/a> history.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"734\" data-end=\"765\">Kandi and Todd are divorcing<\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DPjtfj0EWLv\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DPjtfj0EWLv\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Kandi Burruss (@kandi)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"767\" data-end=\"1096\">So yes, it\u2019s official. <a href=\"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2022\/04\/11\/how-did-kandi-burruss-brother-pass-away\/\">Kandi Burruss<\/a> and Todd Tucker are divorcing. The pair met back during RHOA filming, got engaged in 2013, and were married in April 2014. They\u2019ve built businesses together, worked on a ton of TV projects, and welcomed two children, so this breakup is definitely significant for the Burruss-Tucker household.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1098\" data-end=\"1444\">Kandi recently shared that the decision wasn\u2019t easy, but she\u2019s choosing to move into a new chapter and focus on her peace, her kids, and keeping things respectful as they co-parent, per <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/rhoa-kandi-burruss-todd-tucker-split-after-11-years-exclusive-7552359\">People<\/a>. She also asked for a bit of space while the family figures out their new normal.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1098\" data-end=\"1444\">It\u2019s been described as a tough but thoughtful transition rather than a messy split. Although it&#8217;s safe to say people are sharing some messy memes on X, throwing it back to the days of Mama Joyce openly hating on Todd from the start.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"1446\" data-end=\"1487\">What happened to Kandi\u2019s ex AJ Jewell?<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kandi Burruss Wrote Song Based On Relationship With A.J.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hSWonlLbzis?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1489\" data-end=\"1689\">Before Todd, there was Ashley &#8216;AJ&#8217; Jewell. <a href=\"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2025\/04\/09\/omg-kenya-moores-rhoa-drama-gets-even-messier-as-she-fires-back-at-andy-cohen\/\">RHOA<\/a> viewers will remember him as Kandi\u2019s fianc\u00e9 during her earlier seasons on the show, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bravotv.com\/the-daily-dish\/atls-kandi-responds-to-tragedy\">his death<\/a> is something that shook both her life and the show at the time.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1691\" data-end=\"2026\">In October 2009, AJ was involved in a violent altercation outside an Atlanta strip club. He suffered severe head injuries and was taken to Piedmont Hospital, where he later passed away at the age of 34. Police charged a man named Frederick Richardson in connection with the fight, and AJ\u2019s death was officially ruled a homicide by the medical examiner, per <a href=\"https:\/\/6abc.com\/archive\/7050773\/\">6abc<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2028\" data-end=\"2474\">There was a lot of media attention around the case, partly because of Kandi\u2019s rising profile and partly because there were lingering questions about whether AJ\u2019s underlying sickle cell condition played a role in how quickly his health deteriorated.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2028\" data-end=\"2474\">At one point, there was even discussion about exhuming his body for a second autopsy, per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/what-killed-aj-jewell-atlanta-housewife-kandi-burruss-ex-may-be-exhumed\/\">CBS<\/a>. It was a deeply emotional and confusing time for Kandi, who was grieving while also dealing with the spotlight.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"2028\" data-end=\"2474\">Kandi &#8216;broke down&#8217; at the hospital<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Real Housewives Of Atlanta Season 2 Reunion lost footage kandi talking about her ex aj passing\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jEWh2Ev3wH8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2028\" data-end=\"2474\">Speaking during a RHOA reunion episode, she said: &#8220;That day I talked to him on the phone, like a couple of hours before I got the call that he was in the hospital&#8230; He was stressed out about the club that he was trying to buy into. So, I know he was stressed about a lot of things, but I wasn&#8217;t there when it happened. But, I was just told that he had got into a fight with the manager at the club&#8230; they were having issues or whatever, and I guess it just kind of boiled over.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2028\" data-end=\"2474\">&#8220;I still don&#8217;t really know the exact cause of death. People speculated so many things. All I know is when I saw his body, he didn&#8217;t have any bruises, scratches or anything on him to look like he had been beaten up&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2028\" data-end=\"2474\">She broke down in tears and continued: &#8220;AJ, he just looked like himself. And, it was just unbelievable. It was just weird, shocking, unbelievable to see somebody you just talked to&#8230; the doctor said he stopped breathing by the time he got here&#8230; I kind of went numb, you know?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2028\" data-end=\"2474\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2025\/10\/21\/soulja-boy-targets-reality-star-in-unhinged-video-after-claims-he-spat-on-leftover-chicken\/\">Kandi<\/a> added how she broke down at the hospital after finding out AJ had passed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><i>For all the latest reality TV cast member news, scandals, gossip and updates \u2013 like\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/realitytvshrine.com\/\"><span class=\"s1\"><b><i>Reality Shrine<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/a><i>\u00a0on\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/realityshrineofficial?rdid=TzQu2kEd2cUqU4rD&amp;share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F14zX5cKubf%2F#\"><span class=\"s1\"><b><i>Facebook<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is absolutely heartbreaking<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":249734210,"featured_media":38607,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1358],"tags":[1552,2087,2005,1595],"class_list":["post-38592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-bravo","tag-kandi-burruss","tag-real-housewives","tag-the-real-housewives-of-atlanta"],"acf":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/realitytvshrine.com\/realityshrine\/2025\/11\/24\/kandi-burruss-ex-fiancee-aj-jewell-was-tragically-killed-heres-what-happened\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Kandi Burruss&#8217; 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