During the first days of July, 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? star Jay Smith was arrested and placed in ICE custody.
Ashley explained that he had violated a protection order that she had been granted just a day earlier.
It looked like Jay would just sit in custody until his inevitable deportation to Jamaica.
Sad for his fans, and tragic for his mistress-turned-girlfriend — especially if you believe the rumor that he knocked her up.
Now, in a sudden twist, Jay’s luck seems to have changed.
Take a look below and find out how Jay became a free man overnight.
Things have changed for Jay
We can honestly say that we did not expect to see this happen at all, let alone the way that it went down.
Jay and Ashley have been over for a while
Back in early April, Ashley realized that Jay wasn’t just cheating again — he was part of an entire side relationship, and had been for months. They split and, this time, there would be no reconciliation.
Then came the PFA
Ashley says that after she went on vacation with her family, Jay broke into her home and took things. She contacted police, who recommended that she obtain a Protection From Abuse order. Ashley said that there was “a lot of abuse” in their marriage. On July 1, the order was granted.
Apparently, Jay couldn’t be bothered to comply
Jay took to Instagram and made explicit reference to the PFA — something specifically forbidden. He was not to discuss it at all.
Actions have consequences
Police saw that Jay had allegedly violated the PFA, so they contacted him to inform him that he would be arrested. Jay turned himself in. Because he is not a US citizen (and was in fact awaiting deportation anyway), Jay was placed in ICE custody.
But he still has supporters
Remember that long-term girlfriend of Jay’s? Kayla is her name, and she set up a GoFundMe to try to raise money to get Jay out of prison.
Support poured in
Some of the donations were larger, but most came in small quantities. The advantage to having a lot of fans is that even small donations can add up to a lot.
But it didn’t seem to be enough
Despite the impassioned plea for fans to help Jay that Kayla posted, the money didn’t seem to be enough to make a difference.
There was a reason for that
Text messages leaked and appeared to show Jay being accused of spousal rape during his marriage to Ashley. That is incredibly serious — much more so than cheating, and made a lot of people reconsider whether Jay was the sort of person who deserved their financial assistance.
So that was it
Even after his court date, it seemed that Jay was destined to just sit in custody until his deportation to Jamaica.
Then, Jay’s luck changed
His boss, a tattoo artist named Ego, took to Instagram on July 31 and revealed his intention to pay Jay’s bail — $4,500. 90 Day Fiance blogger John Yates was the first to report this momentous news.
No one was more excited than Kayla
Except, perhaps, for Jay himself. Kayla made sure to be there for his release.
Watch the moment for yourself:
The camera shows Jay outside as Kayla runs towards him and Jay catches her in his arms. If you forget everything that you know about Jay and about their relationship, it’s like something out of a romantic comedy.
They’re clearly crazy about each other
And, despite some suggestions otherwise that we’ve heard this week, we don’t see any sign that Kayla might be pregnant.
Jay, it seems, is a free man
We’re sure that he and kayla are celebrating even now as he figures out how he can possibly repay Ego for this incredible gesture.
Does that mean that he’s here to stay?
Well … no. Ashley could file paperwork to keep him in the US, but we cannot imagine what would possess her to do so. In the mean time, it seems likely that his deportation will take place this month.
That said …
Some 90 Day Fiance stars have beaten the odds and retained legal residency in the US. It’s possible that Jay could try to fight to stay, though considering his record, even something as drastic as marriage is no guarantee that he’ll be allowed to stay.
You can bet that Ashley won’t be thrilled
Nobody likes being used and allegedly abused. The cheating alone was more than anyone should have to put up with.
These days, she’s focusing on herself
Ashley has admitted that she was depressed and lost an alarming amount of weight after various incidents and drama with Jay. We hope that she can focus upon her own wellness, no matter what Jay decides to do.