Last week, 90 Day Fiance fans were stunned when Jay Smith was released from ICE custody.
Most had assumed that he would wait in a cell until his inevitable deportation.
That changed when Jay’s own boss from the tattoo shop put up the bail money himself.
It was a profoundly generous move … but why did he do it?
Now, Ego is opening up to In Touch Weekly about exactly why he went out of his way to help Jay.
Last week, Jay walked free
After weeks in miserable conditions in ICE custody, he was bailed out — by his boss.
First, a very brief recap of what got Jay to this point
Back in April, Ashley (once again) discovered that Jay was cheating. This wasn’t a bathroom hookup — this was a whole separate relationship that had been going on for months. That was, at long last, the final straw.
Things got messier from that point
When Ashley went on a family vacation to ease her mental and emotional health, Jay allegedly broke into her home. On the advice of police, she obtained a PFA — Protection From Abuse — order to keep Jay from even approaching her house. Ashley says that she had a lot of evidence of alleged abuse from their marriage, and sure enough, she was granted the PFA on July 1.
Jay couldn’t leave it alone
Part of the PFA included an order forbidding Jay from discussing it. When he wrote about the PFA on his Instagram Stories, law enforcement saw it. They reached out to him and told him that they would arrest him.
Jay (finally) made a smart choice
He shared some lyrics on his Instagram Story, alluding to his intention to surrender himself to authorities. And that’s what he did.
Ashley was heartbroken
Despite having a bajillion reasons to be furious with Jay, part of her still loves him and she was devastated that this was, it seemed, how their story would end.
Jay did not enjoy his stay
Jay spent essentially the entire month of July behind bars, and not in the county jail. Because he is not a legal resident, Jay spent this time in ICE custody. His girlfriend, Kayla, kept fans updated and launched a GoFundMe in the hopes of helping Jay.
But it was someone else who rode to Jay’s rescue
On July 31, after Jay’s bail was set at a court hearing, Jay’s boss at Ego Ink revealed that he was going to take care of it. Those weren’t empty words, either — Ego shared an image of the check.
It worked!
With the exception of Jay himself, no one was happier to see Jay out and about and free than Kayla, as you can tell.
But what motivated such a profoundly generous move?
Ego explains to In Touch Weekly: “I just know that Jay needed help and it seemed right to help a very very wonderful energetic guy.”
He says that Jay didn’t deserve that
“[I] can’t see him stuck in an unfortunate situation,” Ego continues. “He deserves better.”
Ego could relate to Jay
“I was in the same boat [as] him pretty much in every way when I was younger,” Ego reveals. “I was incarcerated for a long time with no visits, phone calls, letters or money in the books.”
Here’s a twist
“I came from the Philippines when I was 17 years old,” Ego recalls. “And wanted to be a tattooist when I first came to [the] U.S., I was in a bad relationship before as well with a woman who has mental issues, so I pretty much understand where he is coming from.”
Wait, what?
Is he alleging that the problems in Jay and Ashley’s marriage weren’t Jay’s rampant cheating and alleged abuse, but Ashley’s alleged mental problems? We know that Ashley doesn’t always respond calmly to things, but we’d be very interested in hearing why Ego believes the version of events that Jay has been feeding him.
Ego saw a chance to transform Jay’s life
“So,” he explains. “If I can help someone not go to the same path I went through and waste their time in jail, I just feel that it’s the right thing to do.”
Also, he just likes the guy
“Plus, [getting] to know him that he is very a good human being and means well and [is] respectful helped me to decide to help him even [more],” Ego adds.
In his mind, Jay has just had a lot of bad luck.
“Some people just get the worst luck and hoping they learn from it,” Ego laments. “[The] great thing his still young and has a lot more to learn and offer as well than crushing his American dream over unfortunate circumstances.”
Jay clearly made a good impression on the guy
90 Day Fiance viewers clearly feel differently, but people who see entirely different sides to people are naturally going to feel differently about them.
Jay was very lucky … but
Bailed out is not the same as being granted legal residency. Everyone fully expects that he will be deported to Jamaica. Based upon Ashley’s statements earlier this summer, this could happen within a matter of days. Still, we’re sure that Jay appreciates his freedom in the meantime.