More details are emerging about the tragic death of Alan Jackson‘s son-in-law, Ben Selecman, who passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 12 in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Selecman, who was married to Jackson’s daughter, Mattie, reportedly died from a head injury following a boating accident. But new reports now say Selecman died after falling and hitting his head while helping a female into a boat. Selecman was hospitalized for a week before he passed away.
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Selecman, who was the Assistant District Attorny in Davidson County, Tenn., married Mattie in October of 2017. Their wedding was featured in a recent issue of Southern Bride magazine.
“Ben will tell you we first met at a mutual friend’s wedding, but I just remember dancing with a cute guy and never thinking about him after,” Mattie recalled.
At the couple’s wedding, they danced to her father’s hit, “Blue-Blooded Woman.”
“To say the day was a fairytale is an understatement,” Mattie said. “It felt like the first day of school, senior prom, and a sort of graduation into a world with so much more gravity than any we’d yet experienced.”
The couple initially met a couple years prior – a meeting that Mattie did not remember until much later.
“Ben will tell you we first met at a mutual friend’s wedding,” Mattie said, “but I just remember dancing with a cute guy and never thinking about him after.”
The newlyweds enjoyed an elaborate honeymoon following the busyness of planning a wedding.
“After such an amazing celebration, it was so wonderful to head off on our honeymoon together to the Sey- chelles and South Africa,” Mattie said. “The best part was taking time to experience and explore each other’s passions. Ben reveled in wine country and the best restaurants in the Western Cape and Hemel-En-Aarde with me and I rode 12 hour days on hunting safaris with him in the Eastern Cape. The joy it brings to truly soak up each other’s passions to kick off a marriage is indescribable.”
Jackson was already off the road, with his shows canceled due to Hurricane Florence, when Selecman passed away.
“The Jackson and Selecman families ask for – and appreciate – prayers during this difficult time,” a statement reads on Jackson’s website.
Selecman was touted as a rising star in the political world, with his co-workers mourning his unexpected passing.
“The District Attorney’s Office is saddened to announce the passing of Assistant DA Ben Selecman,” his law office said in a statement. “District Attorney Glen Funk said the DA’s Office is thankful for every day that Ben had the opportunity to serve the people of Davidson Country. Our prayers are with Ben’s family. He will truly be missed.”
Photo Credit: Getty images: Jason Merritt/ACMA2018
