Alan Jackson has broken his silence after the death of his son-in-law, Ben Selecman, with the musician sharing a statement on Instagram on Friday, Sept. 28.
“It’s with grateful hearts that Denise and I want to thank our friends and fans for the outpouring of love and prayers during the hospitalization and ultimate passing of our son in law, Ben Selecman,” he wrote. “Ben was a southern boy who loved hunting and fishing and just being outdoors. His childlike enthusiasm for each new day was contagious to everyone around him. He was the godly young man that Denise had always prayed for for Mattie. Ben we love you. Rest In Peace until we see you again.”
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Jackson shared his words alongside two photos of himself and Selecman, the first a shot of the pair on the water together.
The second was a photo of the two on what was likely Selecman’s wedding day, with Jackson and his son-in-law sitting together on a couch, both in tuxedos and Jackson in his signature cowboy hat.
Selecman, who was married to Jackson’s daughter Mattie, passed away on Sept. 12 after sustaining severe traumatic head injuries in a fall off a boating dock.
After the 28-year-old’s passing was reported, Jackson’s family issued a brief statement on the singer’s website confirming the news and asking for prayers.
“The Jackson and Selecman families ask for – and appreciate – prayers during this difficult time,” the statement concluded.
Selecman was the assistant district attorney for the Davidson County District Attorney’s Office in Nashville. He and Mattie wed in October 2017, and their nuptials were featured in Southern Bride magazine.
“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 married in Franklin, Tennessee in front of friends and family, with Jackson walking Mattie down the aisle. The newlywed’s first dance was a surprise two-step swing dance to Jackson’s first radio single, “Blue Blooded Woman.”
The District Attorney’s office confirmed Selecman’s death to the Tennessean.
“He was really a rising star and I’m sick that we lost him, but I’m grateful for every day that he worked for us because he was great,” District Attorney Glenn Funk said.
Funk added that the DA’s Office is “thankful for every day that Ben had the opportunity to serve the people of Davidson County. Our prayers are with Ben’s family. He will be truly missed.”
Photo Credit: Getty / Larry Busacca
