90 Day Fiancé star Jay Smith is a free man after being held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody earlier this week. The TLC personality was bailed out by his boss, Ego, who owns Ego Ink tattoo shop in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania, according to In Touch Weekly.
Ego spoke with the magazine about his decision to post Smith’s bail. He told In Touch he recognized that Smith was in a tough spot, and simply wanted to help him out.
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“I just know that Jay needed help and it seemed right to help a very very wonderful energetic guy,” Ego told In Touch. “[I] can’t see him stuck in an unfortunate situation. He deserves better.”
As for why this particular situation spoke to him, Ego said he himself was in a bad place at one time, and he’d want someone to do the same for him. As an immigrant himself, Ego said he saw some of his own story in Smith’s.
“I was in the same boat [as] him pretty much in every way when I was younger. I was incarcerated for a long time with no visits, phone calls, letters or money in the books. I came from the Philippines when I was 17 years old 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 health issues, so I pretty much understand where he is coming from,” he added.
Ego continued, “So 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.”
Smith’s boss told In Touch he’s “a good human being and means well.”
“Some people just get the worst luck and hoping they learn from it. [The] great thing is he’s still young and has a lot more to learn and offer as well than crushing his American dream over unfortunate circumstances,” Ego said.
Smith’s experience in ICE custody wasn’t a good one, at least not according to his sister Poochie. Soap Dirt reported that Poochie, born Ornella Smith, revealed on Instagram that her brother had a hard time during his incarceration. She shared the information in a Q&A session with fans, alleging that Smith had been miserable and counting down the minutes until his release.
He was arrested after the court accused him of Violation of Order and Contempt for Violation of Order or Agreement. The charges stemmed from an order of protection taken out against him by estranged wife Ashley Martson. He allegedly broke the order with a social media post.
As a result of the charges, Soap Dirt reported that he was potentially facing deportation. Instead, he was granted bail and was on the road to release. Poochie said that Smith could still be deported as a result of the incident. That fact was said to be weighing heavily on him.
“He’s not doing so well,” she wrote, according to Soap Dirt. “But he’s trying to be strong and hoping for the best.”
Poochie revealed to fans that Smith was able to get a good lawyer thanks to money raised through a GoFundMe set up for him. Soap Dirt reported that Smith believed the legal team he hired would be able to help him avoid being deported. His sister was adamant that he would be the one to decide to stay in the U.S. or go back to Jamaica.
After his release, Smith spoke on his incarceration. He revealed that the time he spent locked up was difficult for him.
“This past month had been very eye-opening for me, I’ve lost & I’ve gain [sic] but most of all I’ve learnt ALOT!!!!” he wrote. “This situation had made me realized all who are with me & all who are against me and I’ve been given a second chance and I will make the best of it to my ability, and I’ll start by expressing my deep appreciation for all the help and support I’ve gotten from my FAMILIES, LOVE ONE, ATTORNEYS, BOSS/COWORKERS, FRIENDS and to all my FOLLOWERS and PERSONS that PRAYED for me and also donated to my GOFUNDME campaign, I am beyond grateful and without your help i would not have been a free man today (sic).”
Smith concluded, “One last thanks to the people who walked in my life and made it better and thanks to the ones that walked out and made it AMAZING.”
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