“It is so sad & unbelievably surreal that I am making this post,” Bride and Prejudice star Milly Johnson wrote on Instagram on Thursday.
She was announcing the death of her ex-fiance and the father of her son, Micah Downey, who died suddenly on December 28, aged 26.
“On the 28 December 2019 Micah Patrick Downey passed away. I am struggling to put into words how sad & heartbreaking this is,” Milly, who is heavily pregnant with their second child, wrote on Instagram.
The trailer of Bride & Prejudice: The Forbidden Weddings. Post continues below video.
“I just hope he is at peace wherever he is & that he will always be watching over his babies. A bad, bad dream. I can’t believe you’re not here. Rest In Peace Micah.”
Micah and Milly appeared on the 2019 season of Channel Seven reality show Bride and Prejudice, which follows couples planning on tying the knot when their families disapprove.
No official cause of death has been released, but Micah struggled with addiction and his drug counsellor Jodi Barber shared on Facebook that has passing was drug related.
“Micah’s parents don’t want this to happen to another young life,” she wrote. “They understand it was preventable.”
Jodi, who said she had known Micah and his family for years, began helping him in 2014.
“When I referred a treatment centre, Micah made sure to check it out online. I appreciated that. Micah stayed clean as long as he could off and on. The struggle is real and difficult,” she wrote.
“Fast forward to August, when he reached out again… Micah was prescribed two different Benzodiazepines. Prescribing benzos to someone using is dangerous, a deadly combination. There has to be a better way to cope with anxiety and depression for those addicted to heroin. Micah will never be forgotten and deeply missed. Prayers for his family.”
Micah moved back to California following his breakup with Milly, and it is believed he died there.
Micah and Milly split for good in Bride and Prejudice's finale, which aired in November, but in an Instagram post after it aired Milly revealed she was "pregnant and happy".
Milly, 23, met Californian Micah while she was backpacking in America. When she returned home to Australia, Milly discovered that she was pregnant with Micah’s child - their son Julian.
Following the birth of Julian, Milly and Micah continued a long-distance relationship while parenting their son.
Things soon intensified, however, when Milly’s mum Catherine found marijuana in her home belonging to Micah – leading to the couple’s decision to appear on Bride and Prejudice.
Although Milly and Micah’s relationship with Catherine seemed to improve on the reality show, Milly confessed to having doubts about marrying Micah.
She ultimately called off the wedding, asking her followers on Instagram to be mindful of sharing their opinions as "mental trauma and illness does play a role so respect us all and keep your strong views or opinions to yourself."
"Please refrain from any judgemental, negative comments as in the end it’s not your life," she captioned a photo of herself and Micah.
"Just be happy someone else is happy. I am so excited Julian gets to grow up with a sibling, as I grew up as an only child."
Channel Seven has removed all clips of Micah's appearance on Bride and Prejudice out of respect for his family, a spokesperson said.
Feature image: Instagram/@millyjohnson.
Top Comments
Poor Micah. They totally made him out to be a villain on Bride and Prejudice with their heavy editing.