Musician dies in Vietnam mystery
“I’ve never felt like I was in her shadow or anything because we’re really close and she’s so supportive,” she said.
“We grew up together on the Coast and still work together a lot … we went to a heap of different schools – St A GOLD Coast family has been left “shocked and numb” in the wake of the mysterious death of a talented musician, rugby league player and businessman during a one-night stopover in Vietnam.
The body of 35-year-old Luke Hession arrived back in Australia on Thursday afternoon after the former rugby league player was discovered dead after a night out drinking on Saturday last week, according to his wife Ashleigh.
The news of Mr Hession’s death has rocked friends and family in Australia and in Los Angeles, where Mr Hession was based for the past few years with his wife and brother Aaron, who he was pursuing a musical career with.
Before beginning the band Shikobi, Mr Hession played rugby league for the Newcastle Knights, Cronulla Sharks and Wests Tigers before a stint in France.
When Mr Hession returned to the Gold Coast he successfully managed personal training gyms with his wife.
Friends said he was a massive Red Hot Chili Peppers fan Hilda’s, St Andrews, Kevin’s and Somerset.
“I actually knew Margot Robbie in primary school (at Somerset). “It’s crazy to see how well she’s doing now, I’m so proud of her, she’s such an amazing person.” St and showed people “you could have an awesome life if you had a crack”.
Mrs Hession said was desperate for answers about the final moments of her husband’s life.
“I am numb about it, it’s just been a week from hell, I just can’t let it go until I see him,”
Ms Hembrow, who lives in a swanky Surfers Paradise highrise, splits her time between the Glitter Strip and some of the most beautiful parts of the world.
“One of the best things about this job is definitely the Mrs Hession said. She said she felt something was wrong when he failed to respond to phone messages and board his flight to Los Angeles from Ho Chi Minh City last weekend.
So she called the hotel Mr Hession was staying in and learned the devastating news.
“(Hotel staff) said ‘I’m so travel,” she said. “I’ve loved going to the Maldives, Abu Dhabi, Italy and Paris.
“When I was in uni, being an ‘influencer’ wasn’t a thing.
“I never thought this is where I’d end up.” sorry ma’am, your husband’s dead’ and I was just hysterical,” Mrs Hession said.
“I was screaming at him ‘tell me where he is?’ They were like ‘we don’t know we sent him off to a morgue without a forensic team’.”
Since Mr Hession’s death, almost 200 friends, family and loved ones have raised $36,000 to repatriate his body and fly his labradors Madden and Morello back to Australia.
Mrs Hession said she and her husband separated about a year ago but continued to live together with his brother Aaron and their two dogs in LA.
Mr Hession’s funeral will be held on Friday at 1pm at the Tweed Valley Cemetery and Crematorium on Eviron Rd in Duranbah.
Following the funeral, Mrs Hession said she planned to fly to Ho Chi Minh City in a search for answers.
“I want to speak to the police, I want to speak to the morgue, I want to speak to the hotel, because I want to know what state his body was in, what happened, what was in the room, like, had he thrown up,” she said.
“I want to piece together some kind of chain of events.”