Unvaccinated '90 Day Fiancé' Star Dies Of COVID-19

KEY POINTS

Jason Hitch, 45, died Tuesday from complications due to COVID-19
He was unvaccinated and had no pre-existing medical conditions
Hitch married his "90 Day Fiancé" co-star Cássia Tavares, but they divorced in 2018

Jason Hitch, the United States Army veteran who appeared on TLC's "90 Day Fiancé," died this week due to COVID-19, his family revealed.

The 45-year-old Florida native died from complications caused by the coronavirus disease while inside the intensive care unit of a hospital in his home state Tuesday, TMZ reported, citing Hitch's sister, Shannon. Other factors may have contributed to her brother's death, she said.

Hitch, who was not vaccinated and did not have any pre-existing medical conditions, had his family beside him when he died.

No further details regarding Hitch's death were disclosed.

"We are saddened to hear about the passing of Jason Hitch and send our sincere condolences to his family and friends at this time," TLC was quoted as saying in a statement by People.

Hitch, a first lieutenant in the Army's reserve in Florida, was described by his sister as a "true and honest shooter, a great officer and leader to his men."

He appeared in the second season of "90 Day Fiancé" in 2014 and was later married to his co-star Cássia Tavares, a Brazilian woman who moved to the U.S. to be with him.

The show followed the couple after Hitch traveled to Curitiba, Brazil to help Tavares move to his hometown of Spring Hill.

"Cassia getting bored here has been on my mind," Hitch told cameras in a confessional after the pair arrived back in the U.S., adding that he was worried Tavares might not enjoy the weather or the local entertainment.

"The next 90 days is gonna be tough. I hope that I can fix all that," Hitch said.

Hitch and Tavares started a mail-order snack business called Gifting Fun after their wedding. However, the couple separated in 2017 and filed for divorce a year later.

Florida has reported a total of 3,710,507 COVID-19 cases and 62,026 deaths since the pandemic began, data from the state's most recent situation report released on Dec. 9 showed.

Around 63% of its population have been fully vaccinated, The New York Times reported.

The U.S., overall, has a total of 50,374,543 coronavirus cases and 802,510 deaths, according to data provided by Johns Hopkins University.