Influencer Lee MacMillan Dead at 28 After Being Reported Missing

Lee MacMillan, a “van life” travel influencer who was reported missing over the weekend, has died. She was 28.

FOX and ABC news affiliate KEYT reports authorities were looking for Lee over the weekend after she left her Santa Barbara home without her car, wallet, or phone on Friday. Police believed she was experiencing suicidal ideation and had made statements about self-harm.

It was later confirmed that Lee had been struck by an Amtrak train in an apparent suicide on Friday near Santa Barbara.

On Monday, the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department posted on Twitter, “The Coroner’s Bureau is releasing the name of the decedent who was struck by a train on March 26, 2021 near Modoc and Hollister. The deceased is 28-year-old Lee Ann MacMillan of Santa Barbara.”

Her father Wil told Daily Mail, “Unfortunately, Lee was subjected to significant trolling and it impacted her deeply… Our collective help simply wasn’t enough to overcome the negativity that trolls inflict… Online bullying is out of control worldwide and must be stopped.”

Lee was known for taking extended trips in her van and sharing her travels on social media.

After her death, someone posted on her account, “After living an extraordinary life, and fighting a brave battle with depression, our hearts are shattered to share that Lee took her life on Friday. She was the brightest light, a magnetic force of nature and was loved by so so many.”

The post continued, “If we can do one thing for Lee now, in the midst of this soul-crushing loss, it’s to spread the message that mental health is just as real as physical health, and that illness can strike anyone, no matter how unlikely they may seem. It’s ok to not be ok, it’s ok to ask for help, it’s absolutely necessary to ask for help.”

The note went on to say that Lee “was receiving help” from professionals and a support system of friends and family “and yet she still succumbed to this terrible illness.”

The message asked others to #speakupforlee and everyone else who needs help. Saying, “We will miss her with every fiber of our hearts.”

Her reported boyfriend Jordan Chiu, a fellow van owner, paid tribute to MacMillan on Instagram. He wrote, “You were a dream beyond my wildest dreams. You filled my heart up full to bursting and stretched it further than what I ever imagined was possible. You were my person, my partner, my best friend. Every day with you was an adventure and I hope wherever you are you’ve found peace and snuggles. Rest easy puppy. I love you more than you will ever know.”

Ex-boyfriend Max Bidstrup also remembered Lee on Instagram. The couple had traveled extensively together but announced their split in January 2020.

He shared, “It was always you… You were the best thing to ever happen to me. You were the best person I have ever met. I fell in love with you the day we met yet you were still the stronger one that said ‘I love you’ first. I never stopped loving you Mountie, I hope you know that ❤️”

He closed with, “I will always cherish my time with you in this world and hope beyond hope to see you in the next ✨ Save some mini eggs for me.”