Longtime bodyguard to the Kardashian family, Mason Haynes, has passed away after a tragic traffic incident on July 4, TMZ reported. Haynes died two days shy of his 53rd birthday.
According to TMZ, Haynes worked alongside Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kendall Jenner, and Kim’s ex-husband, Kanye West. Throughout Haynes’ career, he also safeguarded other A-list celebrities, including Kevin Hart, Nicki Minaj, Charlie Puth, and Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton.
Mason Haynes and Kim Kardashian’s Infamous Paris Robbery
Notably, Haynes was part of the Kardashian security team in 2016 when Kim was robbed in Paris. At the time, the SKIMS mogul was taken at gunpoint in her room at the Hôtel de Pourtalès.
Kim was reportedly the only target when five men disguised as police officers demanded she hand over her 15-carat Lorraine Schwartz diamond engagement ring from ex Kanye, PEOPLE reported.
Haynes was later asked about the infamous robbery in an interview with London Now.
“I can’t go into much detail about that,” Haynes told the outlet. “I was part of that team, and that incident was simply a set of unfortunate circumstances which led to something bad happening.”
During his London Now interview, Haynes also explained how the Kardashian family was his first client as a celebrity bodyguard. He shared that in his 20s, he “needed a part-time job” after going back to school — leading him to the most famed family in entertainment.
“I then found a full-time job in Scorpion Security, who were the security company hired by Café De Paris in London, among others. Because there were a number of celebrity patrons, I started doing what you might call ‘close protection’, which became permanent contracts with several celebrities,” he shared.
What Inspired Mason Haynes to Become a Bodyguard?
Having been bullied as a kid for his height, which was a resounding 6ft 10 at the time he passed away, Haynes told London Now that it was his experience in his youth that influenced him to become a protector to the stars.
“When I was younger, I boxed – the best sport there is for stamina and overall conditioning. At school I guess my height attracted unwanted attention, and I was bullied in secondary school – so learned to fend for myself and fight,” he said. “That’s probably why I became interested in security, because I wanted to help and protect other people who were threatened by violence or unwanted attention.”
Following his death, Haynes’ employer, Trojan Security UK, shared a tribute for him on Instagram, where they remembered him as an “absolute legend.”
“We would like to pay homage to an absolute legend in the Close Protection game. Big Mason. Gone too soon. Rest easy and fly high Brother 🕊️,” the Trojan Security UK team captioned an image of Haynes with the Kardashian matriarch.
The Family Mason Haynes Leaves Behind
According to a GoFundMe for Haynes’ family, including his wife, Fay; daughter, Brooke; and son, Noah, the revered bodyguard “was taken far too soon in a tragic road traffic accident.”
In messages received by his family, colleagues, clients, and loved ones spoke highly of him and his work.
Among the tributes, according to the GoFundMe, Haynes was “a man who made people feel welcome from the moment they met him,” as well as “a man who would cross countries to help a friend.”
Haynes was also remembered as “a giant in every sense of the word, with an even bigger heart.”
According to his GoFundMe, one friend of Haynes shared that “the world has been robbed of that rare thing… a genuinely good man.”
