Longtime celebrity bodyguard Mason Haynes, known for his work with the Kardashians, died at the age of 52.
According to a GoFund Me launched by his family, Haynes died on July 4 “in a tragic road traffic accident” just two days before he would have celebrated his 53rd birthday.
“He leaves behind his devoted wife Fay, his daughter Brooke, his son Noah, a loving family, and an extraordinary circle of friends spread across the world,” the tribute continued, noting that “hundreds of messages” had “poured in” from “people whose lives Mason changed.”
The family described Haynes as someone “who made people feel welcome from the moment they met him,” who would “cross countries to help a friend,” and who was a “protector. A mentor. A prankster. A giant in every sense of the word, with an even bigger heart.”
The tribute noted that a friend “wrote that ‘the world has been robbed of that rare thing… a genuinely good man,’” with another stating that his “greatest gift was his humanity.”
The account explained that funds raised would be used to “ensure Mason gets the send-off he truly deserves – a celebration of a life that touched so many people,” and to “help ease some of the immediate financial pressures that inevitably follows such a sudden and devastating loss” for his immediate family members.
Trojan Security UK, the bodyguard’s employer, took to Instagram with a tribute to Haynes as well, sharing a photo of him towering over Kris Jenner while providing protection on an outing. “RIP Big Mason,” they wrote atop the upload.
“We would like to pay homage to an absolute legend in the Close Protection game. Big Mason,” the company captioned the photo on July 6. “Gone too soon. Rest easy and fly high Brother 🕊️”
Haynes has most notably worked with Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner and Kanye West — as well as Formula 1’s Lewis Hamilton, whom Kim is currently dating — and was on the family’s security team when she was infamously robbed at gunpoint in a Paris hotel in 2016.
In a 2018 interview with London Now, the bodyguard said he “can’t go into much detail about that,” and called the incident “a set of unfortunate circumstances which led to something bad happening.”
He’s also claimed to have worked with A-listers including Charlie Puth, Nicki Minaj and Kevin Hart, among others.
Though he worked closely with high-profile clients, Haynes was a consummate professional. In a 2020 interview, he explained that he drew the line at getting too friendly on the job.
“Many bodyguards make the mistake of thinking that they’re friends with their clients,” he said during an interview with Silver Swan Recruitment’s Philippa Smith.
“And as soon as you blur the line between professionalism and friendship, I think you’re in serious trouble.”
