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Ashley Jewell Death: Atlanta "Housewife" Kandi Burruss "Devastated"

(BravoTV.com)
Photo: Kandi Burruss in a screen grab from BravoTV.com.

NEW YORK (CBS) Kandi Burruss, a Grammy award-winning artist and new entrant on the "Real Housewives of Atlanta," is "devastated" by the beating death of her on-again-off-again fiancé Ashley "A.J." Jewell, according to a statement she gave to E! News.

Photos: "Real Housewives," Real Bad

"I am devastated by the loss of A.J. His death comes on the heels of the death of my beloved Uncle Ralph and with both of them gone, my heart is heavy with grief," she wrote.

"I had spoken to A.J. two hours before I got the call that he was in the hospital. Never in a thousand years did I think it was going to be the last time I heard his voice. He was taken way too soon. There are so many things that I should have said to him, wanted to say to him, but now it's too late..."

Jewell died of massive head injuries after an altercation outside the Atlanta strip club "Body Tap" Friday night, according to Atlanta police, who have not yet spoken about a possible motive for the fight. Jewell worked in the club.

Frederick Richardson has been arrested and charged with voluntary manslaughter in Jewell's death. He was hospitalized after the deadly brawl.

Burruss, won a Grammy for writing the TLC hit "No Scrubs." According to her bio page on Bravotv.com, she "has also written music for artists that include Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child and Alicia Keys."

The heartbroken singer posted a message on her Twitter account early Saturday.

"im just in one of those moods where i dont wanna talk, i dont wanna b held & told its gonna b ok. i just wanna cry myself 2 sleep, alone," wrote the 33-year-old Burruss, who was also was a member of the 1990s R&B group Xscape. "I could never n a million years imagine this happening. please pray for AJ's children."

Burruss was caring for Jewell's 12-year-old twin daughters, according to an interview she gave Essence.com.

The future for Jewell's twin girls and five other children is uncertain.

Photos: "Real Housewives," Real Bad

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