Jake Hall: Six-figure scam that left him in turmoil, by MOLLY CLAYTON

His death has rocked the sleepy village of Santa Margalida on Majorca – and indeed the wider showbiz world.

In the days following ex-TOWIE star Jake Hall’s death, many have opened up about his troubled final months.

The businessman and artist, 35, died last week after suffering catastrophic injuries at a rented villa in Santa Margalida, where he had been living while focusing on his artwork.

Spanish investigators believe Hall suffered a fatal chest wound caused by broken glass after apparently running through a patio door during a party at the property. Police have confirmed his death is being treated as accidental.

Today, however, friends of Hall have told me that they were ‘incredibly worried’ about him in the weeks leading up to his tragic death, revealing mounting financial pressures, long ‘benders’ and an episode in which he was scammed out of £100,000 by an art dealer that, they believe, left him spiralling.

Ironically, in recent years, Hall had increasingly dedicated himself to the art world, describing it as both therapy and a way of coping with personal turmoil.

Known previously for his role on ITVBe reality series The Only Way Is Essex and for founding the now-defunct fashion label Prevu Studio, Hall had recently focused on building a new creative life in Spain.

Friends say he had been preparing to open an art gallery named Son Buga Studios and had recently created his first sculpture commission for beach club Nu Mallorca. His work was also displayed at London’s Dorchester Hotel in March.

Today, friends of Hall told Molly Clayton that they were ‘incredibly worried’ about him in the weeks leading up to his tragic death (pictured earlier this year)

Hall had increasingly dedicated himself to the art world, describing it as both therapy and a way of coping with personal turmoil. He shared this Instagram post just a day before he died

But my source told of the dramatic decline they witnessed in the final weeks of his life following the alleged scam, describing a man who had become increasingly isolated and distressed.

One friend told me: ‘He began getting quite spiritual and would go to “sound baths” [a meditative experience in which participants are ‘bathed’ in sound waves from instruments like metal gongs and chimes.]

‘There was a time when he tried to smash a door during one of those sessions. It put him under so much pressure, stress and worry.’

The source added that the financial anxiety prompted a mental health spiral in Hall, who consoled himself by drinking and hosting parties at his Majorcan villa.

‘He started to shut out his friends and stop picking up the phone or answering messages’, they said. ‘It all went downhill within a matter of weeks. Things get rowdy in those circles. Pair that with someone not in a good headspace and it only gets worse.

‘It’s so sad, he just got in the wrong crowd. It’s his daughter who will now suffer the most.’

How tragic, then, that an art scam was what sent Hall spiralling, when only recently he spoke candidly in an interview about how painting helped him process heartbreak, loss and the collapse of the fashion business he had spent years building. Prevu Studio was sold to JD Sports in 2021 and acquired by Frasers Group in 2022, but went into administration in 2023.

‘Each painting is its own story,’ he said. ‘It’s a lot of pain, and a lot of good, and a lot of hope. I’ve managed to get them out of my mind and put them on a bit of paper.

‘My daughter was the first thing that drew me to art. I went through a tough thing of losing a business that I had built for seven years. And I had put my heart and soul into something and one day it just got taken away from me.

‘I couldn’t get revenge and deep things and things you go through, when something gets taken away from you.

‘We moved to Spain, and my daughter said, “Daddy let’s draw”. It took me out of a dark place.’

Since Hall’s death, friends have launched a fundraising campaign for his daughter, River, 8, in an effort to replace the £100,000 they say he lost in the alleged scam.

The GoFundMe page, set up by close friends, raised more than £2,600 towards a £13,000 target as of Monday afternoon.

In the fundraiser description, a friend wrote: ‘We all woke up this morning to the heartbreaking news that our dear friend Jake passed away in the early hours of yesterday morning.

‘Over the past few weeks, Jake had shared with me that he had been the victim of a cruel scam and had lost £100,000. It had understandably caused him a great deal of stress and upset.

‘Those who knew Jake know that his daughter, River, was his entire world. In honour of Jake’s memory, we are hoping to raise the £100,000 he lost so that it can be given in full to River and help support her future.

Misse Beqiri is mourning the death of her ex Jake, who is the father of her eight-year-old daughter River. Both friends and Misse believe the fatal incident itself was accidental

Jake was on TOWIE in 2015 and left the show the following year. He went on a jet ski in Marbella, Spain, in 2015

‘Any donation, no matter how small, would mean so much. If you’re unable to donate, please consider sharing this page.

‘Thank you for your kindness, support, and for helping us do something meaningful for Jake and River.’

It comes after the Mail revealed Hall had made several suicide attempts before his death, although both friends and his former partner Misse Beqiri believe the fatal incident itself was accidental.

The fatal wound is thought to have been caused by a shard of glass, and an autopsy was carried out in Palma over the weekend, although officials in Spain will not publicly release the findings. Toxicology tests are also expected to determine whether alcohol or drugs were in his system at the time of his death.

A spokesman for the Civil Guard said: ‘There is nothing pointing to it being the result of a crime at this stage.’

Officers have reportedly questioned several people who were at the villa when Hall died, understood to include four men and two women.