Sydney public relations man Jay Evans had been “under pressure” at work and said he “wanted a drink tonight” during dinner with friends just weeks before his death in his inner-city apartment.
Evans, 43, who was a party-hopping publicist in the 2000s and was close to the likes of Lara Worthington, was found dead on Wednesday in an apartment she rented in the Horizon high-rise complex in Darlinghurst.
No cause of death has been released, but rumors were rife in PR circles on Friday that the body may have been left in the ward for days before it was discovered.
Last night, a source at the Daily Mail Australia said Evans He may have felt professional pressure after losing a series of clients and was also under financial strain.
“Before he died he was under pressure from big clients and needed to deliver for them. He was under constant pressure,” said an insider who last spoke to Evans in person at a dinner in Potts Point, Sydney, on August 22.
During the dinner, Evans said he “needed a drink,” even though he said he hadn’t been drinking recently.
“He has also told friends that he is stressed out over the upcoming trial,” the source added. The nature of the legal matter remains unclear.
Despite having 20 years of PR experience, Evans has “lost a few clients recently,” the source said, adding: “From what I can see, he isn’t taking on new clients and only appears to be working with existing ones.”
Sydney PR man Jay Evans, who was friends with the likes of Lara Worthington (left) during his time as a party-going PR tycoon in the 2000s, was found dead on Wednesday in an apartment he rented in the Horizon high-rise complex in Darlinghurst (photographed in 2005).
Evans (right) was last seen in public at a dinner in Potts Point, Sydney, on August 22, where he attended with several MAFS contestants, including Leighton Mills (left). Guests at the dinner told Daily Mail Australia that Evans, 43, seemed “tired” from work and said he “needed a drink”, despite having said he didn’t drink recently.
Evans was living a lavish lifestyle, renting a luxury property in Horizon Building, but the source suspects he may have had money problems, saying “it couldn’t have been cheap.”.
One of his last PR jobs was helping Married At First Sight stars Duncan James and Evelyn Ellis “hit the nail on the head” of their real-life relationship after being paired up with others on the Channel 9 dating show.
Daily Mail Australia understands James’ partnership with Ellis did not last.
Shortly before Evans’ death, friends and acquaintances had begun to worry that the “sociable man” would disappear for periods of time.
“He was sociable but could switch on and off. When the pressure was on he would disappear from the radar and make his Instagram private,” one person said.
One of his last PR jobs was helping MAFS stars Duncan James (left) and Evelyn Ellis (right) “hit the nail on the head” in their real-life relationship after being paired with other people on the Channel 9 dating show. Daily Mail Australia understands his relationships with James and Ellis did not last.
One source fondly remembered Evans’ “talent for the chatter” and said he was always the person to go to when they needed a discussion to get out of a situation.
“It is very sad news that he has passed away,” they added.
It is unclear whether Evans was using drugs at the time of his death, but he was known to be taking “Dexy,” a type of stimulant used to treat ADHD, and “handing them out like Tic Tacs” at parties.
Evans’ last public appearance was at the aforementioned Potts Point dinner on August 22, which he attended alongside several high-profile MAFS contestants.
After news of his death broke on Friday afternoon, unsavory rumors began to circulate about when Evans died and how long his body had gone undiscovered.
A friend told Daily Mail Australia he died last Sunday but was not discovered until days later.
A New South Wales Police spokesman said: “Officers from Kings Cross Police Area Command will be preparing a report for presentation to the coroner into the death of a 43-year-old man at a Darlinghurst premises on September 4, 2024.”
“Police will not be commenting further on this matter.”
His cause is The cause of death is unknown, but police who responded to the scene said there were “no apparent suspicious circumstances.”
When police say a death is not suspicious, it means they have found evidence that shows no third parties were involved and no crime was committed.
Bondi fitness entrepreneur Dan Wootton confirmed the news of Evans’ passing, while DJ Shirley Coleman also paid tribute on Instagram (she is pictured with him in May 2023).
Bondi fitness entrepreneur Dan Wootton confirmed the news of Evans’ passing on Friday, sharing a heartfelt tribute on social media.
“Rest in peace Jay Evans. Another beautiful friend taken far too young,” Dan wrote, along with a photo of Evans in happier times.
“Your energy and desire to help is second to none. Rest in peace, Jay. I love you, buddy.”
DJ Shirley Coleman also paid tribute to Evans on her Instagram Story, sharing a recent photo of the pair together.
“Rest in peace my love. I’m sure you’re showing everyone how it’s done in heaven,” the model and musician wrote.
She also said that her DJ set at celebrity haunt Nobu on Friday night will be dedicated to Evans, adding: “I know how much he loved Nobu nights.”
Evans has over 20 years of experience in the public relations industry and has worked with hundreds of media companies to assist them with their PR strategies.
Throughout his illustrious career, he founded his own company, Evans Media, in 2005. She has worked as an advertising manager, publicist, magazine publisher, editor and overall public relations professional.
Evans has helped many of Australia’s media giants achieve their marketing objectives, including Channel Nine, Sky News, News Limited, BRW and Vogue.
The talent expert also boasts of having a host of famous friends, including model Lara Worthington and e-commerce queen Anastasia Faye Kogan.
Evans was living a lavish lifestyle renting a luxury property in Horizon Building (pictured) but the source suspects he may have had money problems, saying “it couldn’t have been cheap”.
Evans has more than 20 years of experience in the public relations industry. In 2005, he founded his own company, Evans Media, which has worked with hundreds of media companies to help them with their PR strategies. Pictured here with event manager Lucia Labate in May 2008.
He also had a brief stint as an actor, appearing in Home and Away in 1997.
Fellow public relations professional Roxy Jacenko, who rose to prominence with Mr Evans in Sydney’s PR industry 20 years ago, praised him as a “real network builder”.
“He was, like me, part of the new generation of PR people,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
“He always brought the most beautiful girls to his events. [and was] I’m always looking to try something different.”
Interestingly, after seeing Yachenko’s comments in the Telegraph, a friend of Evans contacted Daily Mail Australia to clarify that the pair are not friends.
“He would roll in his grave if he saw it,” they said. “He didn’t like her.” [Jacenko] Absolutely.
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