Olympic judo athlete and former Celebrity Big Brother contestant Ashley McKenzie has married TikTok star Laura Melander Heitmann. The Commonwealth gold medalist and Heitmann tied the knot on Saturday in an intimate ceremony at Hvidovre Kirke in Copenhagen, Denmark, which is Heitmann's home country.
McKenzie wore a beige suit for the occasion, while Heitmann was in a white strapless lace dress. The couple met on TikTok, and McKenzie traveled to Denmark to meet Heitmann. After an initial communication setback where he was blocked, McKenzie obtained a new phone to message her, eventually leading to a coffee meeting.
They both shared that they live with ADHD, which contributed to their initial connection. "We connected straight away, and I think part of that was because we both live with ADHD and understood each other in a way that not everyone does," McKenzie stated. Heitmann added, "Me and Ash met through TikTok, and we've been on the same wavelength ever since we met."
Mckenzie proposed to Heitmann on Valentine's Day earlier this year, with their wedding taking place six months later. "My wedding day was genuinely one of the best days of my life, and I never had any doubts that Laura was the person I wanted to marry," McKenzie said.
Beyond his athletic career, McKenzie has also been active in entertainment, appearing on shows such as "Ex on the Beach" and "The Challenge." He reached the semi-finals of Celebrity Big Brother Series 10, finishing in fifth place. He was also featured in the BBC documentary "The Bad Boy Olympian," which chronicled his judo career and his experiences with ADHD. McKenzie also maintains a presence as a LIVE Pro on TikTok.
He was previously in a long-term relationship with French judo champion Automne Pavia. They were together around 2012-2015 and have a daughter, Lana-Rose, born in July 2017.