Police Probe Follows Reality Star’s Announcement of Baby’s Death

NSW Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of former Ex on the Beach star Pala Negara’s newborn son, who died only hours after his birth.

The 38-year-old Australian-Balinese model gave birth to Harmony Hunter at her home in Possum Creek, in northern NSW, on August 28—20 days after his August 8 due date.

What began as a planned home birth quickly became an emergency when complications forced both mother and baby to be taken to Lismore Hospital. They were later transferred across the state border by NeoRESQ helicopter to Gold Coast University Hospital.

Despite the efforts of medical staff, Harmony died at 8pm that night.

Ms Negara and her partner, Byron Bay hairdresser Chris Hunter, announced the devastating news in a social media post in September.

The Daily Mail can now reveal that officers from the Tweed and Byron Police District have begun an investigation into “the death of a newborn baby in the state’s north”.

“Police were notified after the baby was born in Possum Creek, about 15km west of Byron Bay, about 4.30am on Friday, 28 August, 2026, and subsequently died at a Gold Coast Hospital later that day,” a police spokesman said.

“A report will be prepared for the information of the coroner.”

Speaking to the Mail by phone on Tuesday, Ms Negara said she had been registered with a local home birth program run through Byron Central Hospital.

She said she felt “really let down with what happened with Harmony”, adding: “We did everything right, we were under the Medicare system and I had my 41-week scan and everything was fine.”

In subsequent email correspondence, Ms Negara said she was told by text at 41 weeks and six days that her care through the program would end because she had reached its gestational limit.

She said Harmony was born on August 28 after she went into spontaneous labour in the early hours of the morning.

“I understand a rare silent placental abruption occurred during delivery and was identified only afterwards. Paramedics were called and, to my recollection, arrived approximately 40 minutes later.

“Harmony survived for 16 hours and passed away at Gold Coast University Hospital, with the Queensland coroner’s autopsy findings [stating] cause of death due to hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE).”

HIE is a form of brain injury that occurs when a newborn’s brain is deprived of oxygen and blood flow before, during or shortly after birth.

“Alongside our devastating grief, I am receiving counselling and recovering from postpartum haemorrhage,” Ms Negara said.

“Harmony was deeply wanted and loved.

“He was the bridging of mine and Chris’s families—from our previous relationships, in which we each have two children—into one, and our family deserves compassion and privacy. This was supposed to be our happy ending.”

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In a series of photos shared on Instagram on September 7, Ms Negara posed alongside her partner, and her two young children from a previous relationship, as she spoke of their loss.

‘Creating life with the love of my life has been the most profound healing journey I could have never imagined being written into our journey,’ she wrote in an Instagram post.

‘Growing life for nearly ten months, growing our family, falling so deeply in love in a union that was always destined to be, falling in love with the life we have created for our family, birthing life, and then birthing death has been incomprehensible.

‘My body feels broken and aches for our baby, the life we grew together. I don’t think we will ever know how to move through this heartbreak.

‘Our little boy Harmony Hunter due 8.8 born 28 August 2026 at 4.27am in the most powerful birth of our lives, passing peacefully in our arms at 8pm that night.

‘Our hearts sit in deep gratitude to our friends who have loved and cared for us this past week, to our community, to Lismore Hospital who worked tirelessly to save Harmony and treat me for postpartum haemorrhage, the NeoRESQ team who flew to Lismore Hospital and continued to spend hours trying to save our little boy, and to Gold Coast University Hospital who held us so deeply as we spent three nights and four days in Comfort Care as a family.’

She also revealed plans to hold a private burial near their home.

‘We will soon lay our angel to rest on Bundjalung Country where he was born, the land that has held my family and continues to hold our family. We know you will return to us again old soul, we can feel you surrounding us, our Angel.’

The post was inundated with supportive comments from the influencer’s famous friends. 

‘Oh my darling heart, you Wonder Woman. Loving you both so much,’ commented P.E Nation designer Pip Edwards. 

‘Pal… sending strength your way,’ wrote White Fox founder Marty Fox. 

Influencer Ruby Tuesday Matthews simply added a white heart emoji, while model Sarah Stephens wrote: ‘Oh Pala, I am so sorry. My heart breaks for you two. Sending all my love.’

The circumstances surrounding Harmony’s birth and death have not been publicly established, including why he was born almost three weeks after his due date.

Friends told the Mail that Ms Negara had chosen home births for both her older children, aged six and eight, while living in Melbourne and was determined to do the same with Harmony.

‘Pala is very much about female empowerment,’ the friend added.

Ms Negara appeared on the reality series Ex on the Beach: Couples in 2023. 

Represented by GIANT Model Management, she has appeared in campaigns for Myer alongside Jennifer Hawkins, Carla Zampatti and Nude by Nature.