CORRECTION: AllAccessHub earlier ran an incorrect story from TMZ alleging that former “Bachelorette” contestant Josh Seiter had died, citing a now-deleted August 28 Instagram post shared to his account. Seiter’s August 29 Instagram post now states that he is alive and well, and that his account had been compromised.
Josh Seiter, formerly a candidate on ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” said in a video uploaded Tuesday that rumors of his death were the result of a hacker gaining control of his Instagram account.
Seiter is “alive and well” after claiming to have spent the day attempting to recover access to his social media accounts. He also stated that he and his team are working to figure out who hacked his account.
Seiter explains in a video posted to his Instagram about how he had been trying to recover his account, and that someone had tried to mock his mental health struggles by playing this cruel joke on him:
View this post on Instagram
Seiter stated,
“Somebody was playing a cruel joke and mocking my mental illness and the struggles I’ve gone through with depression and suicide attempts, and I’m sorry for all the pain they caused when they made that post. I just got back into my account.”
On Monday, a note purportedly from Seiter’s family was uploaded to his Instagram, announcing his “unexpected passing.” According to the statement, he was an “incredibly bright light in an increasingly dim world.”
“Although our heartache at Joshua’s passing pains up beyond measure, we find comfort in knowing that he is finally at peace,” the statement went on. “We hope and pray that his spirit can continue to live on in the pictures and words on this page, which we will leave up for the time being.”
Seiter appeared as a contestant on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season of “The Bachelorette” in 2015, but got eliminated after week one.
The supposed statement from his family did not reveal the cause of death, but it did hint at a mental health problem by providing details for the 988 SMS suicide crisis hotline.
Last week, Seiter had posted a photo to Instagram of himself with a caption that read, “Surviving depression and anxiety one day at a time with a smile.” Also included is a photo at the top of his feed, originally shared in July 2021, that identifies him in the caption as a “suicide attempt survivor.”
Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is in crisis, reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. Furthermore, you can call the network, formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
