UPDATE — (8/29/23, 2:05 pm ET): Josh Seiter is still alive. The Bachelorette alum explained in a video posted on August 29 that he was the victim of a death hoax. “As you can see, I am alive and well,” Josh said in his video. “My account was hacked. For the last 24 hours, I’ve been trying desperately to get into it. Somebody was playing a cruel joke and mocking my mental illness and the struggles I’ve gone through with depression and suicide attempts.” Josh apologized for the “confusion” and revealed he was looking into who was responsible for posting the false statement.
ORIGINAL STORY: The Bachelorette contestant Josh Seiter, 36, has died. The reality star previously opened up about his mental health struggles, and his family released a heartbreaking statement that confirmed his death on Monday. “It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the tragic news of Joshua’s unexpected passing,” the statement, which was shared on Josh’s Instagram, began.
“As all who knew him can attest, Joshua was an incredibly bright light in an increasingly dim world,” the statement continued. “His fearless voice and indomitable spirit helped thousands of people in their darkest moments feel just a little less alone. Although our heartache at Joshua’s passing pains us beyond measure, we find comfort knowing that he is finally at peace.”
A cause of death hasn’t been given at this time, but the statement included a phone number for people to call if they are going through a mental health crisis. Josh’s death also comes just four days after he posted a message about struggling with anxiety and depression. “Surviving depression and anxiety one day at a time with a smile,” he wrote in the post.
Over the years, he’s also been very open and honest about attempting suicide in the past. “I’m Josh Seiter, and I’m a suicide attempt survivor. I battle OCD, Bipolar Depression, and GAD, but I refuse to give up. What did you survive?” he wrote in a previously shared Instagram message. It was alongside a shirtless photo of him looking out a window and holding a mug.
Once Josh’s shocking death was announced, his followers started sharing loving and sad comments to his last posts. “RIP,” many of them wrote, while others expressed disbelief over his passing. “My condolences,” another posted while a different follower added, “❤️❤️❤️ I just started following him so proud that he came out to be his true self, this is really sad.”
The devastating news about Josh comes after he first stepped into the spotlight on Kaitlyn Bristowe‘s season of The Bachelorette back in 2015. He was eliminated in week one.