The Bachelorette contestant Josh Seiter ‘dies’ aged 36 – a hacker was to blame

Update: since this story was written, it has been revealed that Josh Seiter is, in fact, alive and well.

Josh has explained that the news of his death, which was announced yesterday (28 August) in a now-deleted Instagram post, was actually a “cruel joke” posted by someone who hacked his account. We’ve left the original story below, but you can read our new article about the hack here.

Josh Seiter, a former contestant of The Bachelorette, has died at the age of 36.

The news was confirmed by those close to Josh in a statement posted to the reality star’s Instagram page in the early hours of Tuesday (29 August) morning.

Josh appeared in season 11 of The Bachelorette in 2015, competing for the heart of Kaitlyn Bristow.

Since leaving the series, Josh had come out as pansexual, though earlier this year, he clarified that he was bisexual.

Although the cause of Josh’s death was not mentioned, the statement did note that his passing was unexpected.

It reads: “It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the tragic news of Joshua’s unexpected passing.

“As all who knew him can attest, Joshua was an incredibly bright light in an increasingly dim world.

“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 in knowing that he is finally at peace. 

“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.

“While we do that, we would kindly ask for privacy as we grieve. 

“For anybody who is experiencing a mental health crisis and needs help, the 988 SMS Lifeline provides 24/7 free and confidential support for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources.”

During Josh’s time on The Bachelorette, Josh had described himself as a law student who worked as an exotic dancer to fund his studies.

He was eliminated in week one alongside fellow competitors Ryan McDill, Brady Toops, Shawn Evans, David Cox, and Bradley Cox.

Josh had been romantically linked to a number of fellow reality TV stars since his Bachelorette appearance.

Most recently, fans had speculated that Josh was seeing Monica Beverly Hillz – the first RuPaul’s Drag Race star to come out as transgender mid-way through the competition – after the pair appeared to go Insta-official earlier this month.

Reacting to the devastating news, Monica took to Instagram to share some photos she had taken with Josh, accompanied by the caption: “RIP my honey.”

Just days before Josh’s passing, he had shared a post to Instagram that read: “Surviving depression and anxiety one day at a time with a smile.”

Readers who are affected by the issues raised in this story are encouraged to contact Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org), or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in America can contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by texting 988 (988lifeline.org).