UPDATE: Josh Seiter is alive and was allegedly the victim of a death hoax. The Bachelorette Season 11 contestant released a video statement a day after the false report of his death, saying that his Instagram account had been hacked by someone “mocking” his struggles with mental illness. This is a developing story, and not all of the facts are known yet. Read the updated story here.
ORIGINAL STORY: The Bachelor Nation reality TV franchise has been a favorite among fans for decades, but tragedy has struck with the death of former Bachelorette contestant Josh Seiter. Seiter appeared in Season 11 of The Bachelorette to vie for Kaitlyn Bristowe's heart back in 2015. He was 36 at the time of his passing.
News of Josh Seiter's death was first reported by TMZ, with confirmation from his family that he'd passed away. At the time of writing, his cause of death has not been publicly announced, but a statement posted on his Instagram account sheds some further light on the sad situation:
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.
The statement does not go into any detail about the cause of Seiter's death at the age of only 36, but does offer the 988 SMS Lifeline number for "24/7 free and confidential support for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources." Seiter had openly spoken about his struggles with mental health, including with posts on his Instagram account, which the family has decided to leave up. They explained why in the statement:
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 well grieve.
The reality alum's most recent post before the statement addressing the tragedy was four days prior to his death, with a photo of him smiling into the camera and the caption reading "Surviving depression and anxiety one day at a time with a smile." Another post from back in 2021 is just one example of how he was open about his struggles while encouraging others with their own:
Josh Seiter debuted in The Bachelorette back in 2015, where he was introduced to viewers as a law school graduate looking ahead to take the bar exam, and working as an exotic dancer to support himself while doing so. He was eliminated in the Bachelor Nation series in Week 1 of Season 11 (which was the first Bachelorette season to start out with two leads), but would go on to comment on his experiences with former host Chris Harrison.
Also known for his involvement with members of the 90 Day Fiancé franchise, he shared in June with Instinct Magazine that he was bisexual after reaching a point where he "stopped caring what anyone thought about me anymore," describing it as "rather liberating."
Our thoughts here at CinemaBlend are with the family, friends, and loved ones of Josh Seiter. Hopefully well-wishers will also respect the family's request for privacy in this difficult time.
