The Bachelorette alum Josh Seiter is "alive and well" despite recent reports he had unexpectedly died at age 36.

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One day after an statement claiming to be from Josh's family was released on his Instagram account stating The Bachelorette alum had suffered a "tragic" death, Josh took to Instagram with a video on Tuesday, August 29 shutting down reports that he passed away.

"As you can see, I am alive and well," Josh said in the video.

Josh went on to deny that his family ever posted that death statement. He claimed his Instagram account was actually "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 said.

The Bachelorette alum continued, "I am sorry for all the pain they caused when they made that post. I just got back into my account. I am going to do all I can with my team to try to identify who was behind this, but again, I apologize for the confusion."

Josh concluded the video by telling his followers that he'll provide updates about the prank "as more facts come in" about the alleged hacker.

On Monday, August 27, the following Instagram statement was posted and became widely reported online: "It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the tragic news of Joshua's unexpected passing."

The poster, alleging to be Josh's family, went on to write, "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."

The statement did not reveal Josh's alleged cause of death at the time.

"Although our heartache at Joshua's passing pains up beyond measure, we find comfort in knowing that he is finally at peace," the statement continued.

"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."

The Instagram posting concluded with a phone number to reach mental health support.

Josh briefly appeared on The Bachelorette's eleventh season, which starred Kaitlyn Bristowe and aired in 2015.

Kaitlyn decided to eliminate Josh, a former exotic dancer and law student, at the season's first Rose Ceremony which took place at the conclusion of her Night 1 cocktail party.

Ever since then, he's been open about his struggles with anxiety, depression, OCD, and bipolar disorder. He even once shared how he's "a suicide attempt survivor."

The social media influencer, who also created an OnlyFans page after his stint on The Bachelorette, posted an Instagram selfie several days before his fake death announcement came out.

"Surviving depression and anxiety one day at a time with a smile," Josh wrote.

Earlier this summer, Josh explained how he was battling "feelings of worthlessness" on a daily basis.

"Some of my biggest insecurities revolve around gaining the approval of others. You see, at heart, I am a people pleaser," Josh shared via social media.

"I am constantly trying to win the approval of others. I'm not quite sure why I am this way. Maybe it's because of how I grew up. Maybe it's because I was homeschooled and didn't have many friends."

He elaborated, "How are we going to stop conditioning our self-worth on the acceptance of others? The answer to that question only came after I was open and honest with the world about my mental health struggles. It does get better."

After Josh was eliminated from The Bachelorette, he began a string of short-lived alleged relationships with women from other several reality TV shows -- resulting in many viewers accusing him of just dating the women in an attempt to gain publicity and clout.

Arguably the most serious of Josh's alleged romances was his first post-The Bachelorette relationship with 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days star Yolanda Leak, who had been catfished by a man claiming to be named Williams on Season 4 of the show.

Josh and Yolanda began dating in August 2020, and quickly got engaged shortly thereafter in October of that same year. The pair, however, called it quits just a few weeks after their engagement.

Josh then told Reality TV World via email in March 2021 that he was currently dating Love After Lockup alum Lizzie Kommes.

Josh also began a relationship with 90 Day fiance star Karine Martins in Fall 2022, but their romance fizzled out by the end of 2022. (Josh allegedly attempted to reconcile with Karine in early 2023).

Josh then also reportedly attempted to pursue relationships with 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days alum Rosemarie Vega and 90 Day Fiance Season 9 star Yve Arellano, who had a tumultuous relationship with Mohamed Abdelhamed on the TLC reality series.

And this past April, Josh shared with Reality TV World that he was about to pursue a relationship with 1000-Lb. Sisters star Amy Slaton.

Earlier this month, false reports that Lil Tay, a viral influencer and child rapper, had unexpectedly died at age 14 were also widely reported by media outlets after Lil Tay's Instagram account was allegedly hacked and a similar death announcement posted.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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