Josh Seiter, a former contestant on The Bachelorette, is “alive and well” despite a statement on his official Instagram announcing the 36-year-old had died.
“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,” the since deleted statement read in part.
News of his death triggered national attention and prompted many media outlets to direct readers to mental health resources as Seiter was known to have struggled with his own mental health.
But by Tuesday afternoon, the statement regarding Seiter’s death had been removed and replaced with a short video from the Bachelorette alum.
“Hey, guys. As you can see, I am alive and well. My account was hacked,” he said into the camera.
“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.”
“I’m sorry for all the pain they caused when they made that post,” he continued. “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. And I will update you guys as more facts come in. Thank you, guys.”
Seiter, who has been outspoken about mental health and his struggle with a previous suicide attempt, called the post claiming he died “egregious.”
“But I’m not shocked that there’s someone out there (who) thought it was funny to, in this way, make fun of mental illness, make fun of suicide,” he told CNN.
While he insists he’s the victim of a cruel joke, at least one person has questioned the legitimacy of his claim.
“I’m baffled,” Monica Beverly Hillz, RuPaul’s Drag Race Queen and former romantic partner told EW. “I’m angry. I’m happy he’s alive, I’m happy he’s here, but this is so infuriating to me.”
“You dated me, if your s— was hacked, you should’ve called me, the first one… He knows me well enough to know I would’ve picked up the phone, because I’m friends with all of my exes. He has my number, to call me and say, ‘Hey, I need your help, you can release a statement saying my thing is hacked.’ He didn’t do s—, sat back, and got off on everybody freaking out and going through a thing. It’s sick in the f—ing head,” Hillz said after hearing Seiter’s account had been hacked.
Seiter has denied the accusations saying they’ve been made by someone who has “nothing better to do with their time.”
“As a mental health advocate, issues of suicide are very sensitive for me. To suggest that I would orchestrate a death post around that issue is sickening. I have dedicated the last 8 years of my life blogging and raising awareness about mental health, and I will continue to do so. Regardless of what my detractors have to say.”
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If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health issues, please call or text 988 for support.