One day after a post appeared on The Bachelorette alum Josh Seiter‘s Instagram page from his “family” claiming he had died at the age of 36, the former reality star said in a Tuesday, August 29 Instagram video that he is “alive and well” and that his account was “hacked.”

The post claiming to be a statement from his family about Josh’s death has since been deleted and he explained, “For the last 24 hours I’ve been trying to get into my account.” He continued, “Somebody was playing a cruel joke and mocking my mental illness and the struggles I’ve gone through with depression and suicide attempts and I’m sorry for all the pain they caused.”
Josh said he just got back into his account and was working with his team to find out who was behind the death post and apologized for the confusion, telling fans, “I will update you when more facts come in.

“It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the tragic news of Joshua’s unexpected passing,” his family shared via his official Instagram page on Monday, August 28. “All as who knew him can attest, Josh 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 hour feel just a little 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.” 

Family and friends of Seiter’s did not immediately respond to In Touch’s request for comment. 

Seiter made his reality TV debut back in 2015 when he competed on season 11 of The Bachelorette, which starred Kaitlyn Bristowe. While he was unlucky in love and eliminated during the first rose ceremony, Seiter went on to date several women within the reality TV realm. 

90 Day Fiance's Natalie Mordovtseva Messaged Josh Seiter About 'Bachelor' for 'Options'
 Why 90 Day's Natalie Mordovtseva Messaged Josh Seiter About 'Bachelor'

Seiter was first romantically linked with Yolanda Leak following her run on 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days. The pair got engaged in October 2020 before splitting up for good the following month. 

Seiter also dated Karine Staehle, who made her reality TV debut on season 1 of 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days with now-estranged husband Paul Staehle. They made their relationship Instagram official in November 2022 by uploading an Instagram Reel that featured the couple taking a relaxing afternoon walk.

Only $12! — (And No One Will Know They Aren’t Designer)

Deal of the Day

Only $12! — (And No One Will Know They Aren’t Designer) View Deal

“They met on Instagram. They began messaging and immediately made a connection,” a source exclusively told In Touch of the romance at the time. “They were physically attracted to each other at first, but they’ve since bonded over deeper things like Karine’s kids and the death of Josh’s dad. They went from messaging on Instagram to texting pretty quickly.”

90 day fiance still together married split season 9
 Which '90 Day Fiance' Couples Are Still Together, Married or Divorced?

The former Bachelorette contestant and Karine, 27, broke up in December 2022 after less than one month of dating following an argument over one of his exes. Apart from his relationship with the 90 Day Fiancé alums, Josh also dated Love After Lockup stars Lizzie Kommes and Glorietta Besos. 

A few months later, Josh confirmed in July that he had been in an open relationship with a woman named Jennifer since May 2021. 

Have a tip? Send it to us! Email In Touch at contact@intouchweekly.com.