Star of The Bachelorette season 11 Josh Seiter says he was the victim of a “cruel” death hoax. A now-deleted statement was posted to the star’s Instagram page falsely stating that he had passed away in 2023. The “hack” had Josh’s fans and followers paying tribute to him on August 29 including his former partner and 90 Day Fiancé star Yolanda Leak.
Following the “cruel joke” of a death hoax, Yolanda paid tribute to her ex. The false statement posted to Josh’s Instagram page said that the star was “an incredibly bright light in an increasingly dim world.” The hoax post came just days after he shared a post about “surviving depression and anxiety.”
Josh Seiter is a death hoax victim
On August 28, 2023, a now-deleted post was shared on Josh Seiter’s Instagram page stating that he had passed away.
It stated that the Bachelorette alum was 36 years old at the time of his death.
However, he took to Instagram on August 29 to say that he had been a victim of a “hack,” and a death hoax.
Speaking to the camera, Josh said that for the “last 24 hours,” he’d been trying to get into his Instagram account.
He said: “As you can see, I’m alive and well.”
The Bachelorette alum added that he “apologized for the confusion,” and that “somebody was playing a cruel joke, and mocking his mental illness.”
Josh rose to fame in 2015 on Kaitlyn Bristowe and Britt Nilsson’s Bachelorette season 11.
The Chicago native was 27 years old at the time of his TV appearance and was a law student who also worked as an exotic dancer at the time.
Bachelorette alum spoke about mental health
In the days before the “cruel” death hoax, Josh shared a selfie to his Instagram page captioned: “Surviving depression and anxiety one day at a time with a smile.”
Back in July, he also shared a post about “battling feelings of worthlessness on a daily basis.”
Josh was open about his mental health struggles and also wrote in the post that he felt things were “getting better.”
Yolanda pays tribute to Josh Seiter
Following his time on The Bachelorette, Josh went on to date some fellow reality TV stars including cast members from 90 Day Fiancé and Love After Lockup.
90 Day Fiancé’s Yolanda paid tribute to Josh following the fake news that he’d passed away circulated.
She wrote on her Instagram Stories: “RIP… I always prayed for you no matter what.”
Another of Josh’s exes, Karine Staehle, took to Instagram to pay tribute to him.
Karine wrote: “My condolences to Josh’s family. I still can’t believe it.”
Love After Lockup star Glorietta Besos, who also dated Josh, wrote that she found the news “hard to accept” and added that she is “upset,” on IG Stories.
If you are affected by any issues raised in the article or would like someone to speak to, please call the Samaritans for free on 116 123. You can also email them at [email protected] or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch in the UK. In the US, please visit Samaritans USA for more information.
You can also contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text 741741 to get in touch with the Crisis Text Line. Americans can now call or text 988 to reach out and speak to a counselor.
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