Former Bachelorette contestant Josh Seiter announced on Tuesday that he is still alive, claiming that a hacker took hold of his Instagram account for 24 hours and faked his death.
As Breitbart News and various other media outlets reported, Seiter’s Instagram account announced his untimely passing at the age of 36 by sharing an alleged “statement” from his family.
“It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the tragic news of Joshua’s unexpected passing,” the fake statement read. “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 up beyond measure, we find comfort in knowing that he is finally at peace,” the fake 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.”
As it turns out, Josh Seiter’s family never wrote that statement, and the Bachelorette alum has been walking and talking just fine over the past 24 hours. In an Instagram video on Tuesday, Seiter said that a hacker played a cruel joke on him.
“Somebody was playing a cruel joke and mocking my mental illness and the struggles I’ve gone through with depression and suicide attempts,” Seiter said. “And I’m sorry for all the pain they caused when they made that post. I just got back into my account.”
According to an Instagram post from July 2021, he was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar depression, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Seiter shared a photo of himself last Thursday on Instagram with the caption, “Surviving depression and anxiety one day at a time with a smile.”
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.