Josh Seiter Is Not Dead, 'Bachelorette' Contestant Confirms After Hack

CHICAGO — Josh Seiter, a former contestant on “The Bachelorette” and a mental health influencer based in Chicago, is alive and well, despite reports of his death, he said Tuesday on Instagram.

“My account was hacked,” Seiter told his followers in a video. “For the last 24 hours, I’ve been trying desperately to get into it.”

An announcement posted to his Instagram account Monday referenced the 36-year-old’s “unexpected passing” and included the number for a suicide helpline.

Seiter, who identifies himself on LinkedIn as a mental health advocate, has been candid online about his struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, bipolar depression and generalized anxiety, as well as a past suicide attempt.

“Somebody was playing a cruel joke and mocking my mental illness and the struggles I’ve gone through with depression and suicide attempts,” he said. “I’m sorry for all the pain they caused when they made that post.”

Seiter participated in season 11 of “The Bachelorette,” competing to win the affection of Kaitlyn Bristowe in 2015, but he was cut in the first week, according to People.

In addition to his advocacy work, Seiter is a model and adult film actor, People reported, adding he recently came out as bisexual.