The Bachelorette star Josh Seiter has confirmed he is alive after cruel pranksters hacked his Instagram account and announced he had died.
The 36-year-old reality star, who appeared on The Bachelorette in 2015, appeared emotional as he uploaded a video of himself confirming he is alive and well after false reports of his death spread worldwide. Josh explained that he had been hacked and believes nefarious internet users wanted to declare he was dead as a way to mock his mental health struggles.
Josh has been an open book about his battles against depression and anxiety and says he is devastated that his conditions have been mocked. He explained that his social media account had been hacked and he had been spending a day attempting to regain access after pranksters posted a note declaring he was dead.
Addressing his fans and followers, Josh said: “Hey guys. As you can see, I am alive and well. My account was hacked. For the last 24 hours I have been trying desperately to get in to it.
Bachelorette star Josh Seiter has confirmed he is alive (Instagram)
Josh has been a vocal mental health advocate (Instagram)“Somebody was playing a cruel joke and mocking my mental illness and the struggles I have gone through with depression and suicide attempts and I am sorry for all the pain they caused when they made that post.
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“I just got back into my account. I am going to do all I can with my team to identify who was behind this. But again, I apologise for the confusion and I will update you guys as more facts come in. Thank you, guys.”
On Tuesday, hackers shared a fake post on Josh's Instagram page falsely announcing his death. The fake message, purporting to be from Josh's family, made reference to the reality star's past mental health battles and even offered contact details for mental health charities.
Josh himself has been open about his mental health battles and encouraged other sufferers to speak up and share their problems. In a post shared last week, the star uploaded a selfie of himself smiling along with a message stating: “Surviving depression and anxiety one day at a time with a smile.“
While back in July 2021, he shared insights into his troubled past. Sharing a photo of himself, he revealed: “I’m Josh Seiter, and I’m a suicide attempt survivor. I battle OCD, Bipolar Depression, and GAD (generalized anxiety disorder), but I refuse to give up. What did you survive?“
He again opened up about his darker thoughts in July last year, admitting he battled “feelings of worthlessness on a daily basis,“ before explaining what issues troubled him. He wrote: “Some of my biggest insecurities revolve around gaining the approval of others.
“You see, at heart I am a people pleaser. I am constantly trying to win the approval of others.“
While Josh has received an outpouring of support on social media now he has confirmed his death announcement was a hoax, some cruel social media users have accused him of faking the post in the first place. However, he has strongly hit back at such accusations.
Blasting the accusations, he told EW: “Those are all ridiculous accusations made up by somebody with 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.“
*If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch
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