Josh Seiter, best known for starring on The Bachelorette, has claimed that his account was hacked after being "declared dead" in a bizarre death statement hoax.
On Monday (August 28), a statement allegedly posted by the 36-year-old’s family on social media claimed to announce the reality TV star's passing, with no cause declared at the time.
"It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the tragic news of Joshua's unexpected passing," the 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," it continued. "Although our heartache at Joshua's passing pains us beyond measure, we find comfort knowing that he is finally at peace."
The message asked for "privacy" and included information for "anybody who is experiencing a mental health crisis" to call the 988 SMS Lifeline, which provides "free and confidential support for people in distress." However, the post has since been deleted from Seiter’s Instagram account.
However, in an unexpected turn of events, Seiter posted a new video to his social media account less than 24 hours later, explaining that his Instagram was "hacked" with a "cruel joke".
"As you can see, I am alive and well," the Bachelorette contestant told the camera. "My account was hacked. For the last 24 hours, I’ve been trying desperately to get into it.
"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 when they made that post," he continued.
Seiter told his followers that he is doing everything he can to "identify" the person behind the hoax, and added: "Again, I apologize for the confusion and I will update you guys as more facts come in." He also turned off the replies.
On Tuesday (August 29) Seiter opened up about the false death announcement in a new interview with PEOPLE and said he wants to be an advocate for honest discussions about mental health.
"If you’re not open and honest, it precludes a connection to other people that are going through something similar. I feel like silence is going to lead inevitably to more suffering and more pain," he told the publication over the phone.
He explained that, in his experience, "when you’re open about something, it opens up connections to other people who might be going through the same thing, and through those connections, I feel like you can find more strength - it’s kind of like strength in numbers".
Furthermore, Seiter called the honesty "cathartic" for himself as "if I’m just dealing with obsessive-compulsive thoughts and depression and anxiety in silence, it tends to build on itself".
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