'Bachelorette' Contestant Josh Seiter NOT DEAD Amid Death Hoax

Former “Bachelorette” contestant Josh Seiter wants the world to know that he is NOT dead!

The 36-year-old reality star was the victim of a death hoax that posted a statement on his social media accounts on Monday announcing that he had passed away. No cause of death was provided, but they did describe his death as unexpected.

On Tuesday afternoon, Josh took to Instagram to share a video proving to his 458 thousand Instagram followers that he was not dead! “Hi guys, as you can see, I am alive and well. 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. I just got back into my account,” he continued.

“I’m going to do all I can with my team to try to identify who was behind this but, again, I apologize for the confusion and I will update you guys as more facts come in,” he concluded. “Thank you guys.”

Although the statement has since been taken down, it was recorded by People magazine, which noted that the reality star’s death had been “confirmed by his family” through the statement posted to social media, which Johs is now revealing was a fake.

"It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the tragic news of Joshua's unexpected passing," Seiter's “family” allegedly wrote in the post. "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," they continued. "Although our heartache at Joshua's passing pains us beyond measure, we find comfort knowing that he is finally at peace."

The statement also included a phone number for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for "anybody who is experiencing a mental health crisis and needs help." The statement went on to say, "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."

Josh has been working as a model and adult film actor after coming out as bisexual earlier this year. In addition to being more open about his sexuality, he has also been candid about his mental health struggles. In one Instagram post, he admitted, “I’m a suicide attempt survivor. I battle OCD, Bipolar Depression, and GAD, but I refuse to give up.”

In another Instagram post on July 5, he wrote, “When I was 21 I was completely catatonic and committed to a psychiatric ward. When I was 22 I tried taking my own life. At 23 I underwent electroshock therapy. Later that year I harnessed every bit of strength I had and applied to law school.”

“At 25 I graduated law school top of my class. By 30 I became one of the most followed mental health advocates online and one of the top creators on OF,” he continued. “At almost 36, life is pretty dang near perfect. Never, ever give up. Your story isn’t written yet. Every chapter is leading to a more perfect ending. I promise.”

One of his latest Instagram posts was shared only five days ago. It featured a selfie of him smiling into the camera. “Surviving depression and anxiety one day at a time with a smile,” he wrote in the caption.

Unfortunately, Josh is not the only one who is the victim of a death hoax. Earlier this year, social media sensation Lil Tay was the victim of a death hoax after a statement was posted to her Instagram page announcing that both she and her brother had died. Fortunately, she and her brother are still alive and unharmed.