Shocking and very sad news today out of the reality television world:
Josh Seiter — a reality star who appeared as a suitor on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season of The Bachelorette in 2015 — has passed away, his family confirmed this evening in statement posted to his verified Instagram account.
Seiter was 36 years old.
“It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the tragic news of Joshua’s unexpected passing,” the message reads.
“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.”
The family noted that while their “heartache at Joshua’s passing pains [them] beyond measure,” they are able to “find comfort knowing that he is finally at peace.”
No cause of death has been announced.
As you can see above, however, it seems safe to assume that Seiter took his own life in some manner; the family even mentioned the suicide hotline in its tragic statement.
Added Josh’s loved ones:
“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.
Just four days prior to his death, the former reality TV star posted a photo of himself smiling with the caption, “Surviving depression and anxiety one day at a time with a smile.”
Seiter had been candid about his struggles with mental health over the years, confessing last month that he battled “feelings of worthlessness on a daily basis,” writing to his 450,000 followers on social media:
“How are we going to stop conditioning our self-worth on the acceptance of others?
“The answer to that question only came after I was open and honest with the world about my mental health struggles. It does get better.”
Over the past several months, Seiter made headlines for his public advances toward women on various reality TV programs.
In April, for example, he asked Amy Slaton out on a date.
In December 2022, he offered himself up to Sister Wives star Meri Brown.
Most recently, Seiter went after a pair of 90 Day Fiance cast members.
According to an Instagram post from July 2021, Seiter was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar depression, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
As mentioned previously, he tried to use these diagnoses as a way to connect with fans across the world.
“I’m Josh Seiter, and I’m a suicide attempt survivor,” Josh once wrote. “I battle OCD, Bipolar Depression, and GAD, but I refuse to give up. What did you survive?”
We send our condolences to the friends, family members and loved ones of Josh Seiter.
May he rest in peace.