Former Bachelorette Contestant Dead Days After Opening Up About Mental Health Struggles

[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]

Former Bachelorette contestant Josh Seiter has died.

The ex-reality TV star was just 36 years old, and had appeared on Kaitlyn Bristowe‘s season of The Bachelorette — the 11th run of that female-led series. And while it is unclear exactly when he died, or what caused his death, he was open about mental health struggles and past suicidal ideation/attempts in the days and months leading up to his death.

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On Monday afternoon, Seiter’s family took to his Instagram account to reveal the heartbreaking news. They began by writing this about the former reality TV contestant’s “unexpected” death:

“It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the tragic news of Joshua’s unexpected passing. 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. Although our heartache at Joshua’s passing pains us beyond measure, we find comfort in knowing that he is finally at peace.”

Then, while not giving details about what caused Josh’s sad passing, they said they intended to keep his IG page active for a while for fans. They also shared resources for “anybody who is experiencing a mental health crisis” at this time:

“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. For anybody who is experiencing a mental health crisis and needs help, the 988 SMS Lifeline provides 24/7 free and confidential support for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources.”

You can see the full post (below):

So sad…

While that announcement does not divulge any further details about the cause of Josh’s passing, the TV vet had posted just last week about his ongoing struggles with persistent mental health issues.

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As you can see (below), he was very candid at the time regarding his fight against despair:

“Surviving depression and anxiety one day at a time with a smile.”

And that post from late last week wasn’t out of character for the former ABC star, either.

Take, for example, this post (below) from just over two years ago that is still pinned to the top of Josh’s IG page as of Monday afternoon.

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In it, Seiter acknowledged living with obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar depression, and generalized anxiety disorder, as well as having previously survived a suicide attempt:

“I’m Josh Seiter, and I’m a suicide attempt survivor. I battle OCD, Bipolar Depression, and GAD, but I refuse to give up. What did you survive?”

Clearly, he had been battling through mental health struggles for a major part of his life.

We send our condolences to Josh’s family, friends, and loved ones as they now deal with the grief and pain of his untimely loss.

R.I.P.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, help is available. Consider contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, by calling, texting, or chatting, or go to 988lifeline.org.

[Image via Josh Seiter/Instagram]