Josh Seiter Not Dead: Bachelorette Alum Says Account Was Hacked In New Video ('I Apologize For The Confusion')

Less than 24 hours after news broke of Bachelorette contestant Josh Seiter's death, the 36-year-old reality TV personality has taken to social media to confirm that he is, in fact, alive.

"As you can see, I am alive and well — my account was hacked," Seiter says in an Instagram video posted on Tuesday. "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. I am 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. Thank you guys."

Seiter's death was (incorrectly) announced on Tuesday via an Instagram story on his account. "As all who knew him can attest, Joshua was an incredibly bright light in an increasingly dim world," the false statement read. "His fearless voice and indomitable spirit helped thousands of people in their darkest moments feel just a little less alone."

Seiter competed for the affections of Kaitlyn Bristowe on Season 11 of The Bachelorette, which aired in 2015. Billed as both a law student and an exotic dancer, he was eliminated during the first rose ceremony in Week 1. Seiter reportedly went on to date several other reality show personalities, including RuPaul's Drag Race's Monica Beverly Hillz, who posted a tribute to Seiter on Instagram shortly after news of his death broke.

Hit PLAY on the video above to watch Seiter's full explanation, then drop a comment with your thoughts below.