Bachelorette contestant dead at 36: Josh Seiter dies as family confirms ‘unexpected’ passing in emotional statement

BACHELORETTE contestant Josh Seiter has died at the young age of 36 after talking about his mental health.

The announcement was made on Monday by his family on Josh's Instagram feed.

He was in the 11th season of the show when Kaitlyn Bristowe was the Bachelorette.

A from the Bachelorette contestant's family said: "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."

They continued: "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 knowing that he is finally at peace."

The family also said they would be leaving his Instagram up so he can live on through his posts.

The statement doesn't reveal how Josh died, but it does include a phone number for people to call who may be experiencing a mental health crisis.

FANS MOURN

Josh's fans flooded his Instagram profile with comments wishing him peace in death.

"RIP Josh. I know what you went through. Hope you found peace..." one person said.

Another added: "So sad to hear about your passing. I know you're finally at peace."

A third commented: "RIP my god please give his family your hands wrapped around them. Tragic. So sad."

HISTORY OF DEPRESSION

Just four days ago, the television star shared a selfie where he gave the camera an award-winning smile.

He captioned the post: "Surviving depression and anxiety one day at a time with a smile."

This wasn't an out-of-character post for Josh who has talked about his mental health before.

In a pinned post on his Instagram feed from more than two years ago, Josh admitted that he had attempted suicide.

He revealed that he lived with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Dipolar Depression, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

He wrote "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?"

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988 or chat on . You can also text HOME to 741741 for Crisis Text Line.