Editor's note: This story originally noted that Josh Seiter had died at 36, citing a post on his Instagram account on Aug. 28 that has since been deleted. This has been updated to note that he is in fact alive, as Seiter posted a video on Aug. 29 claiming that he had been hacked. 

Josh Seiter, a contestant on Season 11 of The Bachelorette, says he was hacked when a post on his Instagram account on Aug. 28 claimed he had died at the age of 36.

“Somebody was playing a cruel joke and mocking my mental illness and the struggles I've gone through with depression and suicide attempts,” Seiter said on a video posted to his Instagram on Tuesday. “And I'm sorry for all the pain they caused when they made that post. I just got back into my account.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Josh Seiter (@josh_seiter_official)

The statement from Monday, originally believed to be from Seiter's family, claimed he had passed away.

“It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the tragic news of Joshua's unexpected passing,” the post read (h/t TMZ). “As all who knew him can attest, Joshua was an incredibly bright light in an increasingly dim world.”

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“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 post added.

The false announcement of Seiter's death follows a post where he posted a selfie smiling with the caption, “Surviving depression and anxiety one day at a time with a smile.”

This is not the first time the former reality star opened up about his mental health issues. He captioned a photo of himself looking out the window with the caption reading: “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?”

As for his role on reality television, Josh Seiter was on the show in 2015. He was vying for the attention of then-bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.