Josh Seiter isn’t in the game of pulling hoaxes.
The former “Bachelorette” contestant is shutting down rumours that he was behind the recent post on his Instagram account announcing his death, having said he was hacked.
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“I didn’t fake my death and I never would,” Seiter told Page Six, adding that his is “a victim of a hack.”
The drama began on Monday, when a statement was posted to the 36-year-old’s Instagram account announcing that he had died.
“It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the tragic news of Joshua’s unexpected passing,” the statement said. “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.”
Seiter has been open about his mental health struggles, including self-harm, leading many followers to assume he had taken his own life.
But the next day, people were surprised to see the post deleted, with a new video from Seiter explaining that he is “alive and well” and that his account had been hacked by someone “playing a cruel joke and mocking” his struggles.
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Some questioned Seiter’s story, though, including “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Monica Beverly Hillz, who accused the reality star of being behind his own death hoax.
“I’m baffled. I’m angry. I’m happy he’s alive, I’m happy he’s here, but this is so infuriating to me,” she told Entertainment Weekly.
She also claimed that they had recently rekindled their relationship.
But speaking to Page Six, Seiter called Hillz’s comments ““offensive and disgusting,” adding, “Me and Monica hung out a grand total of three times over a week-and-a-half. I barely know her.”
Seiter starred as a contestant on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season of “The Bachelorette” in 2015.