Josh Seiter has announced that he has checked into a mental health facility, just weeks after it was falsely reported that he died.

The former contestant of The Bachelorette says his Instagram account was hacked after a statement was posted to his page announcing his death.

In his new statement, Josh still maintains that his account was hacked, but says he will be getting treatment amid harassment from “hundreds” of people.

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“For the last month I’ve received hundreds of hateful messages and unending harassment related to my account being hacked,” Josh wrote in his statement. “I wish I was stronger but I can’t take any more and am logging off of social media for good and am checking myself into a wellness facility now to try to get some kind of handle on my mental health. I am losing my phone in the next hour. I love you all. To the people sending me death threats, you win.”

Josh recently explained why he waited 18 hours to tell everyone that he was actually alive after the alleged hoax.

Josh Seiter is speaking out about what happened between Monday and Tuesday, when he was announced dead on his Instagram account. Eighteen hours later, on Tuesday, he posted a video clarifying he was not dead and claimed he was hacked.

At the time, the 36-year-old former Bachelorette contestant, who competed on Kaitlyn Bristowe‘s season, said that his account was hacked.

Many have questioned his story, including his ex, who believed he faked the whole thing.

Now, Josh is speaking out and explaining why he waited 18 hours to let everyone know he was alive, and what happened during that time.

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“I was locked out of my account for about 18 hours…as soon as I was, I was able to get in…take back control of the account,” Josh told TMZ during an interview.

TMZ then noted that it was surprising that no one bothered to clear anything up during that 18 hour window where everyone thought he was dead.

Josh responded with, “Yea, again, I just go back to my earlier point. I’m not a celebrity. I’m not famous. I don’t have a team that puts out statements. I was at home, I wasn’t able to get into my account. I was working desperately, and dealing with a thousand things. People messaging me, people calling me.”

TMZ says they called him and it went straight to voicemail. They said they left a message.

He was again pressed about why he didn’t try and explain to the public that he was not dead.

Josh shared, “Monday was a lot of long conversations with close family members. Talking to people who are friends…trying to get their expertise. As well as a family member who is kinda well versed in tech. My priority was getting back into my Instagram account. Working on that was my number 1 priority. Dealing with the stress of it all. It was just overwhelming. I don’t think anyone knows how they would have handled something like that until it happens to them.”

TMZ then said that they had even called some of his family members and were either told “no comment” or hung up on.

Josh explained, “My family’s fractured. We’re estranged. There’s a lot of family dynamics and balkanization going on within the nuclear and extended family in my house. Just because you guys called them, doesn’t mean that they were gonna answer.”

He ended with, “I’m sorry. I’m not perfect. I guess I could have done something besides getting on Instagram to prove that I was alive. I haven’t had experience with this. I did the best I could. I’m sorry to everyone that was hurt by this person. I’m a victim.”

Josh Seiter‘s ex, Monica Beverly Hillz, is speaking out about his so-called death hoax.

If you missed it, over the weekend, it was widely shared that Josh, a former Bachelorette contestant, had died. It turns out that his Instagram account was hacked and he was indeed alive.

However, Monica, who was on RuPaul’s Drag Race, has some suspicions about the entire debacle.

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“I’m baffled,” Monica shared with the outlet, but also admitted she was “angry. I’m happy he’s alive, I’m happy he’s here, but this is so infuriating to me.”

Monica explained to Entertainment Weekly that while their relationship was still very new, it was done and over within weeks because of his behavior.

She explained it was an up and down situation due to his mental health issues, and she wasn’t feeling it after seeing the past bad press on him.

“In three weeks, there were so many emotions. He was up, down, inside out, that’s why when I heard that he passed away, I didn’t want to believe it, but in a sense I’m like, he’s not really all up there,” she said. “He’s not, and I sensed that.”

Monica added that she knows how mental health issues go, as she takes “medication and I see a therapist, but he doesn’t do that kind of stuff…I’m not trying to be rude, but this is what’s happening.”

“Why is there no repercussion for him?” she questioned. “Now he has his Instagram back so now he’s going to go back to what he’s doing, and nobody’s going to hold Josh accountable because, what? He’s a white, cis man. It really does bother me because trans women of color, people I know personally, are being attacked and murdered and nobody’s giving them the airtime they need, but Josh Seiter comes along and he’s in the news, he’s everywhere.”

In spite of Monica‘s claims, Josh says he did not publish his own death hoax.

“Those are all ridiculous accusations made up by somebody with nothing better to do with their time,” he said shared with EW though an email. “As a mental health advocate, issues of suicide are very sensitive for me. To suggest that I would orchestrate a death post around that issue is sickening. I have dedicated the last 8 years of my life blogging and raising awareness about mental health, and I will continue to do so. Regardless of what my detractors have to say.”

Yesterday, it was announced that former Bachelorette contestant Josh Seiter had passed away at the age of 36. Well, he just made a video on his account clarifying that he is NOT dead.

He revealed that someone was playing a cruel joke and mocking his mental illness.

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He said in the video, “Hey guys as you can see, I am alive and well. My account was hacked for the last 24 hours. I had 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. I am sorry for the pain they caused when they made that post.”

“I am going to try and do all I can with my team to try and identify who was behind this,” he added. He said he’d update everyone with more information as it becomes available.

This is the second time a fake celebrity death announcement has been made on Instagram this month.

Josh Seiter has sadly passed away at the age of 36.

On Monday (August 28), the family of the former The Bachelorette contestant announced that Josh had died, just four days after he shared a post about “surviving depression and anxiety.”

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“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,” Josh‘s family wrote on Instagram.

“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,” the statement continued. “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.”

Josh‘s family concluded their statement by sharing help for anyone who is battling mental health issues.

“While we do that, we would kindly ask for privacy as we grieve,” Josh‘s family wrote. “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.”

Last Friday, Josh shared a selfie of himself with a big smile on his face, along with the caption, “Surviving depression and anxiety one day at a time with a smile.”

Josh was a contestant on The Bachelorette‘s 11th season in 2015 with lead Kaitlyn Bristowe. Earlier this year, he came out publicly as bisexual and revealed he was in a relationship with a man.

Our thoughts are with Josh‘s loved ones during this difficult time. RIP.