The Bachelorette star Josh Seiter has said he was the victim of an Instagram hoax announcing his death and that he is "alive and well".

Seiter, who starred in the 11th season of the hit US series, said via a video on his Instagram: “As you can see, I am alive and well...

“My account was hacked. 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.”

He also said: “I’m going to do all I can with my team to try to identify who was behind this, but again, I apologise for the confusion and I will update you guys as more facts come in.”

In a false statement posted on Instagram on Monday, hackers pretending to be his family said that “his fearless voice and indomitable spirit helped thousands of people in their darkest moments feel just a little less alone.”

It adds: “Although our heartache at Joshua's passing pains us beyond measure, we find comfort knowing that he is finally at peace.”

Seiter’s ex-girlfriend, paid tribute to him on Instagram, sharing a selfie of them together in which she was seen kissing him on the cheek.

Seiter was born in August 1987 into a Jewish family in Urbana, Illinois. His family have Israeli, German and Russian roots.

Seiter earned his degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and followed up in getting his Juris Doctor degree at Chicago-Kent College of Law.

He rose to fame in 2015 when appearing on the 11th season of The Bachelorette with Kaitlyn Bristowe. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwgStS9xBIN/

Just days before hackers posted on his account, Seiter had been candid about living with mental health issues to his 456,000 followers on Instagram.

“Surviving depression and anxiety one day at a time with a smile”, he said in his last post on Thursday.

In a July 2021 post he had pinned at the top of his page, he wrote: “I’m Josh Seiter, and I’m a suicide attempt survivor. 

“I battle OCD, Bipolar Depression, and GAD (generalised anxiety disorder), but I refuse to give up. What did you survive?”

Anyone who needs support can call Samaritans free of charge on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website.