Bachelorette's Josh Seiter Reacts to 'Clout Chaser' Claims After Hack
Bachelorette alum Josh Seiter is attempting to answer burning questions after a statement alleging his death was posted via his Instagram account.
Seiter shared his side of the story on the Thursday, August 31, episode of the “Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast” with fellow Bachelor Nation alum Ashley Iaconetti and guest host Jared Haibon. Seiter claimed that he was having trouble logging into his social media account on Monday, August 28, the day the statement was uploaded.
“A short time later, my phone starts going off with just hundreds of text messages,” he said. “It’s ringing off the hook while I’m trying to log in and I’m like, ‘Something is weird.'”
Seiter thought someone was “playing a prank” on him but didn’t know what exactly was going on. He said he was unable to get into his account for 18 hours as he was “frantically trying” to resolve the issue. “I’m not very technologically adept,” he confessed, asserting that he was “not the hacker.”
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After asking some of his friends to help him with the alleged hack, Seiter was “eventually able to get back in” and shared a video clarifying that he’s still alive on Tuesday, August 29. (He told his followers at the time that he was working on finding a way to “identify” the person behind the death statement.)
When Iaconetti questioned why Seiter didn’t contact Instagram directly about the issue, he said it didn’t seem like it was necessary. “I had family members from Texas calling me crying, I had my mom calling me crying,” he added. “I had, you know, hundreds of text messages I was fielding and I’m still fielding. … So filing a report after the fact with Instagram just hasn’t been a top priority.”
The incident raised eyebrows among social media users, but Seiter alleged there might be a deeper reason why he was targeted. “To me, I feel like it was an attack on mental health,” he claimed, pointing out that he’s been discussing mental health on his platform for several years.
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In response to claims that the hacking was fabricated, Seiter acknowledged, “I think there’s some people with legitimate concerns. I’ve been trying to answer all the questions that I can.”
Seiter called himself “a victim” of the situation, adding, “All I can do is speak the truth. … I don’t really care if people don’t believe me.”
Coping with the reactions hasn’t been easy for Seiter, who has felt “a little anxiety” but is “doing pretty well” after the ordeal. When it comes to claims that he’s a “clout chaser,” Seiter isn’t bothered.
“People like to accuse me of lots of things. … I kind of think it’s funny,” he said.
Following Seiter’s clarification that he is alive and well, Drag Race alum Monica Beverly Hillz — who claimed the twosome had briefly dated — alleged that there was “no way in hell” Seiter was hacked.
“Finding out supposedly my ex died … I’m baffled. I’m angry. I’m happy he’s alive,” she told Entertainment Weekly on Tuesday. “I’m happy he’s here, but this is so infuriating to me.”
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Hillz claimed that the pair made their relationship “official and let everybody know on social media that we were dating” on August 13 in an Instagram post that has since been deleted. She alleged that they broke up on August 22 after an “argument” about his “communication skills.”
“I’m questioning everything about this whole situation,” she told the outlet, calling Seiter a “sick motherf—ker.”
Seiter, a vocal mental health advocate, proceeded to downplay his relationship with Hillz on Thursday. “I hung out with Monica three times in my entire life … for a total of maybe six hours at her beckoning,” he claimed, alleging that Hillz had been sending him DMs since 2018. “She’s not my girlfriend. … I’ve had more physical contact with my mom and my dad, who’s been dead for two years, than I have with Monica.”
Bachelor Nation viewers were introduced to Seiter during Kaitlyn Bristowe‘s season 11, which aired in 2015. He was eliminated during the first week.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
