Death hoaxes give stars like Bachelorette’s Josh Seiter ‘Elvis status’ and sick trend will only get worse, expert warns

AN expert has warned that a sick trend will only get worse after a Bachelorette suitor found himself at the center of the latest death hoax.

Many were left shocked on Monday when an Instagram post on Josh Seiter’s page announced he had died at the age of 36.

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The suitor who appeared in one episode of season 11 had been open about his battle with depression, leading many fans to think the worst when they saw the death announcement.

However, the next day, Seiter took to Instagram to say that he was the target of a cruel joke and had been hacked.

“Hey guys, 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,” he said in a video.

The death hoax came three weeks after Lil Tay, an internet sensation, too was said to have died but later revealed she was hacked.

Eric Schiffer, chairman of the Los Angeles-based firm Reputation Management Consultants, spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun about the effect of death hoaxes like Seiter’s and Lil Tay’s.

In both instances, death announcements were posted to the stars’ social media profiles claiming to be from family members.

News of their respective “deaths” went viral until they both spoke out and told fans they were very much alive.

Other recent death hoaxes have targeted Jay-Z and Celine Dion.

Schiffer said the impact of the hoaxes is immediate as word spreads of the celebrity’s supposed passing.

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

“In a bizarre way, they bring them instant attention, in many cases on a global level, despite the carnage intended by the hacker,” Schiffer said.

“And on another level, it creates a spiritual element to the brand because they have transcended death and the unconscious of their fans.

“So those who thought they were dead now realize they’re not dead, and that positions them in this kind of quasi area between the greats who have died, like Elvis and Marilyn Monroe, and those who are alive and well in the flesh.

“It’s an interesting element because while there’s few that I’m aware of that have ever intended this as a hoax for their own attention, there’s a secondary benefit that many of them get when they’re hacked.

“The attempted con job ended up serving them with both instant attention and this further kind of spiritual positioning.”

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‘VIRAL POWER TO THE STORY’

In both Tay and Seiter’s cases, there were alleged domestic and mental health issues surrounding the stars before their supposed deaths.

There were claims on Tay’s Instagram page in 2018 accusing her father, Christopher Hope, of abuse.

In addition, there has been an alleged legal battle between Tay and her parents, as well as allegations of exploitation by her brother, Jason.

Meanwhile, Seiter has been vocal on social media about his struggles with mental health and suicide attempts.

Schiffer said those issues and other struggles could make certain stars more vulnerable to death hoaxes.

“If a star has a history of mental health challenges or personal pain, be it family or internal, it lends credence to the hackers’ con job and creates a plausibility behind the headline that brings a viral power to the story,” Schiffer said.

“So you get this spontaneous combustion of plausible death that the media will jump on and the hacker is able to be silently delighted.”

‘EVERYONE LIKES THE ATTENTION’

In the cases of Tay and Seiter, neither responded to the death hoax right away.

But fans reacted instantly, sharing tributes and condolences across social media in an outpouring of support.

Schiffer said there’s a likely reason that the stars aren’t able to set the record straight immediately.

“Those that are subject to a death hoax are sometimes stunned and assume that it will go away and that people will just figure it out,” he said.

“And when it escalates in viral strength, at some point they’ve gotta step in.

“In certain cases, you have stars that may be incommunicado. And in other cases, everyone likes the attention.

“So why decapitate something that’s working for you?”

‘NEW LEVEL OF HORROR’

Both Tay and Seiter’s hoaxes went viral and were covered by media outlets across the country.

Plus, the aftermath of the hoax and hacks continued to make headlines after both celebrities were revealed to be alive.

For this reason and others, Schiffer said it’s likely that death hoaxes are, unfortunately, here to stay.

“[The] death hoax will not die,” he said.

“We’ll likely see a lot more of them, especially given the continued strength of deep fakes.

“And at one point you’ll see a deep fake suicide, which will bring a whole new level of horror.”