Gone too soon. Tyler Gwozdz, best known as a former contestant from Hannah Brown’s season of The Bachelorette, died on Wednesday, January 22, Us Weekly can confirm. He was 29.
The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to Us that Gwozdz’s body is in their possession.
TMZ reported on Thursday, January 23, that Gwozdz was transported to a hospital in Boca Raton, Florida, on January 13 after a 911 call was made regarding a possible drug overdose. The woman who made call informed dispatchers that she was having trouble getting into a locked bathroom to help Gwozdz. The caller claimed that he may have been on heroin at the time.
The television personality was reportedly in critical but stable condition during his weeklong hospital stint. Gwozdz, however, was reportedly no longer in the hospital’s care as of Tuesday, January 21.
Producers of The Bachelor issued a statement in the wake of Gwozdz’s death. “We are heartbroken to hear the tragic news of Tyler’s passing today,” the Thursday statement read. “Our thoughts are with the Gwozdz family and his friends.”
Gwozdz vied for Brown’s affection on The Bachelorette’s 15th season, which aired last year between May and July. However, his time on the ABC series was short-lived as he wound up leaving the competition in the third episode without further explanation. The former pageant queen, 25, explained to the remaining contestants that he “had to leave.”
Though Gwozdz didn’t make it far in Brown’s season, the sales manager got to enjoy a one-on-one date with the Dancing With the Stars champion. During the first solo date of the season, the pair embarked upon a helicopter ride. Later on, the duo had an open conversation about what they wanted for themselves in the future.
Gwozdz graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. According to his Bachelorette bio, he aspired to earn his PhD so that he could become a clinical psychologist. The late reality star had recently moved to Florida to study clinical psychology at Florida Atlantic University.
His last post on Instagram was from a Labor Day weekend hangout session that he had in September 2019 with other contestants from Brown’s season, including Clay Harbor and Dylan Barbour. He referred to the group as his “fam.”
For those who are or know someone who is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
