‘The Bachelor’ star Hailey Merkt dies at 31
Hailey Merkt, who starred in the 21st season of reality series The Bachelor, has passed away. She was 31 years old.
“It is with broken hearts we share that our beloved Hailey has passed away after a courageous fight for her life,” a statement shared on her official Instagram page on Wednesday, July 31.
As stated in the post, Hailey “faced this journey with unimaginable strength, grace, and selflessness.”
“Her determination, courage, and will to live surpassed every timeline the doctors gave her, and she chose to spend her final moments surrounded by loved ones and doing what she cherished most with no regrets,” it read.
“She will forever be remembered as anything but boring, always hysterically funny, and as someone who lived fully in the present moment. Hailey embraced life with an unmatched zest; her beautiful spirit has touched countless lives,” it added.
Hailey died after a battle with leukemia. She’s been documenting her cancer journey on social media since her diagnosis.
She shared she was leukemia-free in April on her GoFundMe page, but the cancer cells came back in July.
Her GoFundMe page will still be up until Aug. 10. Proceeds will go to the “remaining costs that have overwhelmed Hailey's mother and family.”
Hailey became known for being one of the stars in The Bachelor Season 21, which aired in 2017. She was eliminated in the show's second week.