Former 'Bachelorette' Contestant Clint Arlis's Cause of Death: Details
Updated March 11 2022, 3:43 p.m. ET
At the end of the Jan. 24, 2022 episode of The Bachelor, many of us learned for the first time that The Bachelorette contestant Clint Arlis died. He was a contestant on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season of The Bachelorette, and most memorably, he had a hilarious bromance with fellow contestant JJ.
So what happened, and how did Clint die?
Clint Arlis was a contestant on Kaitlyn’s season of ‘The Bachelorette’ before he died in 2022.
Clint, who was 34-years-old when he died, was from Batavia, N.Y. When he went on Kaitlyn’s season of The Bachelorette, he was eliminated at the third rose ceremony, so he was there long enough to get involved in some of the drama. During the season, he was known as an architectural engineer with a passion for wrestling, having joined the coaching staff of the Batavia Wrestling Family in 2005.
During Season 11 of The Bachelorette, Clint's bromance with JJ was so strong that he legitimately said, “I love JJ. He has made my time in the house insanely enjoyable, so I need to get a rose from Kaitlyn.” Yes, he wanted to stick around for JJ more than for Kaitlyn, so it’s no surprise he was eliminated at the third rose ceremony. He also coined the term, “Villains gotta vill'…”
‘The Bachelorette’ contestant Clint Arlis died on Jan. 11, 2022 but his cause of death was initially not made public..
When news of Clint's death first started making the rounds, there were rumors that he had been involved in a car accident, but that was not confirmed by any of his family members or friends. His death was announced by his sister, Taylor Lulek, on Facebook:
“It is with great sadness, to tell you that my family has lost my best friend and older brother Clint on the morning of January 11th. Please respect our family’s privacy as we try to cope with this great loss.”
In a Jan. 14 press release, the police confirmed this. “It was confirmed that Clinton K. Arlis, 34, of Batavia was deceased,” they explained. “The matter is currently under investigation by the Batavia Police Department and the Kane County Coroner’s Office, however, no foul play is suspected.”
In March of 2022, Page Six reported that, according to the coroner's investigation report, Clint died by suicide. According to the outlet, the report states that Clint had struggled with paranoia and was having relationship issues with his girlfriend of four years. Clint had not spoken publicly about his struggles.
Many of Clint’s former castmates paid homage to him. Nick Viall tweeted, “Just heard about the passing of Clint Arlis. I got a chance to get to know Clint a little after our time on Kaitlyn's season, and I always enjoyed our time and conversations. A very kind, unique, and talented person who was taken from this world far too soon. RIP Clint.”
Even Kaitlyn, despite the way Clint was sent home, paid tribute to him in her Instagram stories. She shared with fans, “I’m not sure what happened, or how it happened. All I want to say is that, from knowing him on the show — even though, you know, things didn’t end on the best terms for us — from his time on the show 'til today, I have heard nothing but incredible things about that person.”
Clint’s memorial visitation took place on Jan. 19, 2022, at the Yurs Funeral Home of Geneva, which provided links to donate to the Clint Arlis Memorial Wrestling Scholarship Fund and Turtle and Tortoise Rescue in his honor.
Our thoughts are with Clint's friends and family.
If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.