Former 'Bachelorette' Contestant Dead At 29: How Did Tyler Gwozdz Die?
He was rushed to the hospital after a 911 call on January 13.
getty Bachelor Nation is in shock after the sudden death of former Bachelorette contestant Tyler Gwozdz. Gwozdz was on Hannah Brown's season of the dating show and started off strong with the first one-on-ne date of the season.
But things took a turn a couple of weeks later when he vanished from the show. Brown would only say that producers had taken him off the set but there was no further explanation for why he was removed from the cast. Rumors online suggested that his past relationship history may have played a part in ABC's decision not to let him continue.
Now, Gwozdz has passed away suddenly in Florida. His family hasn't shared an official cause of death but it's rumored he overdosed on heroin.
1. Tyler Gwozdz was a graduate student hoping to eventually earn a PhD.
At the time he was on reality TV, the Trinity College graduate had been working marketing for different alcoholic beverage companies, such as Anheuser-Busch. He had recently moved to Florida to start a graduate program in clinical psychology and hoped to earn a PhD in the field. His official Bachelorette bio portrayed him as pretty mellow, saying "He avoids clubs at all costs and would much rather spend time reading, going to Soul Cycle or relaxing on his boat."
2. Gwozdz was an early favorite on Hannah B's season of The Bachelorette.
When Brown was first selecting from her field of suitors, Gwozdz was a stand-out for her and he got to have the first one-on-one date of the season. Brown enjoyed her time with him and said later on the show, "[Tyler] was just really calming and nurturing for me to feel confident going into these one-on-ones, because that's a long time with a person with a very intimate... well... as intimate as you can get."
It was shocking the following week when Brown told the cameras that producers had removed him from the set and he would not be returning to the show.
Gwozdz meeting Hannah Brown on The Bachelorette.
3. There was major speculation about why he was removed.
ABC never explained why Gwozdz had to leave the show. At the time, most fans pointed to an anonymous post on Reddit as a possible explanation. The Redditor wrote, "[T]wo of my best friends went to high school with Tyler Gwozdz. They both say that he is the BIGGEST asshole douche of all time. My friend used the words "extreme misogynist." The story that most caught my attention involves his treatment of an ex. Apparently he dated a really sweet girl but they would get in public screaming matches often. The relationship ended horrifically — while in Europe he SPIT ON HER and left."
No one ever spoke up with first-person experience with Gwozdz and his alleged misogyny in the aftermath of his removal. Neither the network nor Hannah B. ever shared what they knew about him, either.
4. Gwozdz denied all the rumors about him.
In a statement following his ouster from the show, Gwozdz said, "Addressing totally unsubstantiated rumors posted to Reddit from an anonymous account seems imprudent," he wrote. "The rumors are so far out of the realm of my personality and values that it seems silly to waste time denying, but I suppose I will for the record. BUT I will be alright."
He then went on to try and make this a moment to advocate against cyberbullying saying, "[Cyberbullying is] having a shocking effect on the younger generation, ESPECIALLY young women. Girls are about twice as likely as boys to be victims of cyberbullying, and bullying victims are 2 to 9 times more likely to consider committing suicide. Please think about what you post. I am more than happy to take the slings and arrows of the internet world if it can help save one young person from experiencing what my family and I are currently battling."
5. What was he doing after he left the show?
After his exit from The Bachelorette, Gwozdz returned to Florida. He did not pursue other television opportunities but he was doing advocacy work to prevent gun violence in schools with an organization called Make Our Schools Safe. In an Instagram post about the organization, he said, "Your Voice Is Your Power. I’ve always believed that learning to read and write makes a child absolutely unstoppable — this great nation’s #schools deserve modern updated #safety changes and layers of protection. Children & #teachers deserve to feel and BE safe in school. #Together we can Make Our Schools Safe. Follow @MakeOurSchoolsSafe to witness the journey and help support the mission."
Gwozdz was working with make Our Schools Safe.
5. How did Tyler Gwozdz die?
Evidently, on January 13, an unidentified woman called 911 and asked for an ambulance for Tyler, saying she thought he might have been overdosing on heroin. The woman can allegedly be heard breaking down a door to get to Gwozdz to administer Narcan to try and reverse the effects of the drugs. Paramedics arrived and transported him to a local hospital where he remained in critical but stable condition until he died on January 22. His family has not confirmed his cause of death.
6. The Bachelor Nation is mourning his passing.
After news of Gwozdz's death broke, producers for the show issued a condolence statement saying, "We are heartbroken to hear the tragic news of Tyler’s passing today. Our thoughts are with the Gwozdz family and his friends.” Hannah Brown has not issued any reaction to the news of her one-time date's passing.
Tyler Gwozdz was 29 years old when he died.
Rebekah Kuschmider has been writing about celebrities, pop culture, entertainment, and politics since 2010. She is the creator of the blog FeminXer and she is a cohost of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.