‘Bachelorette’ Alum Clint Arlis Dies at 34, Kaitlyn Bristowe & Bachelor Nation React

Clint Arlis The Bachelorette
ABC

Clint Arlis, who was one of Kaitlyn Bristowe‘s potential suitors on the 11th season of The Bachelorette, has died. He was 34.

News of Arlis’ passing was posted by his sister, who wrote 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.” A cause of death has not been revealed.

Arlis, an architectural engineer from Batavia, Illinois, appeared as a contestant on Season 11 of the long-running ABC reality series. He was eliminated in the third week of the competition; however, despite not finding love on the show, he formed a tight friendship with fellow contestant JJ Lane.

Fellow Season 11 alum Nick Viall shared his reaction to Arlis’ death on Twitter. “I got a chance to get know Clint a little after our time on Kaitlyn’s season and I always enjoy our time and conversations,” he wrote. “A very kind, unique, and talented person who was taken from this world far too soon. RIP Clint.”

Meanwhile, Brian Osborne, who was a contestant on Season 10 of The Bachelorette, tweeted, “Never met Clint Arlis in person, but I got to know him through a fantasy football league turned text group chat of Bach alumni guys. Says a lot about him as a person that he reached out to me when my best friend died unexpectedly. The guy didn’t even know me. Taken too soon.”

Bristowe herself also commented on the tragic news on her Instagram Story. “All I want to say is that from knowing him on the show, you know, even though 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,” she said in the video. “From his peers, his students, his coaches, his teachers, his friends, his family. Clint was very well respected in his world.”

“I just don’t know much right now, and it’s none of my business,” she continued. “This Instagram Story is literally to just say to anyone that knows him who might follow me that I am so sorry. It’s such a huge loss.”