Former Bachelor contestant Hailey Merkt has tragically passed away at the age of 31 after a courageous battle with cancer.

On Tuesday, an update was posted on Merkt’s Instagram page, revealing the heartbreaking news that she had lost her fight against Leukemia.

Merkt had appeared on season 21 of The Bachelor, where she vied for the affection of Nick Viall.

The former Bachelor contestant Hailey Merkt has died on July 26 at age 31 following a tragic struggle with cancer, according to a statement posted to her Instagram account on Tuesday

The statement read, “It is with broken hearts we share that our beloved Hailey has passed away after a courageous fight for her life.” It went on to praise her unwavering strength, grace, and selflessness throughout her ordeal.

It continued, “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.”

Multiple fellow Bachelor contestants paid tribute to Merkt in the comments of the post, including Danielle Maltby, Raven Gates, and Dominique Alexis, who shared heartfelt messages and fond memories of their time on the show together.

The model and photographer competed on season 21 of The Bachelor, which starred Nick Viall (L)

A statement on her GoFundMe page shared more details of her cancer battle, revealing a tragic reversal in her health after she had initially received a clean bill of health.

The statement noted that Hailey’s brother Kyle had donated stem cells to her, which allowed her the incredibly valuable extra time.

The world is mourning the loss of this beautiful soul, who will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

Hailey’s Instagram was filled with stunning photos of herself, as well as her own photography, but toward the end of her life, she documented her cancer journey in stark yet hopeful posts.

In one post from October 2023, she showed off her bare head after having lost her hair to cancer treatments as she received an infusion, captioning it “A rare moment caught smiling during treatment :)”.

Hailey was eliminated on week 2 of The Bachelor; pictured in a publicity photo for season 21

Hailey’s GoFundMe will remain open until August 10, with donations going to her mother, Michele Merkt.