'Bachelorette' Contestant's Family Says He Committed Suicide
 Kevin Foley/ ABC |
Julien Hug, a former "Bachelorette" contestant who once vied for the heart of Jillian Harris and who was found dead earlier this week, committed suicide according to his family.
His parents told People.com in a statement, "In his letter to us he stated that he was suffering from acute depression and he felt it was his only way out … While publicly outgoing he was an extremely private person who internalized everything."
Bertrand and Denise Hug told People that their 35-year-old son committed suicide in a remote area. After he was reported missing, his body was found this week in the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California. "We feel it is necessary at this time to address the media as we are devastated by some of the comments that are coming out," they said.
"Our son meant the world to us and this came as a complete shock," their statement went on. "We are beyond devastated and completely distraught. … What we saw was his thirst for life with fast cars, motorcycles and his love of skydiving."
"What we see now is the immense amount of love that everyone has for him," the Hugs tell People. "Anyone close to Julien is receiving an extreme outpouring of concern via text, email and messages. This is an honored tribute to what an amazing person he was and we thank everyone for their love, prayers and continued support."
"To us Julien was as beautiful inside as he was outside and we wish to have him remembered in this way, a way he deserves and would appreciate, not by false comments from people outside the family. No one he has touched will ever forget him, most of all us."
