Lex McAllister's Family Speaks Out After Former 'Bachelor' Contestant Dies in Apparent Suicide

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It's a tumultuous time for the McAllister family.

Just one day after former Bachelor star Lex McAllister died in Columbus, Ohio, from an apparent suicide, her family opened up about the tragedy in statements given to ET.


WATCH: Lex McAllister Dead in Apparent Suicide

"Our family has been blessed with so much support," Lex's brother, Josh McAllister, shared with ET on Wednesday. "So many people have reached out to tell us what Lex meant to them. We believe Lexi was an amazingly bright star and her shine could only light the world for so long. The number of people she touched at 31 is more than some people touch in a lifetime."

"Her death brings up questions that we as a family are still working to find answers to," his statement continued. "I hope others learn from the tragic way she came to pass. We as a family had no idea Lexi was at a point in her life that this would happen. The hope is to one day have a foundation in her name so everyone can remember her as a great story, and not just a tragic ending. Anybody can be suffering, mental illness is often looked at as taboo and people don't speak out."

Lex's sister, Andrea Bogner, echoed Josh's statement, adding that her death was a "complete shock."

"She was not a drug addict in any way shape or form and drugs have never been a problem for her. She did not take drugs recreationally. Although, she did have struggles, we were not afraid that she was suicidal," Andrea explained to ET, also noting that Lex had been divorced for five years. "We were not even aware of that. It was complete shock that she committed suicide."


PHOTOS: Stars We've Lost

"She was involved in many wonderful charities and very active in her community. She was very involved in anything to do with empowering women, bringing awareness to human trafficking and domestic violence issues in our city," Andrea added. "We don’t want any of that to get lost or forgotten because of the nature of her death. We are not ashamed of how she died and not afraid to say that she committed suicide. Mental health issues are not addressed properly and people should be able to talk about their sadness. Obviously, she committed suicide, there was a real issue there. We don’t have a full grasp of what happened, and through grief counseling, hopefully there will be some way to come to terms with it. And we do hope that as we move through this process, we find a way to share her story to help others."

According to Andrea, Lex's overdose occurred on Friday while she was house-sitting for their mother and father who were out of town. Andrea and her cousin visited the house on Saturday, and the cousin called 911 as soon as the two discovered Lex. Andrea also added that Lex did not leave a note.

As ET previously reported, Lex -- who appeared on The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love with Jake Pavelka in 2010 -- was taken to the hospital in stable condition on Saturday after police received the 911 call saying she had apparently overdosed on prescription pills. She died three days later when her health took a turn for the worse.

Upon hearing the news, Jake took to Twitter to mourn the loss of Lex, who was vying for his heart on season 14 of the hit ABC reality show. She was eliminated during week one.

"Im so sad to hear about Alexa," he tweeted. "Such a beautiful girl. My heart breaks for her family. Covering them in prayer during this rough time."


WATCH: Friends and Former 'Bachelor' Co-Stars Pay Tribute to Lex McAllister

Viewings will be held Monday, Feb. 22 at the Jerry Spears funeral home in Columbus from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m., followed by a funeral on Tuesday at the Holy Family Church in downtown Columbus. Funeral time is TBA.


If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).