Former Bachelor Contestant Hailey Merkt Passes Away at 31 After Battle with Leukemia
Hailey Merkt, a former contestant on The Bachelor, has tragically passed away at the age of 31 following a long and courageous battle with leukemia.
Her passing was confirmed in a heartfelt social media post shared on her personal Instagram page. The post included a picture of Hailey and a touching message that read, “It is with broken hearts we share that our beloved Hailey has passed away after a courageous fight for her life.”
The tribute highlighted Hailey’s bravery and resilience throughout her illness, stating, “Hailey faced her journey with unimaginable bravery, kindness, and selflessness. Despite every medical setback, she remained determined and chose to spend her final days surrounded by family and friends, doing what she loved most, with no regrets.”
The post went on to describe Hailey as “highly entertaining, never dull, and fully present in each moment.” Her vibrant spirit and love for life touched many, and the caption added, “Hailey embraced life with an unmatched zest; her beautiful spirit has impacted countless lives.”
The post also expressed the deep loss felt by those close to her, saying, “Hailey will be deeply missed by all who knew her. Her love, laughter, and energetic spirit will always be remembered. Though we mourn her loss, we find comfort in knowing her spirit lives on in everyone she inspired.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Hailey’s grieving family to help them through this difficult time. The campaign, which will remain open until August 10, has raised over 112,000 Canadian dollars.
Hailey made her television debut in 2017 during Season 21 of The Bachelor, where she competed for Nick Viall’s affection. She was eliminated in the second week of the competition, but left a lasting impression on her fellow contestants and viewers.
Several Bachelor alums shared their memories of Hailey in the comments section of her tribute post. Danielle Maltby, a fellow contestant from the same season, wrote, “I feel so lucky to know your laugh and thankful to have met the kindest, most delightful person in the strangest places. So much love to all your people.” Raven Gates added, “Oh my goodness! This makes me so sad. Rest easy, Hailey. You will always be remembered.”
Ashley Stern also shared her grief, saying, “I feel lucky to have known such a beautiful, solid soul. I’ll never forget you, Hailey,” while Dominique Alexis wrote, “I hope you’re in a peaceful place, my love. I can’t believe I won’t see you again, but I’ll cherish every memory.”
Hailey had been open about her battle with leukemia, sharing her journey with fans on social media. In April, she celebrated being “leukemia-free,” giving hope to many. However, just three months later, her health took a turn for the worse. According to the GoFundMe page, after her bone marrow transplant, Hailey was initially told she had nine months to focus on healing, but tragically, leukemia cells returned after only six weeks.
Throughout her fight, Hailey continued to document her experiences, posting updates about her treatment and moments of joy, like a photo of her smiling during treatment in October 2023, which she called a “rare moment.” Her social media had previously been filled with selfies, dog pictures, and glimpses into her modeling career and everyday life.
Despite her struggles, Hailey’s positivity and spirit remained strong, and her legacy of love and strength will live on in the hearts of those who knew her. Rest in peace, Hailey.
Heartbreaking Update on ”Dallas” actress Linda Grey-
Linda Gray, who pIayed the legendary role of Sue Ellen Ewing in the hit show Dallas, had a life filled with excitement and a number of obstacles.
Recalling her childhood in Culver City, CaIifornia, she says how being given the chance to hang out with her friends around the filming studios triggered something in her that made her fall in love with acting. Her father, whom she describes as a rather cold person was always supportive of her career. Her mother used to be a heavy alcoholic while Linda and her sister were growing up so they had to take care of the house for long.
“She wasn’t falling down drunk, there was never any yeIIing,” Linda wrote in her book The Path to Happiness is Always Under Construction. “She wasn’t mean – she was just blurred, in her own world, she would forget to buy food so I started doing the cooking. My sister and I didn’t like her.”
Linda married her first and only husband, whom she separated with in 1983, photographer Edward Lee Thrasher, when she was 21. They had two children together, and although she enjoyed being a mother, it was her husband who somehow stood in her way of making a career in acting.
Although she was part of many commercials, it took Linda quite some time to finally gather the courage to attend acting classes.
In 1967, Linda was paid $25 to be Anne Bancroft’s body double in the poster for the film The Graduate not knowing that years later, or in 2001 to be exact, she would end up playing Mrs Robinson in the West End State production of The Graduate.
During the 1960s, she got a rejection letter from the Glamour Magazine, but that only made her more determined to succeed. “It was so funny that I kept that letter,” she wrote. “I kept the letter because I realized that we all have rejections, and it was her opinion when I was 20 years old. I could have had it devastate my life. But, I didn’t. This feisty streak came out – ‘Oh, yeah? I’m gonna show you!’ With great love and a lot of humor, I kept that letter. It kicked me from behind, and made me want to go and do something.”
After playing small roles, Linda finaIIy got the one that marked her career, that of Sue Ellen Ewing. She appeared in total of 308 episodes on Dallas and played alongside Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy.
Speaking of her relationship with Hagman, Linda told CM Chat Live: “He was the bad big brother that I never had. He was always doing something in my mind wrong – he was drinking too much, or whatever, and I would reprimand him, he loved that, he loved to do something just to make me crazy. I’d say ‘Don’t eat that. You don’t need that much sugar, and stop drinking.’”
In fact, when Linda was briefly fired from the show for asking for a higher pay, it was Hagman who demanded she gets back.
For her legendary performance in Dallas, Linda received numerous awards, including two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress – TeIevision Series Drama, as well as a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress.
Her son, Jeff Thrasher, followed into her footsteps and worked as a director. Sadly, he was diagnosed with leukemia and passed away in 2020. Linda was devastated. She had a hard time coping with the loss. Recently, she paid tribute to Jeff writing: “A celebration of my son Jeff’s life. He was the kindest, funniest, sweetest human being….. he brought the world such love and was loved by everyone! May his journey be a magicaI one.”https://www.instagram.com/p/CICmEWyrPUt/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=675&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fbengalimedia24.com&rp=%2Fheartbreaking-update-on-dallas-actress-linda-grey%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2dgWz6EFpC6RtaLAWwCBgR-BcaAhAdm0FRg147EhNfvC0WfZ9fCh18Swk#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A1751%2C%22ls%22%3A1148.4000000059605%2C%22le%22%3A1748.4000000059605%7D
We are very sorry for her loss. Linda is doing her best to live her life without her son. She is 82 years old and is looking as stunningly beautiful as always
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