Former Rock of Love contestant Kelsey Bateman has reportedly died at age 39.
Family sources told TMZ on Sunday, August 31, that Bateman died “unexpectedly,” though her cause and date of her death have not been revealed.
Bateman appeared on the third and final season of Rock of Love With Brett Michaels, the VH1 reality show where competitors vied to be the girlfriend of Michaels, 62, lead singer of the band Poison. On Bateman’s season, which aired in 2009, the contestants lived on tour buses and traveled with the singer.
She was 21 at the time her season was filmed and placed ninth. The 2009 Penthouse Pet of the Year, Taya Parker, ultimately won the season. In Bateman’s elimination episode, the contestants participated in truck stop games for the right to earn a date with Michaels. She admitted to getting “too wasted” in that episode, which resulted in her breaking down in tears, prompting Michaels to determine she was too young to continue in the game.
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“I ended up laying on a speed bump bawling my eyes out, but you know what? I’m here and I’m ready for whatever Brett has to say to me,” Bateman said in a confessional. “But I mean, hey, I can’t be the only girl that’s got drunk and laid on a speed bump. Let’s be honest.”
Michaels alter told Bateman, “At some point I looked over during the concert and you were no longer there. I think you’re awesome and a beautiful girl, and I said sometimes I have to make decisions for people. And my decision for you is that I’m going to let your tour end here.”
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Bateman later revealed she had plans to “go home” and “be single” after her elimination. “I’m not going to think about guys for a while, but the next guy I find definitely won’t be 44 and probably not a rock star,” she said in a confessional.
A representative for Michaels did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Us Weekly. Us has also reached out to police in Salt Lake City, where Bateman appeared to be living, according to her Facebook page.
Rock of Love ended after season 3 and was replaced by the docuseries Bret Michaels: Life as I Know It. He proposed to longtime on-again, off-again girlfriend Kristi Lynn Gibson on the series finale in 2010, though the two separated in 2012. The couple share daughters Raine, 25, and Jorja, 20.
