Konrad Bien-Stephen dies aged 35: Bachelorette star and Abbie Chatfield's ex passes away suddenly

The Bachelorette star Konrad Bien-Stephen has died aged 35.

Bien-Stephen, who dated Abbie Chatfield for about 10 months, is understood to have passed away in Melbourne on Monday night.  

His manager confirmed the news to the Daily Mail on Thursday, and the CEO of his management company declined to comment further, saying it is a private matter.

'It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Konrad Bien-Stephen,' they said. 

'We ask that you respect the privacy of his family during this incredibly difficult time. 

'No further information will be shared at this stage. Our thoughts are with all who loved him.' 

Bien-Stephen has previously been open about his mental health struggles.

Friends flocked to his Instagram account on Wednesday to mourn his death and share tributes to the reality star, who also previously dated Thelma Plum.

Megan Marx, Bien-Stephen's co-star from The Challenge Australia and former fling on the series, penned a lengthy post paying tribute to the reality TV personality.

'Konrad has chosen to step off this wild, stubborn road before the rest of us were ready,' she wrote alongside a picture of the pair,' she wrote. 

'He was a good friend. And f*** was he was funny! Witty. Made me laugh in that deep, unexpected way that catches in your chest and makes the whole day feel lighter.

'I keep thinking about the things he still had lined up - that wandering horse trek somewhere wide and dusty, the fiddle under his chin, motorcycle trips, the quiet courage of getting his art out into the world. Trying to make the world a little better. Homey. All the pieces of a life still calling to him.

'I hope wherever you've gone Konnie, it's open country and good tunes. I hope there's time to finish what you started. Miss you already x I love you.'

Brittany Hockley simply wrote, 'Konrad,' next to a broken heart emoji.

'Sweet soul, you will be missed! Blessed to have met you,' wrote another. 

'Love you brother,' said someone else, as another added: 'Rest easy, my man.'

Married At First Sight star Cyrell Paule wrote, 'RIP,' alongside a broken heart emoji.   

Bien-Stephen, a carpenter by trade, is best known as a reality TV star but began studying at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Melbourne to hone his acting craft in 2023.

He first shot to fame on The Bachelorette in 2021 when he pursued Brooke Blurton, quickly becoming a fan favourite as he made it to the top four before his elimination. 

Soon after his appearance on the matchmaking show shot him to local fame, Bien-Stephen began a highly publicised open relationship with Abbie Chatfield. 

However, the pair split in 2022, one month before he arrived in Buenos Aires to film The Challenge Australia. 

While on the show, he struck up a brief romance with co-star Megan Marx.  

'Abbie and I had broken up a month before going in the house [to film] so I was very much single,' the carpenter told The Daily Telegraph at the time. 

'I wasn't going in there looking for love or for any type of relationship or anything. That wasn't my mindset going in,' he added.

He confirmed he did 'hook up' with Marx, but said they were just 'friends and not dating'.

Bien-Stephen then began dating singer-songwriter Plum, with romance rumours kicking off in early December 2022 when they attended the National Gallery of Victoria Gala together.

He told Yahoo Lifestyle that he was madly in love with Plum.

Bien-Stephen said he felt 'very grateful' to have met the singer-songwriter and was excited to see what their future together held.

'I feel very lucky I have a beautiful partner who I'm madly in love with... I'm in a really good headspace at the moment and I'm really excited for what's to come,' he said.

It's unclear when Bien-Stephen and Plum split. However, they appeared to separate on amicable terms as they continued to follow each other online. 

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