Kelsey Bateman, Rock of Love contestant, dies at 39

Kelsey Bateman, a former contestant on the VH1 dating show Rock of Love with Bret Michaels, has died at the age of 39, her family told entertainment website TMZ. The family described her passing as unexpected; no cause of death has been released and authorities have not publicly provided further details.

Bateman first drew public attention in 2009 when she competed on the third and final season of the series, which followed women vying for the affections of Poison frontman Bret Michaels while traveling on tour buses. She was 21 at the time and advanced to the final nine before being eliminated in episode seven after a contentious sequence in which she appeared intoxicated with fellow contestants. In a confessional shown on the program she said, "I ended up laying on a speed bump balling my eyes out but you know what? I am here and I am ready for whatever Brett has to say to me." Michaels told her during the elimination that life on the road was not the right environment for her and that he was ending her time on the tour, saying he had seen her "laying on a speed bump" and that she was drinking too much.

Accounts of the original contestant field vary in contemporary coverage,...