Hallmark star Ryan Paevey broke his silence over his recent acting break — and explained why fans won’t see him on screen this year.
“I have always been an open book, and one who speaks his mind truthfully and directly,” Paevey, 39, told Heavy in a statement on Friday, June 21. “And it is unfortunate that we live in a world where social media makes it very easy to twist one’s words; I am often unaware it is even happening until someone from my team messages me in a panic, and so I feel it best to make a formal statement.”
Paevey explained that “taking a step back from acting” is “something I’ve felt I’ve needed to do for a while now, and a decision proven to be absolutely necessary in the past few weeks.”
He confessed: “The industry hasn’t felt like the place for me in quite some time now, and my mental health has suffered from it. It’s taken me to a bit of a dark place, made me into a version of myself I don’t like very much. I’ve vented some of my anger and frustration publicly, and for that I apologize.”
While the Fourth Down and Love star said he’s “had many years of smooth sailing” in the industry, “the waters have been much rougher the last year or so.”
Paevey acknowledged that he’s “not unique in this” as “nearly everyone” in Hollywood and around the world is “going through troubled times to some degree.” However, after having his “bank accounts hacked, money embezzled, investments stolen,” things he said “can be recovered from,” the actor took a more personal hit.
“After all that, my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer,” he shared. “I left Los Angeles to be closer to her and feel the need to devote more of my time, energy, and resources closer to home.”
Despite his recent setbacks, Paevey assured his fans that his life status is not “all bad news.” In fact, he noted that he has “so, so much to be grateful for,” giving shout-outs to some of his biggest career champions.
“I am grateful to this industry as a whole, I am grateful to General Hospital for giving a green actor a chance and tolerating his learning curve, to Hallmark for changing my life and taking me to places that have become my favorite on Earth,” he continued. “To my managers for seeing something in a grunt with no resume and helping to architect a whole new trajectory and life for him, and to all of you who have helped raise up this handyman and bartender and taking him on a decade long adventure the likes of which he never imagined. I have so much to be thankful for, and not a day goes by that I don’t think that thought.”
Paevey said he wanted to issue this statement in hopes that his fans will understand his new trajectory.
“All this to say, I am simply shifting focus closer to family,” he added, pointing out that his jewelry company is still something he’s working hard to grow. “I have found another fulfilling creative endeavor in Fortunate Wanderer, and have plans to expand it, begin adventuring more, and share those adventures in the hopes that we will all remain connected.”
Paevey promised that he “will share more about that once I myself have a clearer picture of how to do it.” He confessed, “I know this was a lot, but I wanted you all to hear it directly from me. Thank you, so much, for sharing this journey with me, and here’s hoping there’s more ahead for us all.”
The actor chose to speak out now after previously raising eyebrows in April when he told his fans on X that he “may take 2024 off from filming.” (He has since deleted his X and Facebook accounts, noting his verified Instagram account is his only form of social media.)
At the time, Paevey told his followers that “the last 8 months of life in this industry have left a pretty bitter taste in my mouth, and I need some time away from a world so full of fake friends and empty promises.”
He also revealed that he’d “happily do another film” for Hallmark if the execs “wanted” him on board, hinting that the network wasn’t one of the reasons he was pressing pause on acting.
“I don’t know anymore … so I’m just gonna do life, and make plans, and work,” Paevey tweeted in April. “And whatever happens, happens.”
Paevey, who has been an actor since the mid-2000s, made a name for himself after playing Nathan West on General Hospital from 2012 to 2018. He became a Hallmark staple in 2016 after starring in Unleashing Mr. Darcy. His last project for the network was 2023’s Under the Christmas Sky.
While Paevey doesn’t have plans to act in the immediate future, fans can keep up with his jewelry line, Fortunate Wanderer, and his California lifestyle via Instagram.
