Hallmark Star Ryan Paevey's Step Back From Acting Was More Devastating Than We Knew

The stars of the Hallmark Channel's beloved movies often feel like family. So when fan favorite actors leave the Hallmark bubble, it's often a bittersweet moment for both them and the legions of viewers. Sometimes the decision is professional; other times, it's ethical (as when Candace Cameron Bure left Hallmark to join the more conservative GAC Family). Still other stars have very personal reasons for parting ways. For instance, in April 2024, Ryan Paevey broke many hearts with his announcement that he was following a different career path. On his X account (formerly Twitter), the star of "A Summer Romance" and "Coyote Creek Christmas," among many others, explained that he was taking the year off from acting, noting that there were things about the Hollywood life that were disturbing him.

As with so many big life decisions, however, there was more to the story. Paevey recently took to Instagram with an update, letting fans know he's stepping back from most of his social media for the time being. Sadly, scammers have been impersonating the actor to swindle people out of money, and Paevey and his management team have been powerless to stop the crooks. The Hallmark star disabled both his X and Facebook accounts, and he warned fans not to follow any lookalike feeds. Paevey followed up a few days later with an even more sobering announcement on Heavy and on his Instagram page, which added a number of other reasons he's "stepping away and shifting focus" as he looks to the future. 

Ryan Paevey once said he loved working with Hallmark because of their output's escapist, feel-good nature. Offscreen, however, his life has been far from cozy country inns and meet-cute romances. As the actor explained in his message to fans, "The industry hasn't felt like the place for me in quite some time now, and my mental health has suffered from it." While Paevey didn't get into any specifics, the "Under the Christmas Sky" star mentioned some of the issues he's been dealing with of late, such as quotes of his being misinterpreted and taken out of context; reputation-soiling gossip; and even imposters hacking his bank accounts and stealing his money. Paevey also had to backtrack on a previous statement he'd made about not receiving any residuals from Hallmark films (he does). 

But the biggest motivator for the shift was a family crisis. The actor recently moved from L.A. to assist his mother, who is in treatment for lung cancer. "[I] feel the need to devote more of my time, energy, and resources closer to home," he informed Heavy. The Hallmark stalwart expressed his gratitude to "the industry as a whole," along with "General Hospital," the soap that gave him his start in the industry, and to Hallmark "for changing my life and taking me to places that have become my favorite on Earth." Paevey hasn't confirmed when he may return to TV, if ever, but for now he's channeling his creativity in a very different direction. Paevey has a surprising second career as a custom jewelry designer.