Tragic Details About Hallmark Star Ryan Paevey's Life

Since 2016, Ryan Paevey has appeared in numerous Hallmark movies, from "Unleashing Mr. Darcy" to "Under the Christmas Sky." Before he played romantic leads in these films, Paevey portrayed Nathan West for several years on the legendary soap "General Hospital." Given his acting resume, it would seem like Paevey's led a charmed life. However, like anyone else, he's also experienced adversity.

For starters, when Paevey was a child, his parents went through a difficult divorce. As an adult, Paevey chose to look at the emotional fallout as an indication of his parents' former bond. "You only lash out at each other and you're only kind of like nasty towards one another if there was actually love there," he reasoned to Paul Greene. Despite these difficulties, the family was able to agree amicably on a shared custody arrangement, and Paevey grew up enjoying meaningful one-on-one experiences with each of his parents. During his teens, when his parents lived in different parts of California, Paevey would spend chunks of time living with each of them.

As an adult, some of the actor's life challenges have occurred as a result of Paevey's fame as both a soap star and a Hallmark star. Others are personal difficulties, like having an ill parent or dealing with personal health concerns. Here are some of the tough times Peavey has faced.

Early in his career, Ryan Paevey followed in his dad's construction footsteps and worked as a handy man. He made appearances in music videos and also modeled for clients like We Are All Smith before shifting over to acting. Unfortunately, Paevey has some regrets about his modeling days. Not only does he believe he wasn't particularly adept at the job, he's also is displeased with the content of some photos.

Back in the day, Paevey did a fair share of underwear modeling. One pic took things even further and features Paevey naked on a couch, with only a nearly-identical photo strategically positioned as a coverup. In hindsight, Peavey thought of the photo as "really seedy, and kind of gross to me now," he confided to She Knows. "I was working a ton of odd jobs at the time, and it seemed harmless enough for the money."

After AfterBuzz TV dredged up this infamous photo during an interview, Paevey explained that the salary was substantially higher than his handy man rate at the time: $500 per hour compared to $18 per hour. In addition, since he never expected to become so well-known, he didn't consider any future implications. Even so, Paevey tries to be sanguine about it. "Not all the feedback that comes back to you is going to be stuff you want to see, so, you know, you take it in stride," he concluded.

Ryan Paevey is a motorcycle enthusiast, and he likes to name his rides. Back in July 2015, when Paevey was riding a motorcycle named Lillith, he got involved in a frightening accident. Paevey first reported the news in a low-key way. Juxtaposed with a beautiful nature scene, he wrote on Instagram, "Lilith and I took a spill and I shattered my right wrist." While the actor shared some x-rays soon after, these diagnostic pics only told part of the story.

Two months later, Paevey shared a still from footage he was recording while the accident occurred. Although Peavey chose to point out the nature details, viewers can see a whirlwind of debris and his legs splayed out as he hits the ground. "My right hand was facing the wrong way a little bit," Paevey later recalled to "Hearts of Stars." Amid the shock after the accident, he added, "I turned it so that it was kind of facing the right way again." Because he was in a remote location, Paevey had to wait hours before he could access medical care.

Paevey was initially concerned how his injury would impact his acting career, especially since it cost him a prospective Hallmark role. However, he persevered, returning to "General Hospital" on schedule and even getting a second opportunity to work for Hallmark. "I'll work around whatever limitations this brings into my life, just like I've worked around other limitations," Paevey informed Soap Central.

In June 2024, fans were saddened to learn that Ryan Paevey was stepping back from acting. Paevey explained his decision in a detailed statement, and noted that part of the reason was that he needed to care for a sick family member. "My mother was diagnosed with lung cancer," Paevey stated to Heavy. "I left Los Angeles to be closer to her."

Paevey has a close relationship with his mom, as evidenced by the heartwarming childhood photos he's shared on Instagram. In a 2016 Mother's Day tribute, Paevey wrote that his mom "put up with all my nonsense with love and kindness, and is/was always cheering me on and cheering me up. " Both Paevey's parents share his love of nature, and it was his mom in particular who inspired his enthusiasm for tropical environments.

In 2017, Paevey's mom joined him for a very special event: the Daytime Emmy Awards. Together, they proudly stood on the red carpet outside of the ceremony. In a moment of parental prescience, his mom had predicted Paevey would someday be at this prestigious event. While Paevey wasn't up for an award in 2015, he was one of the show's presenters, and his mom had a blast accompanying him.

Concurrent with his break from acting, Ryan Paevey deleted his X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook accounts in June 2024. However, Paevey did continue to maintain a presence on Instagram. He decided to scale back his social media presence because he was disheartened with people fraudulently impersonating him. "The scammers are everywhere, and they are incessant," Paevey asserted on Instagram. "There's no way to educate the masses on how scammers operate, or prove that I'm the real me."

This wasn't the first time Paevey needed to warn fans about this underhanded practice. In 2021, the actor posted a public service message on YouTube. He cautioned fans to avoid getting conned by private messages from phony celebrities soliciting money. Two years later, Paevey got embroiled in an online argument as he and a counterfeit X account traded insults. To make things even more frustrating, Paevey had been dealing with various usurpers on the platform since 2014. Just as he was getting his big break in "General Hospital," a pretender set up an account before Peavey.

In addition to dealing with his identity being misused, Paevey's also been dismayed by mean-spirited comments on X -– so much so that it led him to pivot away from performing in soaps altogether. "Soap Twitter was one of the most caustic online environments I've ever experienced," Paevey commented in a since-deleted tweet (via Soaps).

In 2015, Ryan Paevey spoke candidly about his mental health. "I have a massive self-loathing complex," he informed AfterBuzz TV. "I always think I look doughy on camera." The actor went on to note that he found comfort in hitting the gym and seeing how far he could push himself. "I've always been a workout-aholic for more therapeutic reasons than for vanity," he added. Unfortunately, over time, these grueling workouts have sometimes resulted in injury, causing Paevey to modify his routine.

Besides difficulties with his body image, Paevey's also revealed that he grapples with imposter syndrome. Since he didn't formally study to be an actor, Paevey struggled with feelings of inadequacy. By June 2024, Peavey indicated that he needed a career change. In a statement to Heavy, Paevey explained, "my mental health has suffered from it. It's taken me to a bit of a dark place." Months earlier, Paevey had cited negative experiences, commenting on his later-deleted X (formerly Twitter) account, "the business of acting is a whirlwind of rejection, fake friends, thieves and liars" (via Deadline).

Instead of acting, he intended to focus on his own company, Fortunate Wanderer. Paevey makes his own jewelry, a practice that started out as an empowering hobby during his "General Hospital" days. He quickly discovered it benefitted his mental wellbeing. "One of the most potent weapons I've ever had against my 'dark' – aside from going out into nature – is feeling productive, feeling useful," Paevey told Soap Hub.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.