Hallmark Star Ryan Paevey Issues Emotional Statement (Exclusive)

Heavy/Getty Ryan Paevey attends Hallmark Media's star-studded kickoff of 'Countdown To Christmas' with a special New York City screening of "A Holiday Spectacular" on October 22, 2022.

After months of speculation about actor Ryan Paevey‘s future at Hallmark Channel and widespread reports of him quitting acting altogether, the beloved rom-com star and “General Hospital” alum wants to clear the air.

Amid his decision to deactivate his Twitter and Facebook accounts late on June 2o, 2024, Paevey issued an exclusive statement to Heavy, provided in full below, on the circumstances that have led him to shift his priorities and public presence after a decade of being in the spotlight.

In his statement, Paevey, 39, revealed that a series of professional and personal challenges, from dealing with rampant online rumors and scammers to supporting his mom through a difficult diagnosis, have prompted him to take a “step back” from Hollywood. With acting off the table for now, Paevey says he looks forward to expanding his work creating and selling his line of handcrafted jewelry via his Fortunate Wanderer website, while exploring ways to bring more joy back into his life.

Ryan Paevey’s Formal Statement to Supporters: ‘Shifting Focus’

HallmarkRyan Paevey on “Two Tickets to Paradise”

In a four-paragraph statement provided exclusively to Heavy, Paevey shared in detail what has led him to reconsider how and where he wants to spend his time and energy for the foreseeable future. Here is Paevey’s statement in full:

Hey everyone…so first and foremost, I am a bit apprehensive that I even have to make a statement like this. I am certainly accustomed to a certain degree of gossip, but the past few weeks in particular have gotten out of control with speculation from third parties that have taken my words and expanded upon them to meet their narrative, or flat out misrepresented my words or misconstrued their meaning. I have always been an open book, and one who speaks his mind truthfully and directly, 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 through HEAVY.

As I’ve stated before, I am taking a step back from acting, 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. 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. I’ve had many years of smooth sailing, and am very lucky to be able to say that, but the waters have been much rougher the last year or so. I know I am not unique in this; it seems nearly EVERYONE, in Hollywood or not, is going through troubled times to some degree.  I’ve had bank accounts hacked, money embezzled, investments stolen….things that, while difficult, can be recovered from. But after all that, my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. 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.

Please don’t think for a second that it’s “all bad news”.  I have so, so much to be grateful for. 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, 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.

All this to say, I am simply shifting focus closer; to family. 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, and I will share more about that once I myself have a clearer picture of how to do it. 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.

Ryan Paevey Says He’ll Keep Fans Updated Through Instagram & His Email Newsletter

HallmarkRyan Paevey in “Fourth Down and Love,” with Kimberley Sustad as the reporter

Moving forward, Paevey told Heavy that his Instagram account, which features the platform’s verified blue checkmark, will be the only social media app he’ll use to communicate to fans. The Instagram account for Fortunate Wanderer will be run by a team member, he said. Paevey will also provide periodic updates to those who’ve subscribed to his email newsletter, found at the bottom of his website’s home page.

Paevey said he’s moving forward with plans to release his newest jewelry collection via his site on June 30 at noon, Pacific time. He also hopes to eventually host a casual meet-up for fans in Southern California.

Paevey got his start in Hollywood as a reluctant model, he told fans during an Instagram Live session on June 15, and then landed some small acting gigs, including appearing in Christina Aguilera’s 2012 music video for “Your Body.” The next year, he landed a recurring role as Nathan West on “General Hospital,” and wound up appearing on nearly 300 episodes during his six-year run there, per IMDb.

The California native has also appeared in 15 Hallmark movies since first co-starring with Cindy Busby in 2016’s “Unleashing Mr. Darcy,” which inspired a sequel two years later. His rom-coms frequently air on Hallmark Channel; two are scheduled to air on June 22 — 2023’s “Fourth Down and Love” with Pascale Hutton and 2022’s “Two Tickets to Paradise” with Ashley Williams.

After going months without a new movie in the first half of 2024, inquiries from fans about his whereabouts reached a fever pitch on social media by spring. The actor inadvertently made headlines in early April when he replied to a fan by tweeting that there was “sadly no word of a film” on the horizon, and that he was considering taking the year “off from filming, unless the project is with friends.”

Meanwhile, during his June 15 Instagram Live session, he told followers that he did not receive residuals for old movies airing on Hallmark’s networks. But four days later, he apologized and corrected himself in an Instagram video after learning that his contract did, in fact, include residual income.