Heavy/Getty Hallmark star Ryan Paevey
It’s been eight years since Hallmark star Ryan Paevey suffered a brutal motorcycle crash that left his wrist “shattered,” and the actor just revealed to concerned fans on social media that it never fully healed and likely never will.
The injury has been an issue with filming certain movie scenes, he admitted, and doesn’t make his side job as a jewelry maker easy, but Paevey, who signed a multi-picture deal with Hallmark in May 2022, said he’s still so grateful he survived the crash that he chooses to just put up with the setbacks his injury causes from time to time. Here’s what you need to know:
Ryan Paevey Says His Wrist Will Never Be Back to 100 Percent: ‘Maybe 70’
In July 2015, Paevey took his Harley Davidson motorcycle, nicknamed “Lilith,” on a camping adventure with friends at the Chilao Campground in Palmdale, California. But the avid biker “took a spill,” he wrote on Instagram, adding that in the accident, “I shattered my right wrist.”
Two days later, he shared jaw-dropping x-rays that showed the extent of his injuries, and how he was able to have his hand rebuilt in surgery.
Weeks later, Paevey, who was starring on “General Hospital” at the time, admitted to Soap Central that he was still in a considerable amount of pain but was determined not to focus on it or complain about it.
“Well, I mean, I broke my hand off, so the fact that it’s even functional, I’m pretty grateful for,” he said. “But the pain level is a whole other story altogether. But, I mean, it’s all right. It’s not going to kill me, I get to keep my hand, I didn’t miss any work. So all things considered, I’m pretty pleased with how things turned out.”
Years later, Paevey still has the same attitude even though he’s never gained full function of his wrist. During an impromptu Twitter exchange with fans about his first Hallmark movie, 2016’s “Unleashing Mr. Darcy,” Paevey recalled that it was challenging at times to film the movie, not only because of freezing temperatures, but because his wrist was still healing.
“Yeah i could barely make a fist at that point,” he tweeted on July 13, 2023. “So the tennis scene was a bit tough….i was apologizing to the editors the whole time, haha. Didn’t feel like i gave them much to work with. 😅”
When a fan asked Paevey how his wrist is now, eight years later, he replied on July 16, “I jumped the gun a bit, and probably did not allow it to heal as much as i should have. i was back on the bike in 3 months, but I’ll never have 100%. Maybe 70, and that’s about as good as it’ll get for me i think. Still, grateful to still have the hand, and be able to ride”
Ryan Paevey Won’t Let Wrist Issues Keep Him From Making Jewelry
Paevey, 38, also needs to have good fine motor skills for his work as a jewelry maker for his independent business, Fortunate Wanderer. During his recent impromptu Twitter conversation with fans, someone asked whether his wrist’s limitations make the craft difficult at times.
“A bit,” he replied. “My wrist will give me grief for forever, but i don’t really have anyone to blame but myself, haha. I have a high tolerance for pain, it’ll be alright. 💪”
Paevey started experimenting with silversmithing and designing jewelry when he was on “General Hospital,” he told Just Jared in June 2022.
“I don’t know, I was looking for another creative outlet, shall we say,” he said. “Everybody around the studio was kind of starting to get into some sort of hobby. The gals were all knitting and things like that. And I was like, yeah, all right. I need to (do something).”
He continued, “I made a bunch of really bad stuff early on, and it just kind of spiraled up from there. As you create stuff, you get better and better at it, and the amount of difficulty a project needs to have in order to give you that rush starts to ratchet up.”
Early on in his time at Hallmark, Paevey appeared on the network’s “Home and Family” talk show to showcase his skills, teaching viewers how to create their own wire-and-stone pendants.
Paevey told Just Jared he still gets a “rush” from elevating his skills and taking on new challenges with the craft. His goal, he said, is to create pieces with unique materials, from rare stones to petrified wood, that people can’t find anywhere else.
He explained, “I know that people can buy jewelry pretty much anywhere, and there’s all kinds of people out there doing it, but my particular style is I really like to offer them something that they can’t just get anywhere.”
Most of Paevey’s jewelry is one-of-a-kind bracelets, cuffs, rings, and pendants that he shares on social media when they’re ready to be sold. But he does have several items available to order consistently, like stackable sterling silver rings and beaded bracelets.