General Hospital’s Ryan Paevey Gets Heartbreakingly Honest On Why He Left Acting: ‘It’s Taken Me to a Bit of a Dark Place’

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Ever since he first showed up as General Hospital good guy Nathan West, fans knew Ryan Paevey was something special. And when Nathan was killed and he left General Hospital, moving over to feel-good Hallmark fare, not only did fans follow, but a whole new batch of folks discovered his talent. More recently, though, Paevey has stepped back from acting, being open about his frustration with the entertainment industry.

Now, tired of the rumors, speculation and twisting of his words, Paevey released a statement to Heavy and shared it on his Instagram page to set the record straight and lay everything out. The heartbreak within the industry was bad enough, but now, he’s decided he also needs to focus on his mom as she fights cancer.

As for his frustrations with the entertainment industry, he shared, “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.”

On top of that he’s been hacked, had money embezzled and his investments stolen. Those are all horrifying enough but, as Paevey shared, “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.”

He went on to say how grateful he is to General Hospital for giving him a place to start and learn, 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.”

Paevey ended his statement saying that he’s got so much to be thankful for and making it clear that he loves the creative outlet he’s found in his jewelry and wearable company, Fortunate Wanderer and plans on going on many more adventures and sharing them with the fans to stay connected. Right now, though, his focus is on family.

“Thank you, so much, for sharing this journey with me,” he concluded, “and here’s hoping there’s more ahead for us all.”

We wish Paevey and his mom all the best, and we’ll be keeping both of them in our thoughts. Wherever he goes next, we’re sure we’re not alone in saying we’ll be cheering him on all the way.