Paul Teal’s cause of death has been revealed after news the “One Tree Hill” actor died following a health battle.
Teal passed away at 35 on Friday, with his fiancée, Emilia Torello, telling TMZ that he lived only seven months after being diagnosed with stage 4 neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer in April.
The star — who played Josh Avery in season seven of the long-running teen drama — died in a hospital in Raleigh, NC. Teal appeared in seven episodes of the hit teen drama series in 2010. His character was the love interest of Jana Kramer’s character, Alex Dupre. It was later revealed that Josh was gay.
“He was the most talented man I’ve ever met. When he set his mind to something, there was no stopping him,” Torello told the outlet. “He was the most diligent and dedicated person. I truly believed with all of my heart that he would come out the other side of this because of those traits. That’s what makes this loss even more tragic.”
His fiancée revealed his passing in a gut-wrenching social media post on Sunday.
“The most thoughtful, inspiring, driven, self-disciplined, loving man passed away on Friday, November 15, 2024,” Torello wrote as the caption for a sweet black-and-white photo showing her kissing Teal’s cheek.
Calling him her “soulmate, my soon-to-be-husband, my rock, and my future,” she continued, “You filled my lungs with laughter, my stomach with butterflies, and my heart with love. You were taken too soon, in a battle that you fought bravely without fail.”
Torello said a “part of me died with you,” but she promised “to fight to find joy in life as hard as you fought to live every single day.
“The world is lucky to have even had a moment with Paul Teal, and I am the luckiest person in it, because I got to call you mine. I will love you forever.”
Teal’s “One Tree Hill” co-star Bethany Joy Lenz, who starred in all nine seasons of “OTH” as Haley James, also posted a tribute following the news of his death.
“My heart is heavy. Paul Teal was the kind of guy who lit up a room without trying. His bright smile, infectious laugh and kind heart made you want to be near him,” she wrote.
The actress recalled working with Teal on her 2006 musical production of “The Notebook” in 2006 before he appeared on “One Tree Hill.”
“Later, I was giddy to be directing an episode of One Tree Hill where I’d get to cast a new recurring character, Josh- the sleazy movie star,” Lenz shared. “With his self-effacing sense of humor and willingness to dive fully into any character, Paul was perfect for the part. He was a joy to work with in any environment and so generous.”
“We stayed in touch on and off,” she added. “I wish it had been more. I wish I’d called all those times I meant to but got distracted. Life is short. I keep thinking that this week. Life is short.”
Amid his cancer battle, his fiancée told TMZ that Teal was filming a new series for Starz called “The Hunting Wives.” She credited the cast and crew for helping him continue his health fight.
Teal’s resume included “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” “Outer Banks,” “American Rust,” “The Staircase” and “George & Tammy.” He also played Deputy Clark in Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas’ 2022 film “Deep Water.”
