“Ink Master” star Ryan Hadley dies at 46

Color Master Star Ryan Hadley has died after being diagnosed with seminoma cancer. He was 46 years old.

Hadley’s family announced the tattoo artist’s death in an Instagram post on his profile the next day on Thursday, June 20. He was known for his time on season 6 of the Paramount Network (formerly Spike) reality competition series Color master.

“Ryan left this world last night surrounded by his loved ones,” the announcement began. “Although his life was short, during that time he left a legacy in both the art and tattoo world. He loved his many fans, his friends and clients, and most of all, his children.”

“He will be missed and remembered always. A legend forever. #RestInPeace #f—Cancer,” the message concluded.

The photo shared shows Hadley with a wide grin as he tattoos a client’s arm. “Forever a legend, RIP,” read the text superimposed over the image.

In December 2023, Hadley first announced that he had been diagnosed with seminoma cancer, a malignant germ cell tumor that typically occurs in the testicles, according to the National Library of Medicine.

At the time, Hadley explained that the seminoma “came from testicular cancer and is a very fast-migrating cancer cell that seems to form tumors wherever it goes.” He explained that he would undergo “approximately 122 hours” of chemotherapy, which would mean one week of treatment and two weeks without treatment.

When he announced his diagnosis, he shared a GoFundMe page to help his family as he took time off from work for his treatment.

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In April, Hadley announced on Instagram that chemotherapy had been “not a success at all,” explaining that the “untreatable” cancer had spread to his liver and lungs.

“I may be here another week or maybe three months, but either way, it’s tearing me up that I’m leaving my kids behind. Death doesn’t scare me in any way. It’s the fact that I’m abandoning my kids that makes me angry and there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ll keep everyone updated on all of this up to a point. I’ll be signing off for good very soon,” he wrote.

Hadley’s family thanked their followers for their support via Instagram on June 18 and announced that they would accept donations “to help pay end-of-life costs.”