Ryan Hadley, renowned tattoo artist and contestant on the sixth season of Ink Master, passed away on Thursday at the age of 46.
Hadley’s family announced via Instagram that the tattoo artist passed away on Thursday, June 20, following a diagnosis of seminoma cancer.
“Ryan left this world last night surrounded by loved ones,” his family wrote. “While his life was cut short, in that time he left a legacy behind in both the art and tattoo world. He loved his many fans, his friends and clients, and most of all his children.”
“He’ll be missed and always remembered. A legend forever. #rip #f—cancer,” they added.
The shared photo captured Hadley beaming from ear to ear as he tattooed a customer’s arm. Overlaying the image were the words, “Forever a Legend RIP.” An earlier post featuring the same picture mentioned Hadley’s joy at the regrowth of his hair after a round of chemotherapy.
Hadley appeared on Ink Master in 2015. He made it to the second week of the competition. The show, originally on Spike TV and now on Paramount+, challenges tattoo artists on their skills and creativity.
‘Ink Master’s Ryan Hadley Announced His Cancer Diagnosis Last December
In December 2023, Hadley disclosed his diagnosis of seminoma cancer, a malignant germ cell tumor typically found in the testicles. Hadley explained that seminoma cancer originates from testicular cancer and rapidly forms tumors. He explained that he was undergoing around 122 hours of chemotherapy, involving one week of treatment followed by two weeks off.
Upon announcing his diagnosis, he shared a GoFundMe page to support his family while he took time off work to undergo treatment. In April,
Hadley revealed on Instagram that the chemotherapy had been entirely unsuccessful. He explained that the “non-treatable” cancer had spread to his liver and lungs.
“I may be around for another week or maybe another 3 months, either way it tears me apart that I’m leaving my children behind. Death doesn’t scare me in any way.. it’s the fact of abandonment with my kids is what pisses me off and there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ll keep everyone updated to a certain point in all this. I’ll be signing off very soon forever,” Hadley wrote.
On June 18, Hadley’s family expressed their gratitude for the support from followers via Instagram and announced they were accepting donations to assist with end-of-life expenses.