One Tree Hill star Paul Teal dies at 35: Tributes pour in for beloved actor

One Tree Hill star Paul Teal has died, aged 35.

Teal’s partner, Emilia Torello, announced the news of his death on Instagram on Monday (AEDT).

“The most thoughtful, inspiring, driven, self-disciplined, loving man passed away on Friday, November 15, 2024,” Torello wrote.

“Paul, you were my 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.”

“While a part of me died with you, I promise to fight to find joy in life as hard as you fought to live every single day,” Torello added.

“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.”

While Torello did not reveal the cause of Teal’s death, a Meal Train fundraiser set up to help feed the family as they grieved said he had been diagnosed with cancer.

“He and Emilia moved back to Wilmington when they got his cancer diagnosis, and she and her family were with him for his fight over the past eight months,” organiser Kaitlin Baden said in her message.

“To help them over the next few weeks, we’d like to organise a meal train to take one thing off their plate as they grieve and try to heal.”

Teal’s One Tree Hill co-stars Sophia Bush, who played Brooke, and Bethany Joy Lenz, who starred in the hit show as Hayley, have shared tributes on Instagram.

“Incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of Paul Teal,” Bush wrote.

“He’s such a talent.”

Lenz said 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 said.

“Paul, your time here was like a summer romance for all of us who knew you, especially if only for a season. Bursting, exciting, deeply moving, and unforgettable.”