Ryan Hadley: Ink Master star dies age 46 after cancer spread despite chemotherapy treatment

Hadley, an Indiana gallery owner who competed in season six of the Paramount reality show, died on Thursday (June 20). This comes two months after he revealed that his cancer had progressed to an untreatable stage, spreading to his liver and lungs.

“Ryan left this world last night surrounded by loved ones,” his family shared in a statement. “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.”

In December, Hadley announced his diagnosis of seminoma, a malignant germ cell tumor that typically develops in the testicles, brain, chest, abdomen, and other parts of the body. He discussed his health struggles with his 32,000 Instagram followers, sharing that he had to start chemotherapy earlier than anticipated and asking for donations to a GoFundMe for his medical expenses.

“The last time I went through with this it nearly killed me and scared the hell outta me,” he said at the time. “I have no other option but to do the chemotherapy and to make sure I do not get sick while going through the cycles of chemotherapy this time around. Thank you for reading and I’m hoping to make it through this to the end.”

In April, Hadley expressed his gratitude to his supporters but revealed that the chemotherapy had not been successful and that he expected to pass away within months.

He said: “I made the decision to follow the oncologist's orders and do everything that they asked for during my treatments. Chemotherapy wasn’t for me and now my cancer has spread to my liver and lungs. This is a non-treatable cancer in my liver and death is the outcome.

“I may be around for another week or maybe another three 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 that 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.”