Bethany Joy Lenz pays tribute

Originally published on E! Online

The One Tree Hill cast mourns the loss of one of their own.

Paul Tealwho played movie star Josh on season seven of the WB series, died on November 15 after a health battle, his partner Emilia Torello confirmed on Instagram November 17. He was 35.

“The most thoughtful, inspiring, driven, self-disciplined and loving man passed away on Friday, November 15, 2024,” Emilia wrote in her social media post. “Paul, you were my soulmate, my husband-to-be, my rock and my future. 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.

She went on to say that amid her grief, she will honor his memory.

“Even though a part of me died with you, I promise that I will fight to find joy in life just as hard as you fought to live every day,” Emilia aadded. “The world is lucky to have even had a moment with Paul Teal, and I’m the luckiest person in that because I get to call you mine. I will love you forever.”

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Bethany Joy Lenz– who played together with Paul Sophia Bush, James Lafferty, Jan Kramer and more in the drama – also expressed her sympathy for his death on social media.

“My heart is heavy,” Bethany wrote in a Nov. 17 Instagram post. “Paul Teal was the kind of man who lit up a room without even trying. His bright smile, infectious laugh and kind heart made you want to be around him. ”

The 43 year oldold – who noticed how she ffirst met Paul when he was putting on a stage production The notebook in 2006 – considered working with the actor and even directed him in a 2010 episode of One Tree Hill.

“He was shy and funny and so comfortable on stage,” she explained. “Just like his second skin. You couldn’t take your eyes off him. Later I was giddy to direct an episode of it One Tree Hill where I would get to cast a new recurring character, Josh, the sleazy movie star.

Bethany emphasized, “With his self-effacing sense of humor and willingness to fully immerse himself in each character, Paul was perfect for the role.”

During his career, Paul completed a series of seven episodes One Tree Hillwhere his character was in a relationship with Jana’s character Alex before coming out as gay.

He also appeared in Ben Affleck And Ana De Armas‘2022 movie Deep watertwo episodes of Outdoor benches in 2021 and took on many other smaller roles.

“Paul, your time here was like a summer romance for all of us who knew you,” Bethany — who also expressed regret for not interacting with the actor — added in her post, “especially if it was only for a season. Bursting, exciting, deeply moving and unforgettable.”

Keep reading for a look at Paul’s best moments with his partner Emilia…

A nice start

Emilia Torello debuted her relationship with Paul Teal in 2022, writing beneath a photo of their Halloween costumes, “You are the cutest prison guard I have ever seen.”

A perfect picture moment

Over the years, Emilia has documented her travels around the world with Paul, including a trip to Paris in November 2023.

In the city of love

Emilia wrote about the trip: “Almost 200,000 steps and 20 cappuccinos later…”

Nothing but smiles

It’s fantastic

The One Tree Hill alum and Emilia commemorated the release of Barbie with a sweet date night in the summer of 2023.

A home run

Love in the outdoors

Better together

A heartbreaking farewell

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