Paul Teal, who played Josh in the teen drama series One Tree Hill, has died after a battle with cancer. The actor joined the cast of the popular series during the seventh season of the show. His partner, Emilia Torello, informed fans about Teal’s passing in an Instagram post. Teal died on November 15th in a hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Paul Teal in a still from One Tree Hill | Credits: The CWPaul Teal in a still from One Tree Hill | Credits: The CW

Torello revealed that Teal was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer seven months prior to his death. Torello and Teal met during the 2022 production of Newsies and started dating soon after. Torello starred in several TV projects and a film, besides her appearances in stage productions.

One Tree Hill Star Paul Teal’s Girlfriend Emilia Torello Announced His Death

Paul Teal and Emilia Torello | Credits: @emiliatorello/IGPaul Teal and Emilia Torello | Credits: @emiliatorello/IG

Paul Teal appeared in seven episodes of One Tree Hill, which also happened to be his debut screen project. He also appeared in guest spots on Goode Behavior, Dynasty, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Outer Banks, and George & Tammy. Teal’s death was announced on Instagram by his partner and actress, Emilia Torello.

She shared, “The most thoughtful, inspiring, driven, self-disciplined, loving man passed away on Friday, November 15, 2024.” She announced it alongside a picture of the two of them in a happy moment. She shared that he was her “soon-to-be-husband”, hinting that they were engaged at the time of his death. She shared on her post:

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. 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.

Torello later told TMZ that Teal died from stage IV neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer. She shared that Teal was the most talented man she had ever met. She shared, “I truly believed with all of my heart that he would come out the other side of this because of those traits. That’s what makes this loss even more tragic.”

Torello shared that Teal filmed his new Starz series, The Hunting Wives, amid his cancer battle. The show is expected to premiere in 2025.

Emilia Torello Appeared In Several TV & Film Projects

Emilia Torello in a still from Megaboa | Credits: Emerald City Films/The AsylumEmilia Torello in a still from Megaboa | Credits: Emerald City Films/The Asylum

More details about actress Emilia Torello can be found on her portfolio website, where she reveals her background as a Bachelor of Fine Arts. The University of Miami alum joined Drama Inc. in Atlanta and began her stage acting career. Her website read:

From portraying the troubled, sarcastic teen to the girl-next-door-turned-super-hero, Emilia loves diving into roles that challenge her and enable her to depict different facets of herself. Her passion is driven by the desire to tell stories that evoke powerful emotions.

In a resume that she uploaded to her website, Torello detailed the different roles that she took on in her career. Under her television roles, Torello has mentioned projects like Mr. Mercedes, Swamp Murders, Killing It, Outer Banks, The Summer I Turned Pretty, and Band. She also mentions a recurring role in Teal’s final TV series The Hunting Wives.

In Outer Banks, she co-starred in scenes with Madison Bailey in a Season 3 episode. Torello appeared as the lead in the feature film, Megaboa. She also starred in the short films, Lucky Jo and The Friend. She also mentions her special skills as sight singing and memorized pitch.