Paul Teal‘s death has sent waves of grief through the world One Tree Hill family, including among his fellow players Jan Kramer And Sophia Bush.

“Sending love and prayers to @paulteal’s family and friends,” Kramer, 40, wrote via her Instagram Story on Monday, November 18, after news broke that Teal died on Friday, November 15. “I had the absolute pleasure of working with him on season 7 of OTH.”

Kramer played Alex Dupre OTH from 2009 to 2012. She worked closely with Teal, who joined the cast for season 7 as actor Josh Avery. During his stint on the series, Josh made a sex tape with Alex and threatened to release it. However, when Alex found out Josh was gay, she covered for him and pretended to be his girlfriend before he eventually came out to his parents.

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Courtesy of Paul Teal/Instagram Paul Teal made an impact on the One Tree Hill community before his death. On Sunday, November 17, news broke that Teal died at the age of 35. “The most thoughtful, inspiring, driven, self-disciplined, loving man passed away on Friday, November 15, 2024,” Teal’s partner, Emilia Torello, announced via Instagram at the time. (…)

“He was always so sweet and kind and so fun to work with,” Kramer said of her late castmate. “OTH family, please wrap his family and friends in prayers.”

Bush, who played Brooke Davis throughout the show, also shared a kind message to Teal and his loved ones.

“Incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of Paul Teal,” she wrote via her Instagram Story. “We’re just starting to look at him OTH episodes on @dramaqueensoth and he is such a talent.

Teal’s partner, Emilia Torelloannounced his death on Sunday, November 17 via Instagram. Although his cause of death was not revealed, she noted that he had been battling an illness before his death.

“The most thoughtful, inspiring, driven, self-disciplined and loving man passed away on Friday, November 15, 2024,” Torello wrote alongside a black-and-white photo of the couple. “Paul, you were my soulmate, my husband-to-be, 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.

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Torello admitted that part of her “died” with Teal, but vowed to “fight to find joy in life as hard as you fought to live every day.” She concluded, “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.”

In the aftermath of his death, dude OTH star Bethany Joy Lenz wrote a tribute to Teal on Sunday.

“My heart is heavy. Paul Teal was the kind of guy who lit up a room without even trying,” Lenz, who played Haley James Scott, wrote via social media. “His bright smile, infectious laugh and kind heart made you want to be around him.”

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The 43-year-old actress shared a video slideshow full of memories of Teal, including a clip from their 2006 musical adaptation of The notebook.

“He was shy and funny and so comfortable on stage. Wow. Like his second skin. You couldn’t take your eyes off him,” she said of the late actor. “Later I felt giddy when I got to direct an episode One Tree Hill where I would get to cast a new recurring character, Josh – the sleazy movie star. With his self-effacing sense of humor and willingness to fully immerse himself in each character, Paul was perfect for the role. It was a pleasure to work with him in any setting and he was so generous.”

Lenz noted that Teal was “too young to die,” adding that she was “devastated” by the news. “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,” she wrote.