Paul Teal‘s partner, Emilia Torelloopened up about the health battles One Tree Hill alum he faced before his death at age 35.

Torello said TMZ on Monday, November 18, Teal passed away seven months after being diagnosed with stage IV neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer. She told the outlet that Teal died on Friday, November 15, at a hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“He was the most talented man I ever met. Once he set his mind to something, there was no stopping him. He was the most diligent and dedicated person,” she said. “I really believed with all my heart that he would come out the other side because of those qualities. That makes this loss even more tragic.”

Amid his battle with cancer, Torello said Teal was motivated by filming his new Starz series, The hunting ladyS. (The show, including cast members Dermot Mulroney And Brittany Snowexpected to premiere in 2025.)

Related: ‘One Tree Hill’ star Paul Teal dies at 35, Bethany Joy Lenz pays tribute

One Tree Hill alum Paul Teal has 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 on Sunday: November 17. “Paul, you were my soulmate, my husband-to-be, my rock and my future.” While Torello did not (…)

Torello paid tribute to Teal in a sweet Instagram post on Sunday, November 17. “The most thoughtful, inspiring, driven, self-disciplined, loving man passed away on Friday, November 15, 2024,” she wrote. “Paul, you were my soulmate, my husband-to-be, my rock and my future.”

Torello hinted that Teal was struggling with a health issue. “You filled my lungs with laughter, my stomach with butterflies and my heart with love,” she continued. “You were taken too soon, in a battle that you fought bravely without fail.”

She continued, “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. 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 addition to the emotional message, Torello posted a black and white photo of herself kissing Teal on the cheek as he smiled at the camera.

Following the news of his death, Teal’s former costar Bethany Joy Lenz honored his memory. (Teal appeared in seven episodes of One Tree Hill in 2010.)

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

Lenz recorded a video slideshow of her and Teal on stage for a 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 wrote. “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 said she and Teal “kept in touch off and on” over the years, but wished she had reached out to him “more.”

‘Now that he is 35, he has taken a different train. He was too young to die. Way too young. I’m devastated,” she wrote. “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.”