Ryan Hadley, Ink Master Contestant, Dead at 46
Ryan Hadley, a tattoo artist best known for competing on Season 6 of Ink Master, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 46.
News of Hadley’s passing was announced Friday via a post on his official Instagram page.
“Ryan left this world last night surrounded by loved ones,” the caption read. “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.”
Hadley appeared on the sixth season of the tattoo-based reality competition series, which aired at the time on Spike. He was eliminated second that season, finishing in 17th place out of 18 contestants. Though his time on Ink Master ended quickly, Hadley continued to work as a tattoo artist until his passing.
In December 2023, Hadley revealed to his Instagram followers that he had been diagnosed with seminoma, stemming from testicular cancer. That was followed by an unfortunate health update in April of this year, when Hadley shared that his chemotherapy treatment “wasn’t a success at all,” and the cancer had since spread to his liver and lungs.
“This is a non-treatable cancer in my liver, and death is the outcome,” Hadley wrote at the time.
Earlier this week, Hadley’s family made a separate Instagram post asking for donations to assist with end-of-life expenses.
