Ryan Hadley, a tattoo artist and entrepreneur who appeared on season 6 of Ink Master: Master vs. Apprentice, has died. He was 46.
Hadley’s Instagram account shared he died Wednesday “surrounded by loved ones” following a battle with cancer. The announcement added, “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. #rip #f***kcancer.”
Hadley began chemotherapy in December. But just a few months later, Hadley shared the tragic news that his “chemotherapy wasn’t a success at all.” He added that his cancer had spread to his liver and lungs and that the cancer in was “non treatable” and “death is the outcome.”
“I may be around for another week or maybe another 3 months, either way it tears me apart that I’m leaving my children behind,” he shared at the time. “Death doesn’t scare me in any way.. it’s the fact of abandonment with my kids is what pisses me off and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Just days before his death, Hadley’s family began an “end of life donations” campaign to help pay for funeral expenses. According to that GoFundMe campaign, Hadley and his family “spent his remaining time together golfing, going on little trips, and tattooing.”
Hadley hailed from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He appeared on season 6 of Ink Master: Master vs. Apprentice, which aired in 2015 on Paramount Network. The show, an Ink Master spinoff, featured host/judge Dave Navarro and judges/tattoo artists Chris Núñez and Oliver Peck.
Hadley was among 18 contestants competing for $100,000, a Dodge Challenger, a story in Inked magazine and the coveted title of Ink Master. He entered the competition with 15 years of experience as an owner and operator of a tattoo and art gallery in Indiana. Hadley, however, was eliminated early in the competition and finished in 17th place.
He’s survived by his two sons and one daughter.
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