Hallmark Vet Ryan Paevey Is 'Taking a Step Back from Acting' and Plans to Shift 'Focus' Closer to Family

"I’ve had many years of smooth sailing, and am very lucky to be able to say that, but the waters have been much rougher the last year or so," the actor shared in a statement

• Hallmark star Ryan Paevey announced his plans to take “a step back from acting” in a social media statement.

• The General Hospital alum noted he had “many years of smooth sailing, and am very lucky to be able to say that, but the waters have been much rougher the last year.”

• Paevey — who has starred in more than 15 Hallmark films — now plans to focus on family and a new career endeavor with outdoor apparel company Fortunate Wanderer.

Hallmark vet Ryan Paevey is taking “a step back from acting."

Paevey — who has starred in a number of Hallmark films including Marrying Mr. Darcy, Christmas at the Plaza, Two Tickets to Paradise and A Fabled Holiday — announced in a statement on Instagram, which was first shared by Heavy, that he plans to focus on new career endeavors.

“So first and foremost, I am a bit apprehensive that I even have to make a statement like this,” he began. “I am certainly accustomed to a certain degree of gossip, but the past few weeks in particular have gotten out of control with speculation from third parties that have taken my words and expanded upon them to meet their narrative, or flat out misrepresented my words or misconstrued their meaning.”

The 39-year-old actor shared that he has always been “an open book, and one who speaks his mind truthfully and directly, and it is unfortunate that we live in a world where social media makes it very easy to twist one’s words.”

Related: Hallmark Announces First Immersive Christmas Experience — with Appearances from Its Stars! (Exclusive)

He noted that he is “often unaware it is even happening until someone from my team messages me in a panic,” seemingly referring to online imposters, which led him to deactivate his X (formerly known as Twitter) account.

The General Hospital alum — who starred as Nathan West from 2013 to 2018 on the ABC soap opera — said, “As I’ve stated before, I am taking a step back from acting, something I’ve felt I’ve needed to do for a while now, and a decision proven to be absolutely necessary in the past few weeks.”

Related: Get Ready to Trade in Your Shades! Hallmark's Christmas in July Is Back with 2 New Original Movies

Paevey then opened up about the personal and financial toll that his acting career has had on him, sharing, “The industry hasn’t felt like the place for me in quite some time now, and my mental health has suffered from it. It’s taken me to a bit of a dark place, made me into a version of myself I don’t like very much. I’ve vented some of my anger and frustration publicly, and for that I apologize.”

“I’ve had many years of smooth sailing, and am very lucky to be able to say that, but the waters have been much rougher the last year or so,” he continued. “I know I am not unique in this; it seems nearly EVERYONE, in Hollywood or not, is going through troubled times to some degree.  I’ve had bank accounts hacked, money embezzled, investments stolen….things that, while difficult, can be recovered from. But after all that, my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. I left Los Angeles to be closer to her, and feel the need to devote more of my time, energy, and resources closer to home.”

Despite the difficult times, Paevey shared it wasn’t “all bad news” because he has “so much to be grateful for” over the course of his career.

“I am grateful to this industry as a whole,” he wrote. “I am grateful to General Hospital for giving a green actor a chance and tolerating his learning curve, to Hallmark for changing my life and taking me to places that have become my favorite on Earth, to my managers for seeing something in a grunt with no resume and helping to architect a whole new trajectory and life for him, and to all of YOU who have helped raise up this handyman and bartender and taking him on a decade long adventure the likes of which he never imagined. I have so much to be thankful for, and not a day goes by that I don’t think that thought.”

“All this to say, I am simply shifting focus closer; to family,” he concluded. “I have found another fulfilling creative endeavor in [outdoor apparel company] Fortunate Wanderer, and have plans to expand it, begin adventuring more, and share those adventures in the hopes that we will all remain connected, and I will share more about that once I myself have a clearer picture of how to do it. I know this was a lot, but I wanted you all to hear it directly from me. Thank you, so much, for sharing this journey with me, and here’s hoping there’s more ahead for us all.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Hallmark for comment.

Related: Jonathan Bennett, Danica McKellar, Benjamin Hollingsworth and More Join Christmas Con 2024’s Lineup (Exclusive)

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Paevey — who has starred in more than 15 Hallmark films — first revealed that he was taking a hiatus from acting in a series of social media messages on April 9.

“Sadly no word of a film… I may take 2024 off from filming, unless the project is with friends,” Paevey wrote in a tweet on a since-deleted X account, per TV Insider. “The last 8 months of life in this industry have left a pretty bitter taste in my mouth, and I need some time away from a world so full of fake friends and empty promises. I’m weary…”

“I had a great run,” he continued. “I like my simple life in my shop, helping little bro, and frequent surfs. I have much to be grateful for, I’ll figure out a way to stay afloat without acting income… who knows, maybe a film will come along. Insurance would be nice, haha.”

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.