Advertisement
Home CELEBRITY

Ian Thorpe’s heartbreak after ex-partner’s sudden death

He was just 32 years old.
Loading the player...

Ian Thorpe’s ex-partner Ryan Channing has tragically died in Bali.

Advertisement

WATCH: Ian Thorpe competes in Celebrity MasterChef

The 32-year-old model, lawyer, and skincare brand creator was rushed to hospital on Sunday May 8. While based in Australia, he regularly flew to Indonesia and Los Angeles for business.

A source close to Ryan told News Corp that he had been “battling health issues” for a while now.

ian-thorpe-ryan-channing
Ian Thorpe’s ex-partner Ryan Channing has died in Bali. (Credit: Getty)
Advertisement

A representative for the swimmer said his thoughts were with Ryan’s family, as per the Daily Mail

“Everyone is distraught,” a different source told The Daily Telegraph. “It is just so sad and everyone is shocked.”

Eight weeks ago, Ryan shared a picture from Sydney’s St Vincent hospital with the caption “Covid got me GEWD” after testing positive to the virus. At this stage, it is not clear whether the virus had anything to do with his death. 

ryan-channing
“Covid got me GEWD.” (Credit: Instagram)
Advertisement

Ryan was Ian’s first long-term boyfriend after the Olympic swimmer came out as gay.

They were on-and-off again before eventually breaking up for good in 2019.

While dating, Ian and Ryan considered having a child together via surrogate. 

WATCH: Ian Thorpe reveals he’s excited to start a family (Article continues after video)

Advertisement
Loading the player...

After being spotted at a LA reproductive clinic in 2019, the swimmer confirmed to the Daily Mail that he and Ryan planned to expand their family. 

“We’re talking about it and have for a while, but it’s still early days,” Ian said.

“We decided to visit the clinic in LA – it’s all part of the plan at this stage.” 

Advertisement

Related stories


Advertisement
Advertisement