It started with a few whispers on a shady soap opera blog. Then, suddenly, my social media feed was buried in "RIP Ridge" posts and panicked comments from fans who’ve watched Thorsten Kaye for decades. The rumor was specific, terrifying, and spread like wildfire: fans were asking, does Thorsten Kaye have liver cancer?
If you’ve spent any time in the The Bold and the Beautiful fandom lately, you know how intense things can get. When people hear that the man behind Ridge Forrester might be fighting for his life, they don’t just scroll past. They worry. They share. And unfortunately, that’s exactly what the people who start these hoaxes are counting on.
The Truth About Thorsten Kaye’s Health Status
Let’s be extremely clear right out of the gate: Thorsten Kaye does not have liver cancer.
He’s fine. Honestly, he’s better than fine—he’s currently winning Emmys and leading one of the most-watched shows on the planet. The entire "liver cancer" narrative was a complete fabrication, what many in the industry call "death hoaxes" or "health baiting."
It got so bad in late 2025 that the show’s higher-ups actually had to break their usual "no comment" rule. Casey Kasprzyk, the supervising producer of The Bold and the Beautiful, took to X (formerly Twitter) to shut the whole thing down. He called the reports "pure trash" and "disgusting." He even mentioned that his own mother had reached out to him in a panic because she’d seen the fake news.
When the boss has to tell his own mom that his lead actor isn't dying, you know the internet has gone off the rails.
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Why the Rumors Started in the First Place
Why do people do this? Money. It’s basically that simple.
There’s a whole ecosystem of low-quality "news" sites that use AI-generated scripts to churn out health scares. They know that soap fans are incredibly loyal. If they write a headline saying "Thorsten Kaye Battling Liver Cancer," they get a million clicks. Those clicks turn into ad revenue.
In this specific case, the rumors were particularly nasty. Some articles even went as far as saying the show was "writing a death storyline" to accommodate his real-life illness. They even misspelled his name half the time (calling him "Torsten K"), which is usually the first sign that you're reading total garbage.
What Thorsten Kaye Is Actually Doing in 2026
If he was battling a serious illness like liver cancer, he certainly wouldn't be working at the pace he is now. As of early 2026, Thorsten is arguably busier than he’s been in years.
He’s been heavily involved in mentoring the newest cast members. Just this month, Brayan Nicoletti made his debut as the new R.J. Forrester. In interviews, Nicoletti has been gushing about how Kaye "took him under his wing" during the audition process. That doesn't sound like a man who is being "forced out" due to health issues.
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Beyond his daily work on B&B, Kaye has been part of some pretty experimental TV moves:
- The CBS Crossover: He recently filmed scenes for the new soap Beyond the Gates, bringing Ridge Forrester into a whole new world.
- International Shoots: He’s been traveling for the show’s location shoots, including recent romantic (and dramatic) arcs in Italy.
- Award Season: He’s still riding high from his 2024 Daytime Emmy win for Outstanding Lead Actor, a role he’s held with a firm grip since 2013.
Identifying Celebrity Health Scams
It’s easy to get sucked in when the headline looks official. But there are a few "tells" that usually give away a hoax about does Thorsten Kaye have liver cancer or any other celebrity ailment.
First, look at the source. Is it Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, or Soap Opera Digest? Or is it a website you’ve never heard of with fifty pop-up ads for "one weird trick to lose belly fat"? If it’s not a major trade publication, be skeptical.
Second, check for a lack of specifics. The fake articles about Kaye used vague language like "sources say he is fighting for his life" or "insiders are worried." They never quoted a doctor, a family member, or a named representative. Real news has names. Fake news has "insiders."
Lastly, look at the actor's own activity. Kaye is famously private—he doesn't even like award shows—but he’s still showing up to work every day. The production schedule for a soap opera is grueling. It’s 12-hour days, five days a week, with hundreds of pages of dialogue to memorize. You can’t do that if you’re in the middle of a major medical crisis.
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The Impact of These Hoaxes
It’s not just "harmless gossip." These rumors hurt real people. They hurt the actor’s family, his co-stars, and the fans who have a genuine emotional connection to these characters.
When a rumor like this goes viral, it forces the actor to spend their time defending their health rather than doing their job. In Kaye's case, he’s mostly stayed silent, letting the producers handle the PR fire. That’s very on-brand for him. He’s a "show up, do the work, go home to the family" kind of guy.
Fact-Checking the Latest Reports
If you're still seeing posts about Kaye's health on your timeline, here is the current reality of the situation:
- Medical Records: No legitimate medical report has ever been released suggesting liver issues.
- Cast Departures: There is no "exit date" for Thorsten Kaye. He is under contract and actively filming.
- Physical Appearance: While some fans pointed to him "looking different" as "proof" of illness, that’s just life. People age. Lighting changes. Kaye has been playing Ridge for over a decade; he’s naturally going to look different than he did in 2013.
- Producer Confirmation: Casey Kasprzyk’s statement remains the definitive word on this: the rumors are "pure trash."
What to Do Next
The best thing you can do as a fan is to stop clicking on those sensationalist YouTube videos and blog posts. Every click tells the algorithm that "Thorsten Kaye liver cancer" is a high-value topic, which encourages more people to write fake stories about it.
If you want the real scoop on what’s happening with Ridge, stick to the verified social media accounts for The Bold and the Beautiful or established soap news sites like Daytime Confidential or Michael Fairman TV. They actually have journalists who talk to the actors, rather than bots that scrape the internet for keywords.
Verify before you share. If a story seems too dramatic to be true, it probably is. Check the actor’s official credits on IMDb or look for recent "behind-the-scenes" photos from the set. If they’re smiling on set with their co-stars, they’re likely doing just fine.
Thorsten Kaye is a powerhouse of daytime television. He’s survived plenty of "on-screen" heart attacks, plane crashes, and fashion wars. Off-screen, he’s healthy, employed, and definitely not going anywhere.