Debby Ryan 'Devastated' After Jessie Costar Cameron Boyce's Death: 'The World Was Robbed'
Debby Ryan continues to mourn the loss of Cameron Boyce, whom she worked with for four seasons on the Disney Channel series Jessie and who died tragically over the weekend at the age of 20.
“This ripped me up. I keep trying and I can’t make anything make sense,” the Insatiable star, 26, wrote in a touching Instagram tribute, which included throwback photos from the Jessie set. “He was blameless, and relentlessly joyful; he was good. Through and through, Cam is good, in all ways and to all people. And the most alive.”
Ryan said that even though she is “so confused and devastated and angry,” those emotions don’t represent the positive attitude Boyce was known for in his life.
“But that isn’t very Cam. He’d cast any shade of sadness or darkness in colors of positivity; he couldn’t help himself but to always leave you smiling, or laughing, or dancing,” she wrote. “So sincere, kid Truth. He was good.”
Ryan continued to say that her “heart is with his parents” Victor and Libby, who she said are “full of grace,” and Boyce’s “wonderful sister Maya.”
“An unimaginable sorrow,” she said, before going on to express her gratitude for their Jessie “family, with whom to uniquely grieve our guy.”
“There are beautiful connections and beams of light, ever present, truly the fingerprints of Cam still around and showing up in the midst of this. I love him so much. Forever,” she continued.
“You’re alive in the legacy of love you built, and I will keep that light burning in me for the rest of my journey,” the actress concluded. “The world was robbed. We’re better for you.”
Dove Cameron, a fellow Disney Channel star who worked with Boyce in the Descendants franchise, echoed Ryan’s words in the comments, writing, “the world was robbed.”
Cameron, 23, shared her own tribute Tuesday to the late actor on her Instagram, saying that her costar “was one of my favorite people alive in the world.”
RELATED: Cameron Boyce’s Loved Ones Plan to ‘Uphold His Legacy’ by Launching Social Media Campaign
Ryan’s Wednesday Instagram post marks her second tribute to Boyce, as she shared a clip of the young humanitarian accepting the Pioneering Spirit award at the 2018 Thirst Gala.
“It’s crazy, we can tweet whenever we want and we can use social media and Instagram and make the world a better place,” she said in one of her Instagram Stories. “Instead of a worse one, which so many people use it for.”
In the clip, Boyce talks about how important it is to leave a legacy greater than yourself.
“We need to use what we have and make the world a better place for other people, other people, people who need us,” Boyce said.
Boyce died on Saturday after suffering a seizure in his sleep. His family confirmed to PEOPLE on Tuesday that Boyce had epilepsy, which was a factor in his untimely death.
RELATED: How Can Parents Talk to Their Kids About Cameron Boyce’s Death? One Expert’s Advice
The family is launching a social media campaign that Boyce had intended to start before he died, called “Wielding Peace.”
“I’ve named the concept Wielding Peace. It will be a collection of images that feature people from all walks of life (celebrities, victims of gun violence, common supporters) wielding ‘guns.’ The catch is, the ‘guns’ that we’re using as props will be items that signify unity and peace,” Boyce described the project, according to his rep.
Boyce added, “Household items such as musical instruments, cameras, food, sporting equipment, beauty products, articles of clothing… anything that might inspire someone creatively as well as make a strong statement with the sentiment that we need to choose a different weapon.”
“We have every intention of bringing the campaign to fruition in the near future,” his rep said. “It is the duty of all who cared for and loved him to uphold his legacy and continue to strive to be better humans so that we too, may one day leave behind something far greater than ourselves.”
