News Scrap

For 25 years, Ronn Moss starred as Ridge Forrester in soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.

But his dramatic storylines – including a decades-long love triangle – come a close second to his real-life dramas, which included a fight between his wife of 15 years Devin DeVasquez and co-star Hunter Tylo, with whom he had a secret relationship.

But it is another one of his co-stars who Moss once described as the “love of his life.”

Early life

Moss was born Ronald Montague Moss in Los Angeles on March 4, 1952.

He told The Sydney Morning Herald in 2013 his father was an “impresario” who brought a Russian ballet to the United States while his mother was a horse riding instructor.

By 11, he was playing the drums, guitar and electric bass, and was already a hit with the girls at school.

For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.

When he was in his early 20s, he joined forces with Peter Beckett, J. C. Crowley and John Friesen to form the band Player.

Their single, Baby Come Back, was released at the end of 1977 and went to number one, where it stayed for three weeks.

A second single also charted in the top 10 and the band was voted Billboard’s Top New Singles artist of 1978. After four albums, Moss decided to concentrate on acting.

Ridge Forrester

Moss appeared in a 1983 Italian film, which was followed by two film roles in the United States and a guest appearance in a prime time TV show before he won a role in a new soap The Bold and the Beautiful, which first aired in 1987.

Moss was cast as Ridge Forrester, a designer for his family’s Los Angeles fashion house Forrester Creations.

During a 2012 interview with CNN, Moss recalled his first day on set.

“I remember being terrified. I remember being so amped up and excited that I could barely contain myself,” he said.

The soap became a success in the United States and around the world, with Australian audiences in particular embracing the show.

It brought a new level of stardom to Moss, who would often get mobbed during appearances.

He told The Sydney Morning Herald in 2013, “My arse has been grabbed more than I care to say. I’ve learnt that older women often lack restraint. It’s all fun while it’s respectful, but I did experience women going overboard with their passion towards a total stranger.”

The show’s early storylines centred around Ridge’s love life. After an ill-fated marriage to Caroline, he fell for Brooke Logan, played by Katherine Kelly Lang.

In 1990, Moss married first wife, Shari Shattuck, an actress and author with whom he shares two daughters, Creason and Calee.

When a new character was introduced in 1990, psychiatrist Dr Taylor Hayes, it was the start of a love triangle between Ridge, Brooke and Taylor that lasted decades.

Chemistry with co-star

Many fans commented on the chemistry between Moss and Hunter Tylo, who first played Taylor from 1990 to 2002.

In 2014, Tylo told Australian publication New Idea that their on-screen chemistry was very real.

“I was married to Michael Tylo. He was very threatened by Ronn and the chemistry we had onscreen – we definitely connected with an intense passion. So I did everything in my power to push Ronn away,” she said.

Moss and Shattuck’s marriage had ended in 2002 and according to Tylo, by the time she resumed her role as Taylor in 2005, she and Moss were finally free to be together.

“We were both single, and I guess we finally felt free to show our feelings for each other without the fear of upsetting our spouses,” she said. The two reportedly parted ways after a brief fling.

Fight between wife and co-star

Moss quickly moved on with former Playboy Playmate of the Month turned actress Devin DeVasquez.

During a 2013 interview with French TV station Telestar, Tylo revealed Moss had invited her to a 2007 party at his home.

“Over the course of the evening, things got worse between Devin and me,” Tylo claimed.

Tylo alleged that after DeVasquez threw her jacket at her and suggested she leave, a scuffle broke out during which Tylo “fell into their garage.”

“I saw red. I came back into the kitchen, and we were on the floor fighting and pulling each other’s hair,” she said, adding, “I regret everything that happened.”

Moss reportedly contacted Tylo the next day and told her they could no longer be close friends. He has never addressed Tylo’s claims, and he and DeVasquez went on to marry in 2009.

End of an era

In 2012, it was announced Moss would leave The Bold and the Beautiful after a 25-year run, devastating fans around the world.

During a 2012 CNN interview he said he left the show after his contract ended.

He said while money played a part in his decision, it was also time for a change.

“I needed to go in this new direction to give myself the chance to do all the creative things that I haven’t had a chance to do in 25 years, because I’ve dedicated so much of my life to this,” he said.

“I want to make sure that everybody knows how appreciative I am of what I’ve been doing the last 25 years.

“I am not shunning the 25 years, but I’m embracing it. I’m embracing it and being grateful for it and being grateful for [the fans].”

Car crash

In July 2012, Moss and wife DeVasquez were involved in a car crash in Los Angeles that left Moss with a gash to the head and a shoulder injury.

“I’ve never been in an accident in my entire life,” he told CNN.

“I was stopped, completely stopped, in rush-hour traffic, and somebody hit us so hard that it spun us around, took out a light post, took out everything around us, destroyed the brand-new truck that we had just gotten, which probably saved our lives.”

Moss told CNN he took the accident as a sign he was meant to go in another career direction, and revealed yet another sign occurred on his last day of filming, when the clock in his dressing room stopped at exactly 9.42am, which was the time he was born.

While Moss left the door open to one day return to the soap, the character of Ridge Forrester was recast a year later, with Thorsten Kaye stepping into the role.

‘Love of my life’

Moss has always enjoyed a special bond with co-star Katherine Kelly Lang and said their last day filming together was particularly hard.

“That last day was very strange. I was desperately trying to hold it together,” he said.

“Katherine Kelly Lang, most of all, that’s who I was probably most concerned with because she’s the love of my life in more ways than just the show.

“She’s been with me through thick and thin – we’ve been with each other for so long that that’s the longest-running relationship that I’ve ever had.

“She starts rehearsal on the first scene and falls apart. Then I see another girl fall apart. It’s everything we can do to keep it together. It was one of the most emotional days we’ve ever had,” he reflected.

The pair remain in touch today, with Moss even recently posting a video of them together at a lavish dinner in Italy.

Australian connection

Throughout his long career, Moss has travelled to Australia many times for appearances and concerts.

He even shot an iconic advert for Berri juice, and filmed a number of skits on Rove, where he would act out soap opera scenes with host Rove MacManus.

He told The Sunday Telegraph in 2012, “I feel at home in Australia. I take my work seriously, but not myself, which is why I love going there.

“Australians don’t have a lot of ego-driven mannerisms. There was a campaign to make me Australian of the Year once, which was a joke. We have the same sense of humour.”

What he is doing now

Since leaving the show, Moss has continued to act on TV and in films, and also went back to his musical roots.

He briefly reunited with Player bandmate Peter Beckett for a 2015 tour.

He has also released a number of solo albums, including 2020’s Lockdown Lover. Moss produced and starred in the 2023 film Surprise Trip, and released a soundtrack album, Surprise Trip Love.

Moss, now 72, divides his time between his homes in the United States and Puglia, in southern Italy.

He and DeVasquez remain happily married. She took to Instagram last September to wish Moss a happy 14th wedding anniversary alongside a carousel of photos of the pair.

They co-starred in the 2022 film Trail Blazers, and were recently pictured together on the red carpet at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.