'Black Ink Crew: New York's' Teddy Ruks Gives Insight Into the Show's Rumored Cancellation (EXCLUSIVE)

Content warning: This article contains mentions of animal abuse.

For nearly a decade, Black Ink Crew: New York has captivated television audiences. Viewers quickly got entangled in the staff drama at the Black Ink tattoo shop in Harlem, New York, and the professional lives of the crew.

Fast forward to today, and the cast is getting ready to spring Season 10 upon us. While there are new players in the tattoo empire, many of the OGs remain, including Teddy Ruks.

Now that Season 10 is here and news of the show possibly being canceled has made its rounds, viewers want answers. In an exclusive chat with Distractify, Teddy got real candid about the future of Black Ink Crew and where things stand with their leader, Ceaser Emanuel.

The question, "What happens now?" is perfect given the circumstances the Black Ink Crew: New York cast has to face.

It’s no secret that Black Ink Crew: New York has been a hot topic over the last few months. The show is making history with its 10th season, but some fans believe that the end is near for our favorite tattoo crew.

In June 2022, news spread online that VH1 ended its relationship with Black Ink Crew creator Ceaser Emanuel. And since some believe the show cannot go on without its leader, social media users are convinced that Season 10 will be its last.

Teddy Ruks, Ceaser’s cousin and right-hand man, shares that the future of the reality TV show is currently unknown.

“At this point, we're really not sure,” Teddy exclusively told Distractify. “Our season is about to start and we're going to continue to push forward with everything until we get that word that it’s over. But at this present moment, we really don't know. It's definitely up in the air.”

Teddy shared that the cast is concerned since “no one thought that things would happen this way.” The 38-year-old shared that he knew that one day the cameras would possibly go away, so plans have always been put in place.

“We do have 10 tattoo shops and we did have a plan of opening five more,” Teddy told us. “We're going to push forward with opening the shops and just continue to do what we wanted to do. So as of now the cameras haven't gone away.”

In June 2022, a video of Ceaser abusing his dog went viral. In the video, Ceaser can be seen hitting a dark-colored animal with a folding chair and kicking him. Naturally, the video sent shock waves through social media.

Following the release of the video, VH1 made the decision to release Ceaser from his contract. And of course, Ceaser being released means that the future of Black Ink Crew is now in jeopardy.

Despite Ceaser’s firing, Teddy shares that the mogul is in good spirits and has taken steps to work on himself and take care of his mental health.

“The first thing I told [Ceaser] to do was like, just take a break and find out what's triggering you," Teddy exclusively told Distractify. “We've been living our lifestyles in the entertainment world for a very long time. And it can get stressful. I also suggested therapy."

Teddy revealed that his conversations with Ceaser following the dog abuse video have been about “exploring his issues.”

“I haven't taken a step myself to go into therapy, but he deals with a lot more than me,” Teddy told us. “So I definitely told him he should definitely seek anger management and just find out what issues he has going on within himself. And then he can redeem himself.”

Teddy also shared that Ceaser has taken full accountability for his actions — as seen in a TMZ clip via The Shade Room. Ceaser is facing the music and is “taking a step back to revamp himself and do the right thing.”

Black Ink Crew’s future may be unclear, but the crew is filled with go-getters and hustlers like Teddy who will surely bounce back from whatever is to come.

Black Ink Crew: New York Season 10 premiere on Monday, Oct. 17, 2022, at 8 p.m. EST on VH1.