It was confirmed Tuesday that actor Kristoff St. John, who passed away at the age of 52 on February 3, died of heart disease exacerbated by the use of alcohol.
While the cause of death for the Young and the Restless actor has been categorized as an accident because of “hypertrophic heart disease … and effects of ethanol,” according to the Los Angeles coroner’s office, it was also revealed that the two-time Daytime Emmy Award winner had been released from a mental health hospital just two days prior to his passing.
Related: Louis Tomlinson’s Little Sister Félicité Dead At 18
His coroner’s report, obtained by The Blast, reads:
“According to the available information, the decedent is a 52-year-old black male who was found dead in his residence. He has a history of alcohol abuse, bipolar disorder and suicidal ideations. He was released from a mental health hospital on 02/01/2019 following a 72-hour hold. No suicide note was found. No trauma is noted and no foul play is suspected in this case.”
The “informant/witness statements” section of the report goes into further detail of his hospitalization:
“The decedent had been admitted to Las Encinas Mental Health Hospital in Pasadena on 01/26/2019 for threatening to hurt himself and alcohol abuse. The decedent was released on 02/01/2019 and went to his residence.”
In 2014, he and ex-wife Mia St. John sued a mental health facility after losing their son Julian St. John to suicide at the age of 24 while he was receiving treatment there. Following his death, Kristoff and Mia founded the El Saber es Poder (Knowledge is Power) Foundation to battle mental illness.
In 2017, around the three-year anniversary of his son’s death, the star was placed under psychiatric hold after threatening to commit suicide.
Related: Miley Cyrus Honors Janice Freeman At ‘The Voice’ Contestant’s Memorial
The actor told a completely different story on TV though, starring as makeup executive Neil Winters on the daytime soap opera since 1991, a role which earned him nine Daytime Emmy nominations and won him 10 NAACP Image Awards.
On Tuesday, Entertainment Weekly confirmed that beginning April 23, the Y&R plot line for the week will address the longtime cast member’s passing, including a special tribute episode on April 29 featuring stories from former and current stars.
Executive producer Anthony Morina shared with EW:
“We all miss Kristoff immensely and are understandably still in a bit of shock. Our hope is that this storyline and tribute episode airing in April will honor the legendary character Kristoff helped create, and provide our audience with the opportunity to say a meaningful goodbye to Neil Winters.”
We are sending our continued thoughts to his loved ones.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
[Image via Nicky Nelson/WENN.]
Related Posts
-
Categories
