Kristoff St. John, a soap-opera actor who played character Neil Winters for 28 years on Young & the Restless, has died. He was 52 years old.
St. John’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, confirmed St. John’s passing in an email.
“Sadly we can confirm,” it read.
READ MORE: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ trailer — The remaining superheroes assemble
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office also confirmed the sad news.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to an “incident” on Sunday in San Fernando Valley, Calif., and a person at the scene was pronounced dead.
“We did respond yesterday at 2:05 p.m. on Morea Way for a possible alcohol overdose and that’s going to be a coroner’s case,” said LAPD officer Rosario Cervantes on Monday. Foul play is not suspected.
St. John was recently engaged to model Kseniya Olegovna Mikhaleva, and the couple had planned a wedding for the fall.
St. John’s son, Julian (with ex-wife Mia St. John), died by suicide in 2014 at age 24. He had immense difficulty coming to terms with his son’s passing, and underwent psychiatric treatment in 2017 after a reported mental-health scare. (TMZ reports that St. John threatened to kill himself, and was placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold.)
READ MORE: Bow Wow arrested in Atlanta for allegedly assaulting woman
At the time, Mia released a statement to Entertainment Tonight, outlining the devastation Julian’s suicide had brought upon the couple.
“I want the world to know the truth about what is happening with Kristoff, because currently there is inaccurate, and fabricated information being reported by certain online outlets,” she said at the time. “No parent should ever have to bury their child, and for those who do, it is a nightmare that haunts you forever. The death of our beloved son Julian has taken a toll on both of us. He is an actor and while he may appear whole on the outside, his heart is broken. As a society, we need to start taking mental health seriously and realize that no one is immune.”
A few weeks ago, St. John posted a Twitter reply about how hard it is to lose a child — his last posting to the website.
In a now-deleted tweet that Mia posted on Monday morning, she seemed to blame the hospital for St. John’s passing.
“THAT HOSPITAL KILLED OUR SON @TheArtofJulian THEN MY HUSBAND @kristoffstjohn1 THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED! THEY KILLED MY FAMILY,” it read.
READ MORE: ‘Survivor: Edge of Extinction’ cast revealed
Over his career, St. John earned nine Daytime Emmy nominations and 10 NAACP Image Awards for his work on Young & the Restless. He won his two Daytime Emmys in 1992 and 2008.
He also appeared on a variety of sitcoms in the ’90s, including The Jamie Foxx Show and Martin.
Y&R network CBS released a statement about St. John’s passing.
“The news of Kristoff St. John’s passing is heartbreaking. He was a very talented actor and an even better person. For those of us who were fortunate enough to work with him on The Young and the Restless for the last 27 years, he was a beloved friend whose smile and infectious laugh made every day on set a joy and made audiences love him. On behalf of the Y&R cast and crew, CBS and Sony Pictures Television, we offer our heartfelt sympathy to his family and loved ones, especially his two daughters, Paris and Lola.”
Fans, costars and colleagues shared their condolences on Twitter.
St. John leaves behind two daughters, Paris Nicole and Lola.
—
Comments