Kristoff St. John, a soap-opera actor who played character Neil Winters for 28 years on Young and the Restless, died in early February, and now his cause of death has been revealed.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed that St. John’s death at age 52 has been ruled an “accident.”
His cause of death is listed as hypertrophic heart disease, which the Mayo Clinic defines as a condition in which the “heart muscle becomes abnormally thick,” making it harder for the heart to pump blood.
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Alcohol is listed as a “contributing factor” to his death.
On February 4, police were called to St. John’s home for what was considered a “possible alcohol overdose.” An autopsy was conducted at the time, but the cause of death was deferred until the coroner could conduct an additional investigation.
St. John was recently engaged to model Kseniya Olegovna Mikhaleva, and the couple had planned a wedding for the fall.
His ex-wife, Mia St. John, claimed he had immense difficulty coming to terms with his son’s death at age 24, 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.)
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At the time, Mia released a statement to Entertainment Tonight, outlining the devastation that 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 prior to his death, 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 Feb. 4, 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.
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“He was such a vital, strong character, and obviously haunted by demons,” longtime Y&R co-star Eric Braeden said to The Daily Beast. “But he was so full of humour and he was such a good man. In lonely moments when you’re all by yourself, what goes through your head? Who knows?”
St. John left behind two daughters, Paris Nicole and Lola.
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If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.
The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, Depression Hurts and Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) all offer ways of getting help if you, or someone you know, is suffering from mental health issues.