JPI
The cause of Tyler Christopher’s death last October at the age of 50 has been revealed. The Daytime Emmy-winning actor, who played Nikolas on GH and Stefan on DAYS, died of “positional asphyxia due to acute alcohol intoxication”, according to the San Diego Medican Examiner’s office. An underlying condition, coronoary artery atherosclerosis, contributed to his passing.
The sad news was first reported by TMZ, which obtained documents from the medical examiner’s office. According to the medical examiner’s report, Christopher’s passing was accidental, resulting from how he was positioned when he died.
Prior to his death, the beloved star had spoken candidly about his struggles with chemical dependency and mental health. In an emotional 2022 sit-down with former co-star Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) on Benard’s YouTube series, STATE OF MIND, Christopher shared that his alcohol addiction had in recent years led to a traumatic brain injury and a bout of homelessness, and that after decades as a functioning addict, “in the last 10 years, it went the other way because, you know, you become an addict at 9 years old, fast-forward 40 years, at some point, you cannot survive it. At some point, it will kill you.”
It was Benard who first confirmed Christopher’s death, posting on Instagram, “It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher. Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment. Tyler was a truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting. Tyler was a sweet soul and wonderful friend to all of those who knew him. Tyler was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol. We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend and pray for his children and his father.”
