Tyler Christopher’s cause of death has been determined following the actor’s unexpected death in October 2023.
The General Hospital alum passed away from positional asphyxia brought on by heavy alcohol consumption, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office. Coronary artery atherosclerosis, a condition in which plaque forms in the arteries, has also been identified as a contributing factor to his death.
The medical examiner determined that Christopher choked to death as a result of the position he was in while intoxicated. His death was declared an accident.
Maurice Benard, the actor’s former co-star, broke the news of his death in an Instagram post. Benard posted two images of the late actor with a lengthy statement announcing the loss and commemorating his friend. He also revealed that Christopher, who died on October 31 at the age of 50, suffered a heart attack in his San Diego condominium.
“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,” Benard’s message read, in part. “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.”
Benard’s tweet ended with the following statement: “We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend and pray for his children and his father.”
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Christopher struggled with alcohol usage in the years leading up to his death. He was detained multiple times for public intoxication and placed under the supervision of his sister, a situation in which he claimed he was “taken advantage of,” according to Bloomberg.
Following Christopher’s death, his former co-stars and friends remembered him while admitting his difficulties with addiction, applauding the actor’s fortitude throughout his life.
Camila Banus, who previously worked with Christopher on NBC’s Days of Our Lives (which he joined in 2017 and left in 2019), described the actor as “a true artist” in a statement.
“He was truly a gifted and kind man,” Banus said. “He will be dearly missed. Rest in peace Tyler Christopher.”
Christopher’s General Hospital co-star Steve Burton also spoke out about the tragedy, characterizing the actor as a “brother.”
“This hits hard. Really hard. Sometimes I use the word ‘brother’ loosely. But when I called Tyler my brother, I meant it . . . there’s a group of us . . . that have done and still would do anything for each other,” Burton, 53, wrote on Instagram as he shared a collection of photos with Christopher from over the years. “We lost one. A beautiful and talented soul at that. It hurts. Thank you for the memories brother Ty. Love you. See you in Heaven. 🙏🏻🕊️.”
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Additionally, in a statement released with PEOPLE, General Hospital Executive Producer Frank Valentini said: “I am heartbroken about Tyler Christopher’s demise. He was a compassionate, incredible performer, and personal friend who was adored by our General Hospital family and Nikolas Cassadine fans.”
“On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, our heartfelt sympathies go out to his loved ones during this difficult time,” Valentini said in a statement.
Brienne Pedigo, a former ESPN reporter, is the mother of Christopher’s two children, Greysun (14), and Boheme.
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