Kristoff St. John, an actor best known for his longtime role on the popular soap opera The Young and the Restless, has died at 52.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call at his home in the San Fernando Valley at 2.05pm on February 3, Detective Meghan Aguilar told The Washington Post. There were no signs of homicide or foul play. The investigation is being handled by the Los Angeles medical examiner and coroner's office, and there is no criminal investigation.
He was found unresponsive and could not be revived by paramedics, NBC News reported.
On Monday, lawyer Mark Geragos issued a statement on Twitter on behalf of St. John's family.
Since 1991, St. John has portrayed Neil Winters on the famous CBS soap opera, and he has a long resume of television credits that include appearances on Arli$ and The Jamie Foxx Show.
St. John and his family suffered a blow in 2014 when his son Julian died by suicide after entering a treatment facility. In 2017, Entertainment Weekly reported that St. John himself entered treatment after a "mental health scare". His ex-wife, Mia St. John, issued a statement at the time explaining that the death of their son had "taken a toll on both of us".
"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 realise that no one is immune," she said in the statement.
His fiance, model Kseniya Mikhaleva, expressed her grief on Instagram. "How did it happen??? How??? Why did you leave so early???? and left me alone," she wrote in a caption that accompanied a photo of the couple embracing.
Kristoff St. John won two daytime Emmys for his role as Neil Winters on The Young and the Restless.
St. John had won two Daytime Emmy awards and been nominated several more times for his portrayal of Neil Winters on The Young and the Restless. On Monday, the Daytime Emmys issued their condolences via Twitter.
St. John was born in New York City in 1966 and began acting at a young age. He received his first television credit in 1975 on That's My Mama and appeared steadily in television roles for the next several years. His co-star in the miniseries Roots: The Next Generations tweeted fond remembrances of the late actor Monday.
St. John also appeared in a handful of movies, including television-movie specials such as Marry Us for Christmas and A Baby for Christmas.
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