‘General Hospital’ Star Tyler Christopher Dies of ‘Cardiac Event’ at 50

Soap opera star Tyler Christopher, best known for his roles on General Hospital and Days of Our Lives, died from a “cardiac event” Tuesday morning, a representative confirmed to The Daily Beast. He was 50.

He played Nikolas Cassadine on General Hospital from 1996 to 2016 and Stefan DiMera on Days of Our Lives, where he won a Daytime Emmy after four previous nominations.

“This news was incredibly shocking, and I am devastated by his loss,” Chi Lo, his representative, said. “He was a very gifted actor, and more importantly, an amazing friend. My heart goes out to his friends and family who loved him so much.”

General Hospital Executive Producer Frank Valentini also provided a statement to The Daily Beast mourning his “dear friend.”

“I am heartbroken over the news of Tyler Christopher’s passing. He was kind, an incredible actor, and dear friend, who was beloved by our GH family and fans of Nikolas Cassadine,” Valentini wrote. “On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, our heartfelt sympathies go out to his loved ones during this difficult time.

Paula Smith, wife of Christopher’s co-star, Maurice Benard, first announced the news via a statement on Instagram, writing that the actor died Tuesday morning at his home in San Diego.

“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,” she said, adding that he was “a sweet soul and wonderful friend to all of those who knew him.”

Throughout his life, Christopher was vocal about his struggles with alcohol addiction. Notably, he was arrested for an alcohol-related incident in 2019 when he fell asleep in the back of an Uber.

He was placed under his sister’s legal guardianship in 2019 after a separate incident in which he fell and hit his head during a particularly severe bout of alcohol withdrawal, an incident which ended in surgery after severe internal bleeding. After nearly four years under the guardianship, Christopher submitted a court filing in July alleging that his sister had used his money to buy lavish gifts for herself and her son.

“I never thought in a million years that I would be taken advantage of by a family member,” he told Bloomberg at the time.

His sister, Asmo Baker, told the outlet in an email: “If I hadn’t been his Guardian he’d be DEAD!”

Then, this past May, he was arrested again for public intoxication at the Hollywood Burbank Airport.

Christopher was formerly married to Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria, before marrying ESPN reporter Brienne Pedigo in 2008. Christopher and Pedigo divorced in 2021 and share two children named Greysun James Christopher and Boheme Christopher.

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