'General Hospital' actor Tyler Christopher dead at 50, co-star announces

SAN DIEGO (KSWB) -- Tyler Christopher, known for his roles in "General Hospital" and "Days of Our Lives," has died from an apparent "cardiac event" in his San Diego apartment on Tuesday. He was 50.

The soap star's death was confirmed by "General Hospital" co-star Maurice Bernard in a post on Instagram Tuesday night honoring his late colleague.

"It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher," Bernard wrote. "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."

"We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend and pray for his children and his father," he continued.

"General Hospital" executive producer Frank Valentini also took to X, formerly Twitter, to remember the actor, saying, "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."

"On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, our heartfelt sympathies go out to his loved ones during this difficult time," Valentini continued.

Christopher portrayed Nikolas Cassadine on the iconic medical soap opera from 1996 to 2016. After his two-decade tenure with the show, he played Stefan DiMera on "Days of Our Lives" from 2018 to 2019. The actor earned a Daytime Emmy for each of these roles and four nominations.

Along with the two daytime soaps, Christopher also worked on the ABC Family drama series “The Lying Game” and guested on such series as “The Twilight Zone,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Family Law,” “Charmed,” “Angel” and “The Pretender.” His film credits include “Shouting Secrets,” “Out of the Black,” and “Max Winslow and the House of Secrets."

In 2008, Christopher married former ESPN reporter Brienne Pedigo, although the couple later divorced in 2021. They share two children: Greysun James Christopher and Boheme Christopher. He was also briefly married to "Desperate Housewives" alum Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004.

Christopher, who has struggled with bipolar depression and substance abuse, recently spoke out about regaining control over his life after he was placed under the guardianship of his sister following a bout of alcohol withdrawal.

The case prompted a legal dispute in Indiana, where Christopher alleged in court papers that his sister misspent or improperly received reimbursement for $40,000 to pay down her own credit card debt, bankroll her move, even buy her son a MacBook. His sister refuted these allegations.

“I never thought in a million years that I would be taken advantage of by a family member,” Christopher said in an interview with Bloomberg in July.

While Bernard said that Christopher's passing was caused by a "cardiac event," the circumstances surrounding the veteran actor's death remain unclear at this time. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office has not confirmed an exact cause of death.