The Young and the Restless family has lost a beloved member.
Kristoff St. John, the actor who originated the role of Neil Winters on the long-running soap opera nearly three decades ago, has died. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to E! News that police were called for a possible alcohol overdose and found St. John dead in his home in Calif. around 2 p.m. on Sunday. Authorities have not disclosed any further details and the cause of his death is unconfirmed at this time. St. John was 52 years old.
"Few men had the unique strength, courage & sensitivity that @kristoffstjohn1 lived every single minute of every day. He impacted everyone he met and millions who he inspired and in turn admired him," attorney Mark Geragos said in a statement on Twitter. "On behalf of @MiaStJohnBoxer & @TheStJohnFamily thank you for all of your love."
A New York native, he got his start on television with brief appearances on shows like Happy Days and Wonder Woman. By the late 1980s, St. John landed a recurring role on Charlie & Co. before The Young and the Restless in 1991, on which he starred until his death.
St. John won two Daytime Emmy Awards for his performance on the show and was nominated an additional nine times.
"The news of Kristoff St. John's passing is heartbreaking. He was a very talented actor and an even better person," CBS Television Network and Sony Pictures Television said in a joint statement. "For those of us who were fortunate enough to work with him on The Young and the Restless for the last 27 years, he was a beloved friend whose smile and infectious laugh made every day on set a joy and made audiences love him. On behalf of the Y&R cast and crew, CBS and Sony Pictures Television, we offer our heartfelt sympathy to his family and loved ones, especially his two daughters, Paris and Lola."
St. John was married and divorced twice, first to Mia St. John, with whom he welcomed son Julian and daughter Paris. Julian died of an apparent suicide in 2014 at the age of 24. The actor was later married to Allana Nadal, with whom he had daughter Lola.
In 2017, he reportedly underwent psychiatric treatment after an alleged "scare" regarding his mental health.
Hs is survived by his two daughters and his fiancé Kseniya Mikhaleva, who he proposed to in August. "How did it happen ??? How ??? Why did you leave so early ???? and left me alone ..... I can't believe," she wrote on Instagram on Monday. "You were everything to me .... you were a loving father, a loving man,.....how love??we should doing a lot of things in future......"
Our thoughts are with the star's loved ones at this time.