Tyler Christopher’s cause of death has been revealed, giving General Hospital fans more details about the actor’s passing last year.
Christopher died of positional asphyxia due to acute alcohol intoxication, according to a medical examiner office report obtained by TMZ. Coronary artery atherosclerosis was a contributing condition, the report added.
In cases of positional asphyxia, one’s body position interferes with one’s ability to breathe, according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs. Atherosclerosis, meanwhile, is a buildup plaque in and on the artery walls, according to Mayo Clinic. The plaque restricts can restrict blood flow and can even burst and cause a blood clot.
Christopher died on October 31, 2023, at 50 years old, with General Hospital costar Maurice Bernard announcing the news on social media. “It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher,” Bernard wrote on Instagram at the time. “Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment.”
Yolanda Perez/ABC/Courtesy: Everett Collection
Bernard added that Christopher was “a truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed” and that he “relished bringing joy to his loyal fans” through acting.
“Tyler was a sweet soul and wonderful friend to all of those who knew him,” Bernard wrote. “Tyler was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol. We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend and pray for his children and his father.”
Christopher played Nikolas Cassadine on General Hospital off and on between 1996 and 2016, and he also played lookalike Connor Bishop on the ABC soap between 2004 and 2005.
After his GH run, Christopher played Stefan DiMera on Days of Our Lives. His other screen credits over the years included the ABC Family series The Lying Game and guest-starring roles on TV series including Charmed, Angel, Felicity, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Off-screen, the actor had marriages to Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria and former ESPN reporter Brienne Pedigo, with whom he had two children.
This story originally appeared on TV Insider
