Tributes are pouring in for Tyler Christopher following his death at the age of 50 on Tuesday night.
The death of the General Hospital and Days Of Our Lives actor – who was married to Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004 – was announced by his co-star Maurice Benard.
The star said on Instagram: ‘It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher. Tyler passed away this morning after suffering a heart attack in his San Diego apartment.”
Christopher had been outspoken about battling alcoholism, which has led to legal problems in the past.
After his death several of his contemporaries and fans took to social media to remember the late actor.
Sad: Tributes have been paid to Tyler Christopher following his death at the age of 50 on Tuesday night
Friendly: Alyssa Milano, with whom Christopher appeared in a 2000 episode of the series Charmed, posted a memorial on Tuesday with an image of them working together
Alyssa Milano, with whom Christopher appeared in a 2000 episode of the series Charmed, posted a memorial on Tuesday that read: “It feels like the world is falling apart. Tyler Christopher has passed away.
“He was a great actor and so good in the Charmed episode Pardon My Past. I remember him as a sweet, sweet soul.
‘May he rest in peace. My condolences to his friends and family.’
General Hospital co-star Bryan Craig said, “RIP Tyler – it’s so horrible that this keeps happening.”
While The Young and the Restless actor Doug Davidson said: ‘Oh my God. He was such a beautiful person and a great actor. I’m in total shock. May God bless his soul.’
Elsewhere, actor Sean Kanan said: “Stunned to hear of Tyler Christopher’s passing. I have no words. RIP my friend.”
General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini said he was “heartbroken by the news” and remembered Christopher as “an incredible actor and a dear friend,” adding, “Our sincere condolences go out to his loved ones at this difficult time.’
Another General Hospital co-star, Sarah Joy Brown, said she is “gutted” by the news of Tyler Christopher’s death.
Loved: His General Hospital co-star Bryan Craig said: ‘RIP Tyler – it’s so horrible that this keeps happening’
Tough: General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini said he was ‘heartbroken about the news’
Disturbing: Elsewhere, actor Sean Kanan said: ‘Stunned to hear of Tyler Christopher’s passing. I have no words. RIP my friend’
Life: Another of his General Hospital co-stars, Sarah Joy Brown, shared that she is ‘gutted’ by the news of Tyler Christopher’s death
Previously: Christopher and ex-wife Eva Longoria were pictured at the 29th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in New York in May 2022
‘I’m gutted. Tyler @Tyler2929 was a pleasure to work with,” the star wrote.
“His smile and sense of humor lit up the stage. I loved every minute of our time together.
‘You never know what someone else is quietly dealing with. RIP old friend. My condolences to his family and many fans around the world.”
Christopher was married to Desperate Housewives alum Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004.
“Tyler was a truly talented individual who lit up the screen in every scene he played and enjoyed bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting,” Benard added on the social media site while sharing the news of the death.
“Tyler was a kind soul and a wonderful friend to all who knew him.”
Benard said his late colleague “was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who spoke openly about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol,” adding, “We are beyond devastated by the loss of our loved one friend and praying for his children. and his father.’
Christopher’s representative Chi Muoi Lo also confirmed the actor’s death in a statement CNN.
“This news was incredibly shocking and I am devastated by his loss,” the actor’s rep said. ‘He was a very gifted actor, and more importantly, a wonderful friend. My heart goes out to his friends and family who loved him so much.”
The actor played the role of Nikolas Cassadine in 1,153 episodes of General Hospital from 1996 to 2016. For his work on the series, he earned four daytime Emmy nominations and in 2016 won the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
In the years that followed, he portrayed Stefan DiMera in 159 episodes of another tough soap opera in Days of Our Lives, from 2018 to 2019.
In his personal life, Christopher was married twice: to Longoria and to one-time ESPN personality Brienne Pedigo from 2008 to 2021.
He and Pedigo welcomed two children: son Greysun James, 10, and 4-year-old daughter, Boheme.
The actor has been plagued by legal troubles involving alcohol in recent years: He was arrested six months ago after passing out drunk at an LA airport, marking his second arrest for public intoxication in three years.
Christopher was found fast asleep at Burbank Airport in Los Angeles on May 26, when police were alerted to the sleeping soap star and woke him up, according to TMZ.
Christopher told authorities he missed his flight before he was handcuffed and booked for public intoxication.
Authorities said Christopher showed obvious signs of intoxication and was “unable to care for himself,” the news outlet reported. He was released shortly after his arrest and given a court date, the news channel reported.
In November 2019, Christopher was arrested for public intoxication in his hometown of Martinsville, Indiana, forcing him to spend his 47th birthday behind bars. TMZ reported.
In an incident on November 11, 2019, an Uber driver had alerted officers to Christopher’s behavior after he allegedly passed out and urinated on himself after being dropped off at his home. According to the newspaper, he had two-fifths of bourbon on him at the time.
Authorities said in reviews of legal documents by the outlet that police received nine reports related to Christopher’s drunken behavior in the two-month period beginning September 14.
In an incident on November 8, 2019 at a Walgreens, a person reported that Christopher had tried to get into their vehicle. Police who arrested the actor said he may have suffered a head injury after bleeding from his nose and urinating in his pants.
In 2022, Christopher appeared on the mental health podcast State of Mind, with host and former General Hospital castmate Maurice Bernard, aka Sonny, according to Soaps.
During the episode, he spoke openly about his alcohol addiction and drinking his first drink at the age of nine.
“At some point you can’t survive,” he said. “At some point it’s going to kill you – and it has. I flatlined three times. And no one knows that.’
He continued, “Three times I fell flat, and they brought me back. Twice due to (alcohol) poisoning, once due to withdrawal.’
That year, he also shared his journey to recovery and his mental health which he posted on his social media, stating that he was returning to California and ready to go to work, according to the publication.
Christopher spoke in July with Bloomberg about a family issue he was dealing with after being placed under the custody of his sister Susan Asmo Baker in 2019 after being injured in an alcohol-related incident.
The show’s Maurice Benard announced the tragic news on Instagram on Tuesday
Success: Tyler earned four Daytime Emmy nominations and won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2016 after playing the role of Nikolas Cassadine for nearly two decades. Pictured in LA in 2016
Show: Christopher in a 2010 scene with actress Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) during their days together on the long-running soap opera General Hospital
Christopher told the outlet that he “never in a million years thought a family member would take advantage of me” after he sued his sibling, claiming she spent $40,000 from him on her own expenses.
She had denied any wrongdoing to the court and the media, telling Bloomberg in an email: “If I hadn’t been his Guardian, he would be DEAD!”
Some of Christopher’s other television and film roles include Days of Our Lives, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and the Paul Winfield drama Catfish in Black Bean Sauce, earlier in his career.
He also appeared in the crime drama No Turning Back, Face the Music and The Twilight Zone, as well as the 2014 romantic drama Beyond the Lights. In recent years, he has appeared in TV movies such as 2023’s Ice Storm and the films 20.0 Megaquake and 2022’s Super Volcano.