'General Hospital' Star Tyler Christopher's Cause of Death Revealed

Published: 1/30/2024, 3:15:13 PM EST

'General Hospital' Star Tyler Christopher's Cause of Death Revealed — Actor Tyler Christopher speaks onstage at the 43rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, Calif., on May 1, 2016. (Earl Gibson III/Getty Images)

The cause of death of Tyler Christopher, an actor best known for his role in "General Hospital," has been released by a medical examiner's office in California after the 50-year-old soap opera star was found dead at his apartment in October 2023.

According to the actor's death certificate issued by the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office, which was obtained by TMZ on Jan. 26, he died of positional asphyxia, or suffocation, due to acute alcohol intoxication.

The documents also listed coronary artery atherosclerosis, a condition where plaque can build up in the arteries, as a contributing factor to his death.

His death was ruled an accident, the coroner's report noted.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coronary artery atherosclerosis, or coronary artery disease, is the most common form of heart disease in the United States.

The condition is caused by plaque buildup in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart and other parts of the body.

"Plaque is made up of deposits of cholesterol and other substances in the artery. Plaque buildup causes the inside of the arteries to narrow over time, which can partially or totally block the blood flow. This process is called atherosclerosis," the CDC's website states.

Before the coroner's report was made public over the weekend, the actor's former "General Hospital" co-star Maurice Benard said he died from heart-related issues.

"It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher. Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment," Mr. Benard wrote in a post on Instagram on Oct. 31, 2023—the same day a friend reportedly found him deceased in the bedroom of his apartment, according to TMZ.

"Tyler was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol," Mr. Benard added. "We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend and pray for his children and his father."

Life and Career

Christopher was born in Chicago, Illinois, on Nov. 11, 1972, and grew up in Delaware, Ohio, where he attended Ohio Wesleyan University.

From 1996 to 2016, he starred as the popular character Nikolas Cassadine on ABC's long-running daytime soap opera "General Hospital," a role that won him a Daytime Emmy. He also earned four additional Daytime Emmy nominations for his performances on the show along the way.

According to IMDb, he portrayed Nikolas Cassadine in more than 1,000 episodes.

Tyler Christopher in a scene on ABC's "General Hospital" that aired the week of Sept. 27, 2010. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for DATG) — Tyler Christopher in a scene on ABC's "General Hospital" that aired the week of Sept. 27, 2010. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for DATG

In addition to his work on "General Hospital," Christopher also portrayed Stefan DiMera in NBC's soap opera "Days of Our Lives" between 2017 and 2019, which also scored him a Daytime Emmy nomination.

Outside of his career as an actor, Christopher married ESPN reporter Brienne Pedigo in 2008, with whom he shared two children, a son and a daughter. Ms. Pedigo filed for divorce in February 2019.

On Sept. 16, 2022, Christopher shared his joys of parenting with his fans in a post on Instagram, writing alongside a selfie with his two children, "Never again will I take for granted spending time with my children doing all the little things that never before seemed monumental but are now everything to me."

"There are no words to express my gratitude for our after school dinner where they told me about their day. I’ve never so enjoyed a trip to Target to pick out a toy or an afternoon at the movies," he added. "Playing with my children has always brought the greatest joy. I am grateful for this new chapter in my life for the time it allows me to be close to them."