Why was Tyler Christopher axed from 'General Hospital'? Late soap opera star once said leaving show 'crushed' him
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: ‘General Hospital’ and ‘Days of our Lives’ star Tyler Christopher was found dead in his San Diego apartment on October 31, 2023.
His co-star Maurice Benard confirmed the actor’s death on his Instagram and the reason behind his death is said to be cardiac arrest.
Christopher portrayed Nikolas Cassadine on America’s longest-running soap opera ‘General Hospital’ from 1996 to 2016. His performance on the show earned him a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead, as well as multiple nominations.
In 2016, Christopher was dropped from ‘General Hospital’, with many hoping that he would return. However it didn’t happen as the negotiations fell apart between the show’s executives and the actor as he didn’t like the financial terms offered to him, Soap Opera Digest reported.
However, in a candid interview with 'General Hospital' co-star Benard, the late actor revealed that it was his alcohol addiction that became the cause of his downfall and the reason behind his egress from the soap opera.
View this post on Instagram
Tyler Christopher blamed alcohol addiction for exit from ‘General Hospital’
Christopher appeared on Benard’s show ‘State of Mind’ and spoke candidly about his struggles.
He cleared the air that his departure from ‘General Hospital’ was mainly because of his alcohol addiction.
Christopher said, “It crushed me because I took for granted the one thing I love the most. It was devastating for a myriad of reasons. One, thing that I love the most was taken away. Two, I threw it away. Nobody took it away from me. I dropped it, okay?”
He continued, “Having to walk out those doors under that circumstance, was like, ‘Wow, this is for real, dude. This is for real. My pride and ego were very quick to intervene. ‘Who can I blame for this?’ And when I looked in the mirror, there was only one person to point the finger at.”
Tyler Christopher's early years of alcohol abuse
During the conversation, Christopher also disclosed that he took his first drink at the age of nine and flatlined and almost died three times — twice from alcohol poisoning and once from withdrawal.
During his withdrawal, he took a terrible fall, resulting in having an emergency craniotomy to save his life, and he was eventually put under medical guardianship by doctor's orders, where he ended up in Ohio for a time with his sister.
Who was Tyler Christopher been married to?
Tyler Christopher was married to actress and producer Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004.
He was previously engaged to 'General Hospital' co-star Vanessa Marcil and also dated Natalia Livingston.
Christopher and auto racing reporter Brienne Pedigo publicly announced their engagement in October 2006. They got married on September 27, 2008.
