What is intracranial hemorrhage? Late All My Children star Esta TerBlanche's cause of death revealed 6 months after her passing

All My Children star Esta TerBlanche's cause of death was revealed on January 29, 2025, via a press release by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. The press release stated the cause of death was an accident. The actress had suffered an intracranial hemorrhage as a result of a head injury.

According to the Mayo Clinic, intracranial hemorrhage is a type of stroke. After a head injury or a blood vessel in the brain bursts, blood collects in the skull, preventing oxygen from reaching the brain tissues and cells.

As per Deadline's report, the actress' unresponsive body was found on July 18, 2024, in her North Hollywood home. At the time, the cause of death was unclear. She was 51 years old when she passed away.

TerBlanche was famous for playing the role of Princess Gillian Andrassy Lavery in the soap drama All My Children. Following the actress' death, her publicist, Lisa Rodrigo, made a statement to People in July 2024:

"I am heartbroken upon learning about Esta’s death. She was and always will be a beautiful soul who I will miss every day. I am proud to have known her and call her not only a client but a friend."

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Esta TerBlanche's life explored

Esta TerBlanche is known for her role in All My Children (Image via Instagram/@estaterblanche)

According to Deadline, Esta TerBlanche was born on January 7, 1973, in the North West province of South Africa. In 1991, she became Miss Teen South Africa and then started her career in the entertainment industry.

She starred in the South African soap opera Egoli: Place of Gold, playing the role of Bienkie Naudé Hartman from 1992 to 1995. After that, she left South Africa and came to the US to pursue acting.

In 1997, Esta TerBlanche got her big break in the ABC soap All My Children. Her role as the Hungarian princess Gillian Andrassy made her popular at the time. She acted in the soap for four years, and then her character was killed off in 2001. She returned to South Africa the same year.

Esta TerBlanche, in her last interview with Soap Opera Digest, published on July 13, 2024, shared her experience acting in the soap and discussed working with actor Cameron Mathison. She said,

"It was such a privilege to be on the show. Cameron was just phenomenal and I feel so blessed that I was able to work with him. He really made every day just wonderful. It was just magical. I could not have been luckier."

According to Deadline, Esta TerBlanche opened a spa after returning from the US. She also hosted television shows and worked with filmmaker Michael Kastenbaum. According to her IMDb page, she appeared in television series such as The Syndicate and Spin City.

TerBlanche's manager, Annie Spoliansky, told People last year that the actress was very generous to humans and animals.

"She cared so deeply for all people and animals. She had squirrels she fed and looked after daily, her two cats and recent kittens that she cared for as her own children. Esta was never anything but generous and lovely to me, and I’m grateful to have known her for the time that I did and devastated to learn of her passing," Spoliansky said.

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Esta TerBlanche is survived by her ex-husband, André Kock, and her goddaughter, Barbie Ashley.