Why did Tyler Christopher leave General Hospital? Actor's battle with substance abuse explored, in the wake of his death 

On Tuesday, October 31, actor Tyler Christopher passed away in San Diego, California, at the age of 50. The tragic news was broken by his General Hospital co-star Maurice Benard on Instagram.

"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. We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend and pray for his children and his father."

While Christopher may have died from heart-related issues, he battled with alcohol abuse and bipolar depression throughout his life, and was vocal about his journey, noted Benard in his post.

Tyler, who played the role of Nikolas Cassadine on the ABC soap opera General Hospital for nearly two decades was fired from the show due to his alcohol addiction, which was revealed by him on Maurice Benard’s YouTube podcast State of Mind in 2022.

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Tyler Christopher appeared in ‘General Hospital’ between 1996 and 2016

Tyler Christopher appeared in America’s longest-running soap opera General Hospital as Nikolas Cassadine between 1996-1999, 2003-2011, and 2013-2016. He also played the double role of Connor Bishop between 2004-2005 on the ABC medical drama.

The show earned him several accolades including a Daytime Emmy Award, a Soap Opera Digest Award, TV Guide, and First Americans in the Arts among others. However, in 2016, he was dropped from the show. Back then, the Soap Opera Digest reported that Tyler left because there were differences in opinions about his remuneration between him and the show’s executives.

Later, in a candid interview with Maurice Benard on the latter’s podcast State of Mind, Tyler Christopher cleared the air that the real reason behind his exit from General Hospital was due to his substance abuse. He 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?”

Christopher further continued by saying how when he walked out the doors of General Hospital, he got a reality check, and even though his ego and pride were hurt, he knew his alcohol addiction was to blame.

During the same interview, Tyler also said that the first time he drank was at the young age of 9. He also added how he flatlined and nearly died, twice from alcohol intoxication and once from its withdrawal. During the latter, he had to undergo an emergency craniotomy that saved his life, and was immediately put on medical guardianship of his sister.

According to Marca, Christopher had more than one case of public intoxication and even had to face legal measures in 2019 and 2020, including an arrest at the Hollywood Burbank Airport, as per LA Times.

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Exploring, in brief, the life and death of Tyler Christopher

Tyler Christopher passed away on Tuesday at the age of 50 in his San Diego apartment, most likely from a cardiac arrest, as revealed by his co-star Maurice Benard who called him “a sweet soul and wonderful friend” in his Instagram post.

“Tyler was a truly talented individual who lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting… Tyler was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol,” Bernard wrote.

The news was also confirmed to Page Six and CNN by Tyler’s representative Chi Muoi who also mourned the death of the actor.

"He was a very gifted actor, and more importantly, an amazing friend. My heart goes out to his friends and family who loved him so much."

Apart from being a regular at General Hospital, Tyler Christopher was also part of Days of Our Lives from 2018 to 2019 and played the role of Stefan DiMera.

Christopher is survived by his two kids, son Greysun James and daughter Boheme whom he shared with his former wife and ex-ESPN auto racing reporter Brienne Pedigo. The couple were married from 2008 to 2021.

Before that, Christopher was also married to actress Eva Longoria between 2002 and 2004. Later, he was engaged to his General Hospital co-star Vanessa Marcil, and dated actress Natalia Livingston.