'Young and the Restless' star Kristoff St. John dead at 52, cause 'deferred'

"Young and the Restless" star Kristoff St. John has died at age 52.

His attorney Mark Geragos confirmed the actor's death, saying in an email: "Sadly we can confirm."

The LA County Department of the Medical Examiner-Coroner Public Information Officer Sarah Ardalani said that St. John was pronounced dead at a home in Woodland Hills on Sunday.

The actor's cause of death has been deferred "pending additional investigation" after an autopsy was completed Monday, according to the coroner's official website. 

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Officer Rosario Cervantes, of the LAPD, said police responded to an incident Sunday in the San Fernando Valley area where a person was pronounced dead. She could not confirm the name of the deceased.

“We did respond yesterday at 2:05 p.m. on Morea Way for a possible alcohol overdose and that’s going to be a coroner's case,” Cervantes said.

USA TODAY has reached out to the medical examiner's office for more information. 

St. John had played the character of Neil Winters since 1991 on the long-running CBS daytime soap opera.

CBS Television Network and Sony Pictures Television, the studio that produces "Young and the Restless," released a joint statement about St. John's death. 

“The news of Kristoff St. John’s passing is heartbreaking. He was a very talented actor and an even better person," they said in the statement. "For those of us who were fortunate enough to work with him on ‘The Young and the Restless’ for the last 27 years, he was a beloved friend whose smile and infectious laugh made every day on set a joy and made audiences love him. On behalf of the Y&R cast and crew, CBS and Sony Pictures Television, we offer our heartfelt sympathy to his family and loved ones, especially his two daughters, Paris and Lola.”

The actor was nominated nine times for Daytime Emmy Awards, and he won 10 NAACP Image Awards.

He also had roles in the 1990s on a variety of sitcoms, including "Martin," "The Cosby Show," "Living Single" and "The Jamie Foxx Show."

St. John's son, Julian St. John, died of an apparent suicide in 2014 while in a mental health facility.

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On Jan. 21, St. John retweeted a tweet about the loss of a child that reads: "Grieving the loss of a child is a process. It begins on the day your child passes, and ends the day the parent joins them."

He also responded to the tweet, writing: "Never a truer word was spoke. Thanks for posting this."

The actor took a leave of absence from "Y & R" in October 2017 to undergo psychiatric treatment after a reported scare with regards to his mental health, according to Entertainment Weekly.

"No parent should ever have to bury their child, and for those who do, it is a nightmare that haunts you forever," ex-wife Mia St. John said in a statement to Entertainment Tonight that month. "The death of our beloved son Julian, has taken a toll on both of us. He is an actor and while he may appear whole on the outside, his heart is broken. As a society we need to start taking mental health seriously and realize that no one is immune."

St. John was set to be wed, announcing in September that he was engaged to model Kseniya Mikhaleva. He posted a photo of the engagement ring with the caption “She said yes."

Mikhaleva joined St. John's co-stars and other celebrities in grieving the actor on social media. 

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