More than one year before his death was announced, the former 'General Hospital' star got candid about his journey to sobriety, bipolar disorder and traumatic brain injury diagnosis.
- Nov 3, 2023
AceShowbiz - Tyler Christopher had "flatlined" three times prior to his passing. More than one year before his death, the actor portraying Nikolas Cassadine on "General Hospital" opened up about his struggles with years of addiction.
When making an appearance on the "State of Mind" podcast, the actor, who passed away at the age of 50 years old, talked about his journey to sobriety. Speaking to host Maurice Benard in the March 2022 episode, he said, "You become an addict at nine years old. Fast-forward 40 years, at some point you cannot survive it."
Tyler went on to explain to his pal and former "General Hospital" co-star, "At some point it will kill you, and it has." He further revealed, "Three times I have flatlined, and nobody knows that. I'm saying it right here for the first time."
During the chat, the former husband of Eva Longoria shared that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which interfered with his work for the series. "Every time I finish a scene, I go down, I sit in my dressing room, and I tell myself how terrible it was and wish I could go up and do it again," he recalled.
Tyler also voiced his thoughts and feelings when he lost his role on the show. "It was devastating for a myriad of reasons," he described. "One, the thing I loved the most was taken away. Two, I threw it away. Nobody took it away from me. I dropped it. And having to walk out of those doors under that circumstance was surreal."
Elsewhere in the podcast episode, Tyler told Maurice that he suffered from a traumatic brain injury in 2019 after falling down as a result of alcohol withdrawal. "I was going through delirium tremens by myself completely alone, which is deadly. I fell. I hit this part of my head on the edge of a bathtub, and my skull exploded," he stated.
Tyler took his last breath in California on Tuesday morning, October 31. Announcing the heartbreaking news was Maurice who wrote via 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."
