MSN and Fox News have confirmed that 52-year-old Kristoff St. John was found dead in his home. No official cause of death has been given, although alcohol is said to be a factor. The actor who portrayed Neil Winters on the CBS soap, "The Young and the Restless" had been battling depression since the suicide of his son, who was having mental health issues. Since then, there have been several stints where Neil was not seen in Genoa City for long periods of time. He made a brief appearance last week after several months of being MIA. Fans have been concerned that St.

John's grief might overwhelm him and a tweet from the beloved star indicates that he was still grieving his son Julian who died in 2004.

St. John's lawyer confirmed his death

TMZ first broke the news, which was confirmed by St. John's lawyer. On Sunday the actor was found by friends in is San Fernando Valley home, where he was later pronounced dead at the scene. Kristoff's son Julian died while receiving treatment in 2014 at a mental health facility. The family sued on grounds of neglect and the issue was settled out of court. There were reports that the actor was placed on a 72-hour suicide watch in 2017 during the anniversary of his son's death. His ex-wife Mia, (Julian's mother) denied these reports "Y&R" fans knew something was up.

Kristoff St. John's character Neil Winters would be away on business trips for extended periods of time, and no explanation was given from TPTB on "The Young and the Restless." Neil continued to be mentioned so fans knew he would soon return and he always did until now. The lawyer said that a coroner would determine the official cause of death, but fans are already voicing their belief that the actor died from suicide, just like his son.

Kristoff St. John was a beloved actor

Kristoff St. John portrayed a young Alex Haley in "Roots the Next Generation" and his first starring role was in the CBS sitcom "Charlie and Company" He later appeared with Vivica A Fox on the daytime drama "Generations, which had a predominately African American cast. He also was in an episode of "The Cosby Show" as a boyfriend of Denise Huxtable.

St. John later joined Lisa Bonet again on the NBC hit show "A Different World, " as a counselor to Denise. The actor is best known however for portraying the beloved Neil Winters on "The Young and the Restless."

Neil's last meaningful storyline was in 2017 when his character was dating Ashley Abbott. Since that time Neil has been on the periphery of his family, supporting Devon after Hilary's death and helping Cane and the grandchildren deal with Lily being incarcerated. Fans were delighted to see Neil return last week and had no idea those may have been his last scenes. Kristoff St. John will truly be missed by his "Y&R" colleagues and his many loyal fans.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED