Tyler Christopher's cause of death confirmed as accidental positional asphyxia

The cause of Tyler Christopher's sudden death in October 2023 has been officially confirmed by the Medical Examiner's Office. The General Hospital alum's demise has been attributed to positional asphyxia, a consequence of acute alcohol intoxication, with coronary artery atherosclerosis listed as a contributing factor.

According to information obtained by TMZ, the medical examiner revealed that Christopher, 50, suffocated due to the position he was in while under the influence of alcohol, and his death has been ruled accidental.

The news was first shared with the public by his former co-star Maurice Benard in an Instagram post, accompanied by two photos of the late actor. Benard disclosed that Christopher had experienced a cardiac arrest in his San Diego apartment on October 31.

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"Tyler was a truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting," Benard expressed in his heartfelt message.

"Tyler was a sweet soul and a wonderful friend to all of those who knew him. Tyler was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol," he added.

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

Tyler Christopher had battled with alcohol use in the years leading up to his untimely death, with multiple arrests for public intoxication and being placed under the guardianship of his sister, a situation he claimed was exploitative, as reported by Bloomberg.

Following Christopher's passing, his colleagues and friends in the entertainment industry paid tribute to the actor, acknowledging his struggles with addiction while celebrating his strength throughout his journey.

Camila Banus, who collaborated with Christopher on NBC's Days of Our Lives, referred to him as "a true artist" in a statement shared with PEOPLE. She said, "He was truly a gifted and kind man. He will be dearly missed. Rest in peace, Tyler Christopher."

General Hospital co-star Steve Burton talked about the profound impact of Christopher's loss on him via a social media post.Calling him a "brother" and sharing memories of their time together, he wrote, "This hits hard. Really hard. Sometimes I use the word ‘brother’ loosely. But when I called Tyler my brother, I meant it. There’s a group of us. That have done and still would do anything for each other. We lost one. A beautiful and talented soul at that. It hurts. Thank you for the memories brother Ty. Love you. See you in Heaven."

General Hospital Executive Producer Frank Valentini also extended his condolences and talked about Christopher's kindness, incredible acting talent, and the deep affection he held among the GH family and fans.

Tyler Christopher is survived by his two children, 14-year-old son Greysun and 8-year-old daughter Boheme, with his ex-wife, former ESPN reporter Brienne Pedigo.