LOS ANGELES — An actor from the long-running soap opera show “Young and the Restless” was found dead on Sunday, according to reports.
According to TMZ, Kristoff St. John, who plays Neal Winters, was found unresponsive inside his home by a friend. First responders were called to the scene and they pronounced him dead Sunday.
An official cause of death has not been released, but the news outlet said authorities do not suspect foul play.
St. John was 52 years old.
Born in New York City, St. John – the son of actor Christopher St. John – entered the industry at a young age.
According to his show’s cast bio, Kristoff St. John made his television debut at age 7 in the series, “That’s My Mama.” He went on to star in the series “Charlie & Company” with Flip Wilson, Gladys Knight and Della Reese, and later had roles in “The Bad News Bears” and “The San Pedro Beach Bums.”
St. John also had a recurring role on “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper” and made appearances on other TV shows, including “Diagnosis Murder,” “Arli$$,” “The Jamie Foxx Show,” “Martin,” and “Living Single.”
His turn as Denise Huxtable’s vegetarian boyfriend David James, who crossed swords with her parents on an episode of “The Cosby Show,” was one of St. John’s most fondly remembered performances
St. John joined the cast of “The Young & the Restless” in 1991.
His character’s love story with Drucilla Winters (played by Victoria Rowell) became a favorite among fans of the show.
In real life, St. John had some drama that could have rivaled a soap opera.
His family’s involvement with the guru Sathya Sai Baba led to the documentary “A Man Called God.”
St. John said during a 2014 interview with CBS that his family had been Hindu and his stepmother discovered the guru.
“Coming out of the 60s and 70s you had people who were really yearning and searching for ‘God,” he said. “My parents got caught up in it and I did too.”
In 2014, St. John’s 24-year-old son Julian died while a patient La Casa Psychiatric Health Facility in Long Beach, California.
The actor and his ex-wife Mia later filed suit against the facility.
St. John told “Entertainment Tonight” in 2017 that he was “angry” about the final footage the facility captured on video of his son.
“I watched it the first time, I’ll never watch it again,” he said. “It’s not something I want to see.”