On Sunday, The Young & The Restless star Kristoff St. John was found dead in his home. He was only 52 years old.
His fans, family, and castmates are mourning this unthinkable loss while investigators try to explain his tragic passing.
Now, his former castmate Shemar Moore has posted a powerful tribute to his friend, calling Kristoff his brother.
"Mr KRISTOFF ST JOHN….." Shemar captions his video. "There is no ME without YOU!!!!!"
The two men were co-stars on The Young & The Resltess for 11 years, from 1994 to 2005.
"You are MY BROTHER!!!" Shemar’s caption affirms. "I LOVE YOU!!! Sleep my dude…."
The two actors shared many scenes, because Shemar played Malcolm Winters, half-brother to Kristoff’s Neil Winters.
"REST IN PEACE…" he writes. "I’ll finish what YOU started!!!"
Both men won Daytime Emmy Awards for their roles on the show. Both men have received multiple NAACP Image Awards.
Shemar’s heartfelt caption concludes: "THANK YOU for YOUR HEART and TALENT!!!!!"
That was all a caption for Shemar’s grief-stricken video, which we have included in this post.
"I lost my brother yesterday," Shemar says on the video.
"I’ve never had a brother," he says to Kristoff. "But you were my brother."
"You showed me the way," Shemar priases. "You were my mentor, my inspiration."
48-year-old Shemar Moore is four years younger than Kristoff, who had also been on The Young & The Restless for a few years before Shemar joined.
"You showed me what true talent was," Shemar affirms. "You showed me what humility was."
"I love you. I hate this," Shemar expresses.
I love you," he repeats. "But I’m going to celebrate all your good."
"To my Young & Restless family, Kristoff St. John, aka Neil, I want you to celebrate this man," he says.
Kristoff’s castmates, both past and present, are already sharing their shock and emotional devastation.
Shemar praises Kristoff as "the most popular, iconic black man in Soap Opera, daytime history."
"Give him that," Shemar instructs. "He earned it."
"To his personal family," Shemar’s video continues. "MIa, Alana, his current fiancee — I’ve never met her."
Kristoff had recently become engaged to Russian model Kseniya Olegovna Mikhaleva.
"His son, Julian — rest in peace, young dude," he says.
Julian committed suicide while underoing treatment at a mental health facility several years ago.
"Paris, Lola, his two daughters," Shemar continues. "Cry your tears."
"I’m crying right along with you," he shares.
"But then celebrate his heart," Shemar instructs. "Celebrate his goofy ways."
Kristoff’s goofy ways are represented in the above photograph.
"Celebrate his talent," Shemar suggests.
"He loved you," he reminds Kristoff’s family. "He loved us."
"Kristoff, sleep, man," he concludes. "Find your peace."
Kristoff St. John Death Shakes Up Soap Opera World, Fiancee Breaks Down in Response
VIEW GALLERYInitial reports said that a friend went to see Kristoff at his home and found him unresponsive.
Emergency responders were contacted, and Kristoff was tragically pronounced dead at the scene.
There were immediate suggestions that alcohol may have been involved in the 52-year-old’s sudden death.
However, Kristoff St. John’s cause of death is under "additional investigation."
We hope that authorities can find an answer soon and bring some measure of closure to his many loved ones.
This is heartbreaking.
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