Tyler Christopher’s ‘Best Friend’ Shares What Life Was Like for the Beloved GH and DAYS Alum Before He Passed
Saturday November 11th, would have marked the 51st birthday for Tyler Christopher, the Daytime Emmy-winning star of General Hospital (ex-Nikolas Cassadine) and Days of our Lives (ex-Stefan DiMera), passed away on October 31st.
In honor of Tyler, and to share with the world what his friendship meant to her, and to give insight into what Tyler’s life was like recently before he died, Tyler’s friend April posted a touching tribute on his Instagram account.
April began, “I have been thinking about what to write since Tyler passed on October 31, 2023. As his designated “Legacy” with FB/ Insta I wanted the last post to be about the Tyler I knew. His birthday seems the perfect time to do that. I have never posted a picture of us together until today. That was intentional. Our friendship existed within a safe bubble of sobriety and mental health support without the distraction of social media. I posted a lot of him because I wanted his estranged family and friends to know he was ok. I never wanted to capitalize on his fame, that had happened far too much in his life.”
Photo: TChristopherIG
Speaking on Tyler’s struggles with sobriety and how life was for him in San Diego, which would be his final home, April expressed: “Tyler was the friend I never knew I needed & now I am struggling to live without. Tyler was the sweetest soul you could ever meet. Tyler moved to San Diego to write his book. I was his only friend here and we saw each other almost every day. Tyler took great pride in decorating the apartment he loved. We walked our dogs most days around Balboa Park. He adored Tanka. He loved Farmer’s Markets, museums & movies. He collected used James Dean books & art. He was grateful, always thanking me for any small act of kindness. There were relapses & when that happened I would stay by his side and repeat to him “You are worthy of love, being healthy, your career and you are worthy of every second I spend supporting your sobriety.” He called it my alcoholic exorcism.”
Photo: JPI
She also addressed, Tyler’s continued love for working as an actor: “He loved the relationship I had with his father who constantly expressed his gratitude for me. He loved his children and looked forward to his visits. He loved to work and appreciated every opportunity that came his way- money did not matter- he wanted to act & we just made it work. He had a good life here but he was lonely. He was thrilled to have gone to NY for a fan event & was looking forward to the next one in Chicago. My heart is broken. I miss my friend. I want him to have peace. I was blessed to have been such a big part of his life & it was an honor to be called his best friend for the past 3 years. April G.”
Photo: JPI
After April’s post, several Tyler’s former co-stars commented including: Wally Kurth (Ned, GH and Justin, DAYS): “Thank you for sharing this. My heart goes out to you. And thank you for being Tyler’s friend down there. We all loved him,” and Gilles Marini (ex-Ted, DAYS) “Happy birthday Tyler 
Will always miss you.”
What did you think about April’s post letting us into a glimpse of the past three years of Tyler’s life and his final months in San Diego before he died? Share your comments below.
