Vanessa Marcil Pays Tribute to Ex-Fiance and ‘General Hospital’ Costar Tyler Christopher After His Death
Vanessa Marcil is honoring ex-fiancé — and former costar — Tyler Christopher after his death.
Marcil, 55, took to social media on Thursday, November 2, to share a series of images of herself and Christopher over the years. The actress uploaded various magazine articles, red carpet photos and personal pictures via her Instagram Story, with one post captioned, “Tyler Christopher Baker: 1972 - 2023.”
She also reposted Amber Tamblyn’s Threads post, where she honored Christopher and praised him as an actor, writing, "This is crushing news. Tyler Christopher was a generous scene partner who was always respectful and wonderful on screen and off." (Tamblyn, 40, played Emily Quartermaine on the ABC series from 1998 to 2000.)
Marcil and Christoper dated in the late 1990s after meeting on the set of General Hospital where they portrayed Brenda Barrett and Nikolas Cassadine, respectively. They were briefly engaged before calling it quits in 1999. While Marcil exited the show in 1998, Christopher remained in his role until 2016, earning four Daytime Emmy nominations throughout his run.
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Following her romance with Christopher, Marcil was married to Corey Feldman from 1989 to 1993 before moving on with Beverly Hills, 90210 costar Brian Austin Green. The pair were together for four years and welcomed son Kassius Lijah Marcil-Green in 2002. After their 2003 split, Marcil tied the knot with Carmine Giovinazzo in 2010, but they called it quits three years later.
Christopher, meanwhile, went on to wed Eva Longoria in 2002. They were married for two years but split in 2004. He later tied the knot with Brienne Pedigo in 2008 and the duo share two kids: Greysun, 14, and Boheme, 8. They divorced in 2021.
Christopher died on Tuesday, October 31, at his San Diego apartment at the age of 50. His General Hospital costar Maurice Benard announced the news, sharing that he passed away after suffering a "cardiac event."
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“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher,” Bernard, 60, wrote via an Instagram statement at the time. “[He] relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting. Tyler was a sweet soul and wonderful friend to all of those who knew him."
Bernard noted Christopher’s advocacy for “better mental health” and “substance use treatment,” sharing that he “openly spoke about his struggle with bipolar depression and alcohol.” He concluded by writing, “We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend and pray for his children and his father.”
General Hospital EP Frank Valentini also shared his condolences in a statement to Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday, saying, "I am heartbroken over the news of Tyler Christopher's passing. He was kind, an incredible actor, and dear friend, who was beloved by our GH family and fans of Nikolas Cassadine. On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, our heartfelt sympathies go out to his loved ones during this difficult time."
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In addition to his time on GH, Christoper starred as Stefan DiMera on Days of Our Lives from 2001 to 2019, nabbing another Daytime Emmy nomination for the role. The late actor’s other credits include playing Dan Whitehorse on The Lying Game and starring in Moon Crash, Thor: God of Thunder and 2023’s Ice Storm.
