Joanne Morrissey, a superfan who drove 13 hours from New Brunswick, Canada, to meet Tylor Christopher, told People that the General Hospital actor met his beloved fans at a special meet and greet held in New York City, where he opened up about his struggles with addiction and the steps he was taking to be more present for his children.
Morrisey recalls to People that the alma Days Of Our Lives actor “put his whole life on the line” in a sit down with his fans, where he got candid about his struggles with alcoholism and his children. She shared, “He talked a lot about them, so in this particular instance, when I asked him, he explained that he tried to see them,” adding, “I think he said once a month he tried to go to visit them… but you know he had to do it over a three-day period.”
She shared a particular incident with People based on what Christopher told them, saying that the last time he saw his children, son Greysun, 14, and his daughter, Boheme, 8, was “about eight months at this point,” stating that the time before that went down the rabbit hole. The now-deceased actor rented an Air BnB in preparation for meeting his children but “passed out on the couch” and his kids ended up leaving with their mother, his ex-wife Brienne Pedigo. He only realized this when he woke up the next morning.
She said, “His son took it extremely, extremely hard,” adding, “And I could sense and I could tell from the way he was describing that he had a really hard time forgiving himself for that.” That experience, shared by Morrissey through the words of Christopher, was a pivotal point in his life to “really make some serious changes to his life to be able to see his kids.” She continued, “His kids were now his priority,” adding, “He was going to get sober, as difficult as it was, and stay sober so that he could see his kids again.” She added that he was going ‘six weeks sober’ to keep his promises intact for his children.
Morrissey recalls to People, “I think we were at the end of September … when we met him and he said, ‘I’m going to get to see my children on October 15.’”
October 31st, People reports, was the fated day when Maurice Benard, former General Hospital costar, confirmed Christopher’s death in a statement shared on Instagram. He wrote, “It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher,” adding, “Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment.” He continued in the statement, “Tyler was a truly talented individual who lit up the screen in every scene he performed and 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.”
Disclaimer: If you or someone you know is suffering from substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.