'The Young and the Restless' Star Kristoff St. John's Ex Wife Gives New Details on His Struggle With Son's Death

Kristoff St. John’s ex-wife, Mia St. John, is opening up about the late actor’s struggle with [...]

Kristoff St. John's ex-wife, Mia St. John, is opening up about the late actor's struggle with the loss of their son, Julian, who passed away in 2014.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight less than two weeks after The Young and the Restless actor was found dead in his San Fernando Valley home, Mia opened up about her final conversation with St. John, revealing that she believes he died of a "broken heart."

"When Julian passed, he died of a broken heart," Mia said. "These mental health issues are real. Kristoff suffered from bipolar, our son had schizophrenia and I just felt like it was so hard for people to pay attention."

Julian died by suicide at the age of 24 while a patient at La Casa Psychiatric Health Facility in Long Beach, California, where he was seeking treatment for his mental health struggle with schizophrenia. In the years that followed, St. John battled his own mental health struggles, and was placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold in 2017.

Before his death, Mia said that St. John had called her at 11 a.m. "depressed," "drinking," and "disoriented."

"He said, 'Julian is at the door I gotta get the door,'" she recalled. [He] said, 'Okay, let's talk to Julian, bring Julian in.' Julian came in and he said, 'Julian is gonna take me for a walk now' and I said, 'No you aren't going for a walk right now.'"

"He said, 'Understand, you've got to live in the present observe all the good things in your life and others around you. Julian would not want you to live your life with bitterness and upset, it eats away with you and drains your life slowly but surely. You must rise to the occasion and accept the beauty around you. I believe in you,'" she continued.

Police were dispatched to Kristoff's home shortly after when a friend discovered Kristoff unconscious. Mia told the outlet that police attempted CPR but were unable to revive him. A coroner completed Kristoff's autopsy but deferred results pending a toxicology report.

"When he told me that Julian came to the door and I knew that my son came and took him home. And that was my only comfort," Mia said.

Along with St. John, Mia had founded the El Saber es Poder (Knowledge is Power) Foundation to battle mental illness following the death of their son, and she said that mental health is something she will continue to educate people on.

"I have never been so determined to change how we treat the mentally ill in this country," she said. "I give you my word that my fight is never going to end. And I'm going to make my boys proud."

St. John, who starred in The Young and the Restless since 1991, will be laid to rest at the Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village, California next to his son.

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