Soap Star Billy Miller’s Mother Speaks Out on His Cause of Death in Heartfelt Statement

The mother of three-time Daytime Emmy winner and General Hospital star Billy Miller is speaking out following her son’s death Friday at the age of 43. In a statement shared to social media via her son’s manager, the actor’s mother, Patricia Miller, addressed her son’s cause of death, sharing that Miller “surrendered his life” after “a long hard valiant battle with bipolar depression.” Miller’s manager said over the weekend the actor died following a battle with manic depression.

“I want to personally thank the many fans & personal friends for the overwhelming amount of love, prayers & condolences sent to me and my family on the devastating death of my beautiful son BJ – Billy Miller,” Patricia began. “He fought a long hard valiant battle with bipolar depression for years. He did everything he could to control the disease. He loved his family, his friends and his fans but in the end the disease won the fight and he surrendered his life. The other causes of death being told are not true. I wish they were but they just aren’t. We all loved him so much and are desperately trying to deal with our loss. I will have nothing further to say. Thanks for the love and support.”

Miller died on Friday, Sept. 15 in Austin, Texas, just days before his 44th birthday. In a statement shared with Variety, the actor’s manager said Miller “was struggling with manic depression when he died.” Further details regarding his death were not disclosed.

Born on Sept. 17, 1979, Miller burst into the world of soap operas when he landed the role of Richie Novak on ABC’s All My Children in 2007. He starred in the role for two years before going on to appear as Billy Abbott on CBS’ The Young and the Restless across more than 700 episodes. The role earned Miller three Daytime Emmy Awards wins for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2010 and 2013, as well as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2014. He left the role in 2014, the same year that he began appearing as Jason Morgan on ABC’s General Hospital. His other credits include NCIS, The Rookie, Truth Be Told, Major Crimes, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Castle, among others.

After news of his death broke, Miller’s co-stars flocked to social media to pay tribute. His former General Hospital co-star Risa Dorken wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “My heart goes out to him, and everyone who loves him – he is loved by so many. Warm, kind, incredibly talented .. a big hug to the daytime family. Rest in peace & happy heavenly birthday Billy.” General Hospital‘s executive producer Frank Valentini said he was “devastated to hear news of the incredibly talented Billy Miller’s passing. On behalf of the entire [General Hospital] family, our hearts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.