It has been a very hard week for General Hospital fans due to the loss of Tyler Christopher. It was even harder on his family and friends, who are still struggling with his death. Many have shared beautiful tributes on social media, trying to do something positive with their grief. Maurice Benard did what he does best: spoke from the heart, shared their last meeting, and gave fans hope as he shared a tribute at the opening of the repost of Christopher’s episode of State Of Mind.
On October 31, 2023, Maurice Benard (Sonny) broke the news of Tyler Christopher’s passing on Instagram. The news was heartbreaking, especially in light of the actor’s struggles. They had a revealing conversation on Benard’s SOM video podcast in March of 2022, where the Daytime Emmy award-winning actor gave a no-holds-barred account of his struggles with alcoholism and bipolar disorder.
As a tribute to his dear friend, Benard reposted the actor’s moving story with a special message to fans at the top of the show addressing grief and loss. “If you haven’t heard, my friend, Tyler Christopher, passed away. And, to honor him, I am going to put up his State Of Mind because I know he would have liked it.”
The mental health advocate looked directly into the camera and spoke to the heart of the issue, which is something that he does very well. “People ask me, how do you deal with death? A lot of people grieve. A lot of people stay sad for a while.” Benard shared an intuitive take on how he handles grief. “I always say that I think about what they would have wanted. Like my father would have wanted me to be happy, to celebrate, to not be sad. I have had many people who have passed away, and I think that they all would have wanted the same thing.”
He disclosed details about his last visit with Christopher, someone he liked to call affectionately my “BB” (Bipolar Brother). Learn about how his friend spent the evening enjoying a visit with Benard, his son Joshua, and his little puppy Vito. The host spoke of a long and deep dialogue where the troubled actor talked about life, his children, and his next steps. All the while, he sensed that this visit might be his last.
“He left, and I drove away and just started bawling because I really felt like that was the last time I was going to see him. And it was.” As he teared up, he had one last message for the fans. “I am going to say this right now because I know this is what Tyler would have wanted me to say. If anybody right now is suffering from addiction, alcoholism, or mental illness, always remember that you are stronger than you know, and you just keep moving forward. No matter how hard it gets. You make the impossible possible. And you just don’t give up. Keep going. Life is too precious. That’s all I got.”
Find out more about what Benard had to say about Tyler Christopher, his struggles, his intensity, and his courage. And then re-watch the powerful episode where the actor laid his road to hell and back bare for fans to reach a better understanding of addiction and mental health.
If you are struggling or in crisis, help is available. Text or Chat to ‘MHA’ to 741741 or 988lifeline.org. Visit: niaaa.nih.gov. Or call 988 or 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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