Shemar Moore ‘Tearful’ Recalling Late ‘Brother’ And Ex ‘Y&R’ Co-Star Kristoff St. John

Shemar Moore is “tearful” as he grieves the death of his late “brother” and former The Young & The Restless co-star Kristoff St. John after the actor died suddenly at the age of 52 on February 3. The two actors played brothers on the long-running CBS soap opera.

“I’m raised an only child, but Kristoff is truly the closest thing to a brother and a brother’s love and a brother’s mentorship that I’ve ever known,” Moore said to People Magazine in an interview after St. John’s death.

The two worked alongside one another on the serial, where St. John played Neil Winters and Moore played his half-brother, Malcolm Winters. The two formed an instant bond and relied on one another to get through some tough scenes as the characters worked out their feelings for one another.

“He didn’t have to embrace me the way he did. When I came in and was trying to find my way and he saw how scared I was, he saw how nervous I was,” Moore revealed to People. “He saw my six pack and all that, but he just saw me and he embraced me like a brother. If he hadn’t embraced me, I would have never got my sure footing in the beginning days.”

Moore revealed that he is grateful to St. John for helping pave the way for him as an actor not only in daytime but beyond into other roles in television and film. He also thanked the women who helped form the dynamic foursome of the Winters men and their women; Tonya Lee Williams and Victoria Rowell, who played their love interests on the serial.

Moore felt that St. John always “rooted for him” and called him “the sexiest black man on television,” a statement he alleged was made by his aunts and grandmothers, who watched the serial even before Moore starred on the show.

Kristoff St. John had a turbulent personal life over the past several years as he continued to come to grips with the loss of his son Julian, who died at the age of 24. His death was ruled a suicide and St. John, along with Julian’s mother Mia, continued to grieve his passing.

In 2017, Vibe Magazine reported that St. John threatened to kill himself as the anniversary of his son’s suicide approached. According to a report published by TMZ, authorities were called, and the police removed two guns from the home.

St. John alleged that the mental health facility where his son was being held failed his child by not removing plastic trash bags from Julian’s room, the method he used to kill himself, knowing he had already tried to commit suicide the same way once before.

St. John is survived by daughters Paris and Lola.