Esta TerBlanche, known for her role on “All My Children,” has died at the age of 51. The South African actress “died unexpectedly” on Thursday at her North Hollywood home, according to her goddaughter, Barbie Ashley, who spoke to TMZ on Sunday. Medical personnel believe TerBlanche had was dead for at least a day before her body was found, TMZ reported.
TerBlanche’s exact cause of death is still being investigated, according to her representative, Lisa Rodrigo, TMZ reported. TerBlanche’s career began to flourish after she won Miss Teen South Africa in 1991. She was best known for her portrayal of Gillian Andrassy on the American soap opera All My Children.
Sudden Death
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Rodrigo said that no further details of her death are available at this time. TerBlanche began her career with the role of Bienkie Naudé Hartman on the South African drama Egolim, where she appeared from 1992 to 1995.
Her character, the mischievous princess Gillian Andrassy on ‘All My Children,’ was written out of the show in 2001, allowing TerBlanche to return to South Africa.
She was married to André Kock from 1997 until their divorce in 2008, which she publicly announced during an interview with Soap Opera Digest.
Following her time on All My Children, TerBlanche took a hiatus from acting, moved back to Los Angeles, and opened a healing spa.
She is survived by her ex-husband Kock and her goddaughter.
This news comes after TerBlanche’s “All My Children” co-star, Alec Musser, was found dead at 50 in his California home earlier this year. Musser, known for his role on the show and a guest appearance on Desperate Housewives, died from an undisclosed cause at his Del Mar home, as reported by TMZ.
Tragedy Around Show
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Alec Musser’s fiancée, Paige Press, described his death as the “worst day of my life” when she confirmed his death in January 2024. The couple had become engaged the previous year, and Press honored Musser by sharing a series of throwback photos on her Instagram Story as a tribute to the late actor.
“RIP to the love of my life,” she wrote on Instagram over a “vision board for 2023” on which she had posted photos of him and engagement images. “I will never stop loving you.”
Over a photo of them at a red carpet appearance together, she wrote: “Today is the worst day of my life. We were so happy.”
“You were the best fiancé I could of [sic] ever asked for,’ she posted alongside a photo of him surprising her with matching Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUVs. ‘I don’t even think I can drive my g wagon anymore.”
