All My Children Vet Esta TerBlanche’s Cause Of Death Revealed

Months after the passing of South African actress Esta TerBlanche, the cause of her death has been officially confirmed.

The beloved All My Children star, who was 51 at the time of her passing in July 2024, succumbed to an intracranial hemorrhage caused by blunt force trauma to the head.

All My Children – Medical Examiner Confirms Cause of Death

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that the injury was likely the result of a ground-level fall and ruled the manner of death as accidental.

An intracranial hemorrhage, commonly referred to as a “brain bleed,” occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, leading to internal bleeding and oxygen deprivation. The Cleveland Clinic notes that such incidents can stem from traumatic injuries, high blood pressure, or other underlying health conditions.

TerBlanche was discovered unresponsive in her Los Angeles home on July 19, 2024, and was pronounced dead at 11:10 a.m. The medical examiner conducted an examination on July 22, but the official cause of death was not confirmed until January 29, 2025.

All My Children – A Life In The Spotlight

TerBlanche was best known for her role as Princess Gillian Andrassy on All My Children, where she became a fan favorite after joining the soap opera in 1997. Her character was killed off in 2001, but she returned for a brief cameo in 2011.

Beyond her success in daytime television, she starred in the South African series Egoli: Place of Gold and made appearances in Spin City and The Syndicate.

Before her acting career took off, TerBlanche was crowned Miss Teen South Africa in 1991. She later moved to Hollywood to pursue greater opportunities, an experience she once described as “very scary” but driven by a deep calling.

“I was terribly scared, and the two weeks before I had to go, I was crying nonstop, thinking, ‘Why am I doing this?!'” she recalled in a 2021 interview with Soap Central. “But I just knew I had a deeper calling, that I had to come.”

All My Children – Tributes From Loved Ones

Her passing was met with an outpouring of grief from fans and colleagues. Her publicist, Lisa Rodrigo, described her as “a beautiful soul inside and out,” while her manager, Annie Spoliansky, shared heartfelt memories of TerBlanche’s compassion and love for animals.

“She cared so deeply for all people and animals,” Spoliansky told People. “She had squirrels she fed and looked after daily, her two cats, and recent kittens that she cared for as her own children. Esta was never anything but generous and lovely to me, and I’m grateful to have known her for the time that I did.”

TerBlanche was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, a final resting place for many Hollywood icons, including Michael Jackson, Paul Walker, and Bette Davis.

Though she had stepped away from acting in recent years, TerBlanche had expressed interest in making a comeback. “It’s definitely something I would like to get back into,” she told Soap Opera Digest shortly before news of her passing emerged.

She is survived by her former husband, André Kock, and her goddaughter. Her legacy as a cherished actress and compassionate individual continues to live on in the hearts of those who knew and admired her.

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