All My Children Alum Esta TerBlanche, Who Played Gillian Andrassy Lavery, Passes Away At 51

Sad news, as reports have surfaced that actress, Esta TerBlanche, who played Gillian Andrassy Lavery on the ABC soap, All My Children (AMC) has died at the age of 51.

Lisa Rodrigo, TerBlanche’s publicist, confirmed the actress’s passing via Facebook. She wrote, “I cannot believe I am posting this. It’s with a heavy heart that my friend and client Esta TerBlanche passed away Thursday of natural causes. An autopsy report is pending.

I am still processing and in shock. Esta was a beautiful soul in and out. I was proud to know her and work with her. More to come in the days ahead. Thank you for the messages so far. If I haven’t gotten to you, I will soon. May she RIP with the angels that she is.”

All My Children Alum Esta TerBlanche’s Death Was Unexpected

Barbie Ashley, TerBlanche’s goddaughter, told TMZ that the actress’s passing was unexpected. She also revealed she died in her North Hollywood home.

TerBlanche was born on January 7, 1973, and was originally from South Africa, in the North West province.

She was crowned Miss Teen South Africa in 1991 and became a star in her home country when she worked on the popular drama Egoli: Place of Gold from 1992 to 1995. In the series, she played, Bienkie Naudé Hartman.

Upon leaving the series, she moved to America to pursue a career in acting and began working with AMC two years after the fact.

Rest in Peace Esta TerBlanche. Thank you for entertaining us with your beautiful and captivating performance. We will miss you, Princess. pic.twitter.com/E7tnSG8he2

— All My Children (@_AllMyChildren) July 20, 2024

All My Children Alum Esta TerBlanche’s Legacy

TeraBlanche’s AMC character Gillian was the cousin of Dimitri Marick (Michael Nader) and played a strong-headed Hungarian Princess.

She was also romantically linked to Ryan Lavery (Cameron Mathison) and the super couple ended up having not one, but two soapy weddings (1999 and 2001) during their time together.

After her character passed away in 2001, Esta returned to South Africa, and opened a spa, but also collaborated on a number of documentaries with Michael Kastenbaum, filmmaker.

She also hosted television shows like Carte Blanche and Supermodel. At the time of her passing, TerBlanche split her time between California and South Africa.

On behalf of everyone here, our deepest condolences go out to Esta’s family, friends, and fans. Continue to visit this site often for the best soap opera news, updates, and spoilers.

Editorial credit: Everett Collection / Shutterstock.com