Shemar Moore Will Return to ‘Young and the Restless’ to Pay Final Respects to Kristoff St. John

Shemar Moore and other old "Young and the Restless" stars are preparing to reunite on the famous drama as they pay tribute to Kristoff St. John.

Fans and cast members of the decades-long series were devastated when St. John passed away at just 52 years old on February 4. Now, some of them will be returning to the show to honor their friend.

The actor played Neil Winters since joining the cast 27 years ago. Shemar Moore, Victoria Rowell, Michael Morgan, and Christel Khalil had already left the show when Moore succumbed to hypertrophic heart disease.

Kristoff St John | Photo: Getty Images

Moore left in September 2014 after playing Malcolm Winters, Neil's brother. Rowell, his wife Drucilla Winters on the show since 1990, was gone by 2007. Morgan as Hilary Curtis left in 2018. She had been Neil's cheating wife for six years.

Now, the four alums will return for several episodes as a way to honor St. John. Morgan and Khalil will reportedly be themselves for a tribute episode showcasing memories of St. John.

Kristoff St. John and Victoria Rowell in "The Young and The Restless" | Photo: Getty Images

The show's storyline inculcated St. John's death as an unexpected loss of his character Neil. Memorable clips of the deceased actor will be also be aired as friends and family gather to mourn his passing and reflect on his life.

Executive producer Anthony Morina told EW:

"We all miss Kristoff immensely and are understandably still in a bit of shock. Our hope is that this storyline and tribute episode airing in April will honor the legendary character Kristoff helped create, and provide our audience with the opportunity to say a meaningful goodbye to Neil Winters.”

Kristoff St. John and Shemar Moore at the 45th NAACP Image Awards Non-Televised Awards Ceremony | Photo: Getty Images

St. John has won two Emmy's for his role on the series. He last appeared on "The Young and The Restless" on February 6. The tribute episode is set to air on April 23.

St. John passed away at his Woodland Hills home in Los Angeles last month. The coroner's office stated that in addition to alcoholic influence, there was "myocardial bridging of [the] left anterior descending coronary artery."

Kristoff St. John and daughters Lola and Paris St. John | Photo: Getty Images

Moore remembered his longtime friend soon after his passing. During an interview with PEOPLE, the 48-year-old said St. John was "like a brother."

Moore also revealed that St. John would open doors for people and that he would mentor him. He said, "Kristoff is truly the closest thing to a brother and a brother’s love... that I've ever known."

“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."

St. John also left behind his fiancee Kseniya Mikhaleva and daughters Paris and Lola who were shattered by the news. Our hearts go out to those in grief over the beloved actor's passing.

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