As friends and co-stars come to terms with Billy Miller’s shock death last week, his mum has spoken about the soap star’s previous health battles.
Billy’s mum Patricia Miller broke her silence on the “devastating” loss after “untrue” rumours began to circulate around the circumstances behind his death.
Confirming his cause of death in a statement issued on Monday (Tuesday AEST), she said her son “fought a long hard valiant battle with bipolar depression for years”.
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“I want to personally thank the many fans & personal friends for the overwhelming amount of love, prayers & condolences sent to me and my family on the devastating death of my beautiful son BJ – Billy Miller,” she said in the statement to Soap Opera Digest.
“He fought a long hard valiant battle with bipolar depression for years. He did everything he could to control the disease.”
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In the lengthy statement, Patricia said the 43-year-old uncle-of-two, was a family man and they are trying to process their loss.
“He loved his family, his friends and his fans but in the end the disease won the fight and he surrendered his life.
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“The other causes of death being told are not true. I wish they were but they just aren’t.
“We all loved him so much and are desperately trying to deal with our loss. I will have nothing further to say. Thanks for the love and support.”
The actor died last Friday in Texas, just days before this 44th birthday, with his manager confirming “the actor was struggling with manic depression when he died”.
Billy began his soap career in 2007 on All My Children after working as a model, before moving on to star on The Young and The Restless – for which he won three daytime Emmy Awards (in 2010, 2013 and 2014) before stepping away from the show in 2014.
He then starred in General Hospital for two years, starting his tenure as one character and ending it as the evil twin brother.
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