Billy Miller's Mother Confirms Soap Icon's Heartbreaking Cause Of Death

The following article contains references to suicide.

Soap fans were devastated to learn of the death of soap star Billy Miller on September 15, 2023. Best known for his work in  "General Hospital" and "The Young & the Restless," Miller died shortly before his 44th birthday. At the time, the only detail disclosed was that Miller had been "struggling with manic depression when he died," according to a statement People obtained from his publicist. Now, the worst has been confirmed, which is more devastating both to Miller's family and his fans.

Miller's mother, Patricia Miller, released a personal statement on September 18 through a friend's account on Twitter. After expressing her gratitude for all the love and prayers she has received thus far, she explained that "my beautiful son BJ ... fought a long, hard, valiant battle with bipolar depression for years. He did everything he could to control the disease. He loved his family, his friends, and his fans, but in the end, the disease won the fight and he surrendered his life." Apparently, unfounded and unwanted rumors had been making the social media rounds, because his mother felt obligated to add, "The other causes of death being told are not true. I wish they were, but they just aren't." 

Patricia Miller concluded her statement: "We all loved him so much and are trying desperately to deal with our loss. I will have nothing further to say. Thanks for the love and support." In response, she received hundreds more messages from loyal soap viewers trying to ease a mother's unbearable pain.

Tragically, Billy Miller's loss is yet another example of the insidiousness of mental health issues. According to the National Institutes of Health, bipolar disorder affects nearly 3 percent of all adults in any given year, and nearly 83 percent of those cases are classified as "serious impairment." The Journal of Clinical Psychology adds an even more alarming statistic: up to 50 percent of persons with bipolar disorder attempt to take their own lives. However, sufferers like Miller can be skilled at masking their feelings and intentions. This makes it harder for their loved ones to pick up on signals of distress — and often leads to "what if?" guilt. 

Elizabeth Hendrickson, who co-starred with Miller on "The Young & the Restless," shared Miller's last text to her, a note of encouragement that any friend might offer. On what would have been Miller's 44th birthday, Hendrickson posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram saying, in part, "I'm sad and yes, mad at myself that I wasn't being a better friend, checking in more often."

Fans echoed the sentiment. One tweeted, "It's hard to believe someone with such a beautiful smile was struggling so deeply." Another added, "He won over and over and over again, in every single battle up until now. It's not fair that it only takes one loss for the disease to take so much from anyone."

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.