The mother of “The Young and the Restless” and “General Hospital” actor Billy Miller is setting the record straight about her son’s cause of death.
Miller, who died Friday at age 43, “surrendered her life” to bipolar depression, Patricia Miller said in a statement to Soap Opera Digest on Monday.
Miller’s manager, Marnie Spear, previously told The Times that the Daytime Emmy-winning actor was “struggling with manic depression at the time of his death,” though no specific cause or manner of death was released at the time.
“I would like to personally thank the many fans and personal friends for the overwhelming love, prayers and condolences sent to me and my family on the devastating death of my beautiful son BJ – Billy Miller,” Patricia Miller’s statement said.
“He fought a long hard valiant battle with bipolar depression for many years. He did everything possible to control the disease. He loved his family, his friends and his fans but finally the disease won the battle and he surrendered his life,” he added.
The actor’s mother said other causes of death being reported are “not true.”
“I wish they were but they just don’t,” he said. “We all loved him dearly and are desperately trying to cope with our loss. I have nothing more to say. Thanks for the love and support.”
Miller, who also appeared on “Suits,” “Ray Donovan” and “Castle,” was born in Tulsa, Okla., and raised in Grand Prairie, Texas. He moved to Los Angeles after graduating from the University of Texas, where he was one of only 20 students accepted into the film department’s prestigious production-sequence program.
In 2010, 2013 and 2014, he won a Daytime Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Billy Abbott on “The Young and the Restless” — a role he played in more than 700 episodes over six years.
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Miller received additional Daytime Emmy nominations for her work on “Y&R” as well as another long-running soap opera, “General Hospital.” He portrayed twin brothers Jason Morgan and Drew Cain in nearly 600 episodes spanning six years of the latter-day drama.
“During the day the community mourned the loss of Billy Miller who honored Y&R with his talent for many years as Billy Abbott. Our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones,” the CBS soap’s official Instagram account said in a statement posted Monday.
The entertainer had an alternate career as a restaurateur and owned several bars and restaurants in the Los Angeles area.
Times staff writer Christy Caras contributed to this report.