Esta TerBlanche dead at 51: 'All My Children' actress passes away suddenly at her Hollywood home

All My Children star Esta TerBlanche has died at the age of 51, according to TMZ. 

The South African actress passed away unexpectedly on Thursday in her California home, her goddaughter Barbie Ashley told the outlet. 

Medical responders believe she had been dead in the North Hollywood property for around one day before she was discovered.  

The soap star's cause of death is under investigation, her representative Lisa Rodrigo told TMZ. Rodrigo said there is no further information at this time. 

TerBlanche's career took off after she won Miss Teen South Africa in 1991. She was best known for her role as Gillian Andrassy in American sitcom All My Children.

She got her start playing Bienkie Naudé Hartman on the South African drama Egolim, a role she starred in from 1992 to 1995.

TerBlanche's character in All My Children - the trouble-making princess  - was killed off in 2001 so that she could move back to South Africa. 

She was married to André Kock from 1997 to 2008, when they divorced. TerBlanche announced the split during an interview with Soap Opera Digest. 

The TV star reportedly took a break from acting, returned to Los Angeles and opened a healing spa. 

She is survived by her ex-husband Kock, and her goddaughter. 

It comes after TerBlanche's All My Children co-star, Alec Musser, was found dead at age 50 in his California home earlier this year. 

Musser, who was known for his role on the show along with a guest appearance on Desperate Housewives, died of an undisclosed cause at his house in Del Mar, according to TMZ.   

Alec Musser's fiancee Paige Press declared it the 'worst day of my life' as she confirmed his passing in January 2024. 

The couple got engaged last year and Press posted a series of throwback photos on her Instagram Story in a tribute to the late actor.

'RIP to the love of my life,' she wrote on Instagram over a 'vision board for 2023' on which she had posted photos of him and engagement images. 'I will never stop loving you.'

Over a photo of them at a red carpet appearance together, she wrote: 'Today is the worst day of my life. We were so happy.' 

'You were the best fiancé I could of [sic] ever asked for,' she posted alongside a photo of him surprising her with matching Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUVs. 'I don't even think I can drive my g wagon anymore.'