Esta TerBlanche Dies: Publicist Discusses Star’s Cause of Death

Esta TerBlanche, star of the soap opera “All My Children,” has died at the age of 51. Although authorities haven’t released a specific cause of death yet, her publicist said her death was from natural causes, Deadline reported.

‘Still in Shock,’ Her Publicist Shared on Facebook

TerBlanche was found dead at her North Hollywood home on Thursday, Deadline reported, and authorities believed she had been dead for a day by the time she was found.

News of her death wasn’t made public until Sunday, July 21, when her publicist Lisa Rodrigo posted on Facebook, Deadline revealed.

Rodrigo posted under the Facebook account All My Promotions, The Wrap first shared, revealing that her death was from natural causes.

Rodrigo wrote: “I can not believe I am posting this. It’s with a heavy heart that my friend and client Esta TerBlanche passed away Thursday of natural causes. An autopsy report is pending. I am still processing and in shock. Esta was a beautiful soul in and out. I was proud to know her and work with her. More to come in the days ahead. Thank you for the messages so far. If I haven’t gotten to you, I will soon. May she RIP with the angels that she is.”

According to her website, Rodrigo operates official fan clubs for a number of actors, including Lindsey Hartley, Meredith Scott Lynn, Carrie Genzel, and more.

TerBlanche’s goddaughter, Barbie Ashley, told TMZ that her death was unexpected.

TerBlanche Was Working on an Animal Rescue Project and Caring for Newborn Kittens

On July 13, less than a week before she died, Soap Opera Digest posted an interview with TerBlanche about her role as Gillian Andrassy on “All My Children.” According to IMDb, TerBlanche was with “All My Children” since 1997, starring in 110 episodes through 2011. She had recently developed an interest in acting again, after leaving the show to return to South Africa. Most recently, she was splitting her time between being in South Africa and the U.S.

TerBlanche’s role began as an “enemies-to-lovers” storyline with actor and Hallmark alum Cameron Mathison, who is now starring in “General Hospital,” Soap Opera Digest shared.

“The people I worked with were all so wonderful,” TerBlanche said about her work with the soap opera. Her character was killed off the series and then brought back about 10 years later for the series’ finale.

TerBlanche said one of her most challenging roles was when her character had aphasia.

“I thought it would be great because there were no lines to learn so I thought it would be easy,” she said. “It was quite the opposite. It was really hard because I had to convey all these emotions without words to express myself. It was a big challenge. During that time, I was chosen by a few of the magazines as ‘Performer of the Week’ and I felt really good because I was able to succeed in that.”

Before TerBlanche’s death, she had opened a spa and worked on a number of documentaries in South Africa, Soap Opera Digest reported. She had hoped to work again with Mathison in the future and had helped him when his dog, Red, had cancer.

She told Soap Opera Digest that she was working on a rescue project for prairie dogs and caring for her Persian cat’s newly born kittens. She was also working with a cancer foundation in South Africa, a cause she was passionate about after losing both her parents to cancer.

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