AMC Star Esta TerBlanche Passes Away at 51

Actress Esta TerBlanche has passed away at the age of 51. The LA County medical examiner confirmed her death, which occurred on July 19 at her residence, although the cause has not been disclosed. Her goddaughter, Barbie Ashley, told TMZ that TerBlanche “died unexpectedly on Thursday in her North Hollywood Home.”

Born in South Africa, TerBlanche was crowned Miss Teen South Africa in 1991. She played Bienkie Naudé Hartman on the South African drama Egoli: Place of Gold from 1992 to 1995. Following her success in South Africa, she pursued an acting career in America, where she was cast in 1997 as Gillian Andrassy on All My Children.

During her time on All My Children, TerBlanche’s character was romantically paired with Cameron Mathison’s Ryan Lavery. The duo became a beloved couple on the show. When TerBlanche decided to return to South Africa in 2001, her character was killed off after being mistaken for another character, Anna Devane. Gillian’s heart was then donated to Laura English, another character on the show. However, TerBlanche made a brief return in 2011 as All My Children concluded its run on ABC.

“When I came back, it was really emotional for me and Cameron,” TerBlanche recently shared with Soap Opera Digest. “When we saw each other we both started bawling. Back then, we hadn’t seen each other for years so it was such a touching moment for us.”

Splitting her life between South Africa and the U.S., TerBlanche aimed to return to acting and was actively involved with the South African cancer foundation Create Your Breakthrough.

Our condolences go out to TerBlanche’s family and friends during this difficult time.

Source: various sources