‘The Young And The Restless’ Star Eric Braeden And Viewers Remember Kristoff St. John After Classic Episode

On Friday, April 10, The Young and the Restless aired a classic episode amid the coronavirus pandemic. Among the storylines on the Flashback Friday show, one featured Kristoff St. John as Neil and Victoria Rowell as Drucilla, as the couple enjoyed a beachside Caribbean honeymoon that fans enjoyed reliving today. Many viewers spoke out about how much they loved seeing the late actor, and Eric Braeden, who plays Victor Newman, also chimed in with his thoughts on St. John.

In several beachside shots, Neil and Dru enjoyed a romantic honeymoon, which they noted would be short. However, Dru could not have been more thrilled at being Mrs. Winters. She felt ecstatic at hearing her new married name, and she and Neil enjoyed plenty of romance as the ocean crashed in the background.

Viewers took to Twitter to express their delight at seeing the happy scenes from years gone by, but it all felt bittersweet in light of St. John’s February 3, 2019, death.

“@EBraeden so nice to see classic Y&R episodes. Seeing Kristoff today brought a tear to my eye,” tweeted a fan.

“Yup, he was so damned natural as an actor and a friend I trusted!!” Braeden replied.

Since the actor’s death, Braeden has spoken out about how much he trusted and admired St. John several times. In Neil’s early days, he and Victor worked together at Newman Enterprises before Neil went off on his own. He was a hotshot businessman, and Victor Newman appreciated that in him.

Even before Neil died, he still helped Newman with managing its reputation through one of the various scandals the company has experienced.

Many other fans of the CBS daytime drama and the late actor also expressed their grief at losing St. John, who was only 52 when he passed away.

“Kristoff St. John and Victoria Rowell on their honeymoon as Neil and Drucilla. This episode just made me start grieving again. Miss him and them,” lamented a viewer who took to Twitter to express her sadness.

“How I wish #KristoffStJohn were here. I would loved to have had a watch party with him and @victoriarowell about this episode. I should have said something to Vicki about before today. Maybe she would have participated,” tweeted another viewer.

Last April, the CBS daytime drama honored the actor and the character with a three-day sendoff after his February passing. Rowell returned to the sudser as part of that remembrance, and she also appeared on The Talk, and other talk shows to discuss her friendship with the late actor.