'Young and the Restless' star's son commits suicide after long bout with depression

Kristoff St. John of the "Young and the Restless" announced the death of his son, Julian St. John, 24, on Friday. Mia St. John, mother of Julian, announced the news on her Twitter account.

The full statement, available at Sqor Sports, reads as follows.

"On November 23rd Kristoff St John and I lost our beautiful son, Julian St John. Our son was the light of our lives, an artist with a beautiful mind and spirit. He fought long and hard against an illness for which there is no cure. Unfortunately the pain became too great for him and I dare not say he lost the battle--he simply chose to set himself free. My fight for mental health will continue. They may not find a cure in my lifetime, but we can try and prevent the loss of another beautiful soul."

Julian St. John reportedly suffered from mental illness for much of his life. According to The Huffington Post, Julian had been prone to bouts of serious depression throughout his life, and had been homeless for a period of time.

Kristoff St. John tweeted the following after the announcement of his son's death.

A funeral service for Julian will be held on December 5, his birthday, in Westlake, California, where an exhibit of his art will also be on display.