Victoria Rowell

I was in my house.

- Devin Owens

Soap Opera Digest: Victoria, you and Kristoff St. John [ex-Neil] worked together for so many years and were very close. Where were you when you learned of Kristoff’s passing?

Victoria Rowell: I was in my house. I was absolutely devastated when I heard the news. I couldn’t talk. It was such a shock and so unbelievable that I had to sit down. People don’t realize how deadly alcohol can be. It’s a socially acceptable drug and anything that adds to that, such as stress or devastation, only magnifies that particular disease. One could not know the depth of Kristoff’s despair given how he could mask his pain. Obviously we all knew he was suffering from the loss of his son, but to what extent, we could not know.

Digest: When’s the last time you communicated with Kristoff?

Rowell: I couldn’t tell you exactly the last time, but we stayed in touch by text or call or email. We had worked together outside of YOUNG AND RESTLESS, so we were always plotting and planning what we would try to do next. He was my love interest in a series of Christmas movies [on UP] and we weren’t done with those. We were always looking forward to the opportunity of doing our next holiday movie together. He would also share ideas with me and ask me what I thought about something he was writing.

Digest: Are there any examples that you can share?

Rowell: I will tell you that one of the last emails to me was about a [Y&R] storyline he wanted that included his character and Eric Braeden [Victor] and he asked me to weigh in on what I thought about it. He would also show me material he produced and was trying to find distribution for. We not only stayed in touch as colleagues but as friends and confidants.

Digest: Did he express to you that he wanted you back on Y&R?