Shemar Moore Honors Kristoff St. John at Daytime Emmys

Before presenting an award Sunday night at the Daytime Emmy Awards, Shemar Moore paused to remember Kristoff St. John.

St. John, who played Neil Winters on the CBS daytime series The Young and the Restless for 28 years, died at his home in Los Angeles on Feb. 3. He was 52 years old. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office listed his cause of death as hypertrophic heart disease.

Early in his career, Moore co-starred as St. John’s half-brother, Malcolm Winters, before moving on to roles on Criminal Minds and S.W.A.T.

Read More: ‘Young and the Restless’ star Kristoff St. John Dies at 52

On Sunday night, Moore received a standing ovation when he thanked CBS and Y&R for airing a special storyline last month honoring St. John and his character.

“The tribute that aired this past week on The Young and the Restless, saying goodbye to Kristoff and his character, Neil Winters, was so beautifully, beautifully done. I know Kristoff is proud of all of us,” he said.

Moore and former Y&R stars Christel Khalil (Lily Ashby) and Eileen Davidson (Ashley Abbott) returned to the series for the storyline. The four-episode arc ran from April 23 through April 26, and included a funeral for St. John’s character, who was mourned after suddenly passing away.

Moore told the Daytime Emmys audience he had a special bond with St. John and the two had been close for years.

“Kristoff was my friend. He was my brother. He was my mentor. He was my acting coach. He was my therapist,” Moore said. “Rest in peace, keep dancing and we will never, ever forget you, my brother.”

After announcing that Y&R had been named outstanding drama series, Moore said on stage: “Kristoff, this is for you baby.”

You can watch the video of Shemar Moore’s comments here.