According to People, who spoke with a representative for the actor, Jerry passed away on Nov. 9, 2021, at 88 years old, just a few days shy of his birthday on Nov. 12. As for his cause of death, the exact reason behind his passing wasn't specified, but his representative noted that he died after battling "a brief illness."

Anthony Morina, executive producer of The Young and the Restless, shared a statement on Nov. 10, 2021, regarding Jerry's passing and extended his sympathies.

"On behalf of the entire company of The Young and the Restless, we send our deepest sympathies to the Douglas family on the passing of Jerry Douglas," he wrote.

Anthony continued by saying that "Jerry came to Y&R in 1982 with an impressive résumé of credits. Our show was lucky to have an actor of his caliber join the Y&R cast and introduce the audience to the iconic Abbott family. His contribution to the legacy of Y&R as Abbott family patriarch, John Abbott is still felt to this day. He will be sorely missed."

While Jerry's character on the soap died in 2006, the actor continued to make appearances on the show (in the spirit form of his character) up until 2016.