General Hospital
Claire Labine, Co-Creator Of Ryan's Hope & General Hospital's Most Heartbreaking Stories, Dies At 82

Photo: WGA East
Seems like we have lost several creative geniuses over the last several months in the daytime soap community, and Friday night the soap world is once again in mourning learning of the passing of another giant of the genre, Claire Labine. Her cause of death is unknown as this time, but she was 82-years-old.
The news broke from current The Bold and the Beautiful and The Bay writer, Michele Val Jean who worked with Labine at GH when she took to her facebook page with the news. Michele wrote: “As if this week couldn’t get any worse, just found out Claire Labine died. I’m heartbroken. She was a genius and a warm, loving person. It was my honor to write with her and learn from her. Rest in power, dear Claire. I will always carry what you gave me.”
Labine created magic with the Daytime Emmy winning Ryan’s Hope, a half-hour soap opera on ABC that told the story of a large Irish family which featured the likes of Kate Mulgrew, Michael Levin, Ilene Kristen, and the incomparable Helen Gallagher. Claire served as the co-creator of the series with Paul Avila Mayer. She won multiple WGA Awards for Ryan’s Hope, as well. But pre-Ryan’s Hope, Labine got her start as a script writer on CBS soaps, Where the Heart Is, and Love of Life.
But it was in 1993, when Labine was brought on to General Hospital where she teamed with former EP Wendy Riche for some of the greatest hankie-inducing, beautiful and most heartbreaking storylines in the annals of soaps. The Robin and Stone love story and the HIV/AIDS storyline, the B. J, heart transplant storyline, and Monica’s breast cancer were some of her finest storyline moments. Claire also created the character of Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and the iconic Brenda and Sonny romance. While at GH, Labine wrote a spinoff soap featuring the characters of Ned and Lois to be set in Brooklyn called Heart and Soul, only the network decided to go with Port Charles instead. Eventually in the late 90’s and early 200o’s, Labine spent time at both One Life to Live and Guiding Light as the series head writer.
Colleagues of Labine’s and actors have taken to social media tonight to pay tribute to this talented woman:
Wendy Riche expressed: “I am one of the very fortunate people who had the privilege of working with the great Claire Labine. Her extraordinary talent and joy of writing was exhilarating and illuminating. I learned something in every conversation we had, every day. She is loved and respected not only by me, but by an entire community of writers, actors producers and crew . Rest in Peace, Claire.”
Maurice Benard posted: “Claire LaBine you will be missed you gave me a chance to play a character that had so many levels when no one else would so grateful to you.”
Vanessa Marcil shared: “Claire LaBine healed my soul & millions of others hearts through her art. She always stepped away if things became inauthentic” #BadassChicks
Kassie DePaiva tweeted: “Soap Headwriter Claire Labine was one of the best! Rest In Peace dear gifted lady.“
Wally Kurth posted via facebook: “What a gift it was to tell her stories. The best of my career.”
On-Air On-Soaps will have more on this developing story and more condolences and remembrances as they are shared on social media in the hours and over the weekend. Now, take a look below at some of the most memorable scenes from Claire Labine’s GH stories, the first episode of Ryan’s Hope, and then share your thoughts on the passing of this brilliant writer in the comment section below.
Sad…one of soapdoms greatest soap writers of all time-you just cant get these types of writers for soaps anymore!!!…like Bill Bell, Agnes Nixon,Harding Lemay. Henry Slezar and Doug Marland plus several others-they were at the best!!!
I hear you a Jim. I was watching a few episodes of Ryan’s Hope, and as the saying goes, they don’t make them like they use to. Today’s soaps (what’s left of them) can’t even hold a candle to soaps of the mid sixties to the early eighties. I never watched Ryan’s Hope when it originally aired, but a few years back I got hooked when it aired on Soap Net. That was soap opera at its best in my opinion. All the good writers and shows are gone. I hope an end of an era isn’t slowly approaching. I won’t say to much more, I don’t want to jinx anything. Take care.
So right Jimh!!
Jimh, so totally agree 100%…Oh I so miss the good days of the soaps/daytime dramas…I am looking forward to Sally and Kay to return to Y&R for something to look forward too… Claire stories were among the best for GH…
Michael, Claire Labine did not create the character of Sonny Corinthos! The character was actually created by writer Bill Levinson, who was the head writer of GH from January to August 1993 (Sonny debuted on August 13, 1993). The characters that Claire Labine created on GH were Kevin Collins, Serena Baldwin (Scotty Baldwin’s daughter with his late wife Dominique), Katherine Bell (played by “Days of our Lives” cast member mary Beth Evans), Jasper “Jax” Jacks, Stone Cates, Mike Corbin (Sonny’s biological father), Lily Rivera (Sonny’s late first wife), Lois Cerullo, and the Ward family.
She also created the character of Carly Corinthos, too!
Mostly right. But Serena was created well before Claire arrived.
Bill Levinson only introduced him. Claire Labine gave Sonny his complexity and layers through the Sonny & Brenda/Carly romances and the groundbreaking story of Stone and Robin. Her stories represented great periods for every soap she wrote for. She was at the top of the soap writer game, IMO.
Very sad, Claire Labine was such a brilliant writer. She was the head writer for GH when I started watching, and I was immediately drawn in by the drama and human emotion that her stories portrayed. Some of the best storylines in soap opera history.
The Robin/Stone story, oh my god, I still get emotional just thinking about it all these years later. That touched me like no other storyline I’ve ever seen. The BJ heart transplant story is right up there. That scene when Tony puts his ear to Maxie’s chest and hears BJ’s heart beating, they just don’t make them like that anymore. They won a lot of Emmys during that era, and rightfully so. GH was on another level at that point, and a lot of it had to do with Claire Labine’s writing.
RIP Claire, thanks for your wonderful stories that got me hooked on GH all those years ago. 23 years later, I’m still a loyal viewer and I always will be. Say hi to John Beradino, Anna Lee, John Ingle, and all the other GH icons we’ve lost over the years.
Ditto from me, Dan!
My experience with RH comes from SoapNet and now You Tube. That first episode was so perfectly written – idenifying the characters and their relationships. They told real stories and such incredible acting. I could not take my eyes off Delia when she was on screen. What a show!
R.I.P. Claire Labine many an afternoon spent soaking up your gripping brilliant stories.
Such sad news. I most definitely remember her wonderful stories on General Hospital and One Life to Live. May she rest in peace.
Now this is sad!! I was too young to appreciate Ryan’s Hope but Claire Labine’s reign at GH was utter perfection!! It was THE hallmark of what soaps should be and could be. No soap in history can match the 2.5 years of brilliance she laid out. I also have a personal connection to her. When she was at One Life to Live, I sent her a writing sample and expressed a desire to break into soap writing. As an aspiring writer…..those types of things do not usually garner a response unless you have an agent or are an established writer. However…she not only sent me a hand written letter on her own personalized stationary…she also called me at home! In both the call and the letter, she said she loved my writing and that I definitely had talent and should pursue it vigorously! To hear that from Claire Labine?!?!? One of the highlights of my life!! She explained what I already knew….that soaps were no longer doing Writer Development….or taking chances on any new talent and that she had no real power to bring new writers in. The fact such an esteemed writer took time out of her life….to call me…and write me a personal letter remains an affirmation that my writing was worthy of attention, and to always chase your dream no matter how far it may seem. Just like the lady herself, her GH was filled with heart and humanity. There was a sense of community and home and family. General Hospital was never more HOSPITAL than when Claire was writing. For 20 years, I have imagined her return to GH. Alas…that won’t happen now. And writers of her caliber just do not exist in the daytime world anymore. God Bless Claire and her family.
She was so great on so many shows I read once that the idea for ryans hope came from a sequence she wrote at love of life. I wish love of life was on YouTube I need to check on that.
Lost another one of the greats. Rest in peace.
Claire Labine – ( taken from Wiki )
Positions held[edit]
Where the Heart Is
Co-head writer: 1971–1973
Script writer: 1970–1971
Love of Life
Co-head writer 1973–1975
Ryan’s Hope
Co-Creator
Executive Producer: July 1975 – June 1982
Head writer: July 1975 – June 1982, January 1983 – November 1983, February 1987 – January 1989
General Hospital
Head writer: September 1993 – March 1996
One Life to Live
Head writer: December 1996 – April 1998
Guiding Light
Head writer: August 2000 – July 2001
Awards[edit]
Daytime Emmy[edit]
9 Wins
(1995; Outstanding Writing; General Hospital)
(1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983 & 1984, Outstanding Writing, Ryan’s Hope)
(1977, 1979 Outstanding Drama Series, Ryan’s Hope)
12 nominations
(1978, 1981 & 1982, Outstanding Drama Series, Ryan’s Hope)
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom

This week on all-new episodes of General Hospital, the race is on! Can Lulu (Alexa Havins) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) get to Rocco (Finn Carr) and Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) in time to ensure their safety from Cullum (Andrew Hawkes)? Can Carly (Laura Wright) with the help of her brother, Lucas (Van Hansis) rescue Josslyn (Eden McCoy) from captivity at Wyndemere? These questions may be answered, plus the return of the one and only Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) are on tap!
In the just released General Hospital spoilers video for the week of June 22-26, Lulu tells her mother, Laura (Genie Francis), “Dante and I have to get to Rocco before Cullum!” Meanwhile, Rocco (Finn Carr) looks angered and emotional as Britt walks through their cabin hideout. Does Rocco know his parents are on the way to find them, or has Cullum already tracked them down to the British Virgin Islands?
Back in Port Charles, Carly is informing Lucas that his niece, “is a WSB agent.” She knows Josslyn (Eden McCoy) is being held against her will at Wyndemere, and she has to find a way to get her out. Lucas agrees with Carly’s plan of, “We go in and we don’t leave without Josslyn!” Elsewhere, Josslyn is looking worried for her future as she is stuck in captivity thanks to Cassius, Cullum and Sidwell!

Courtesy/ABC
FINOLA HUGHES RETURNS
The final moments of the teaser promo reveal Anna in a psychiatric clinic in France. We have not seen her for months after Cullum, Sidwell and Pascal fed her hallucinogenics to make her believe her arch nemesis, Cesar Faison was alive!
Now, the doctors walk towards her hospital bed, where we see the super spy calmly knitting. Is Anna back to normal and playing everyone to get out of her predicament, or does she still remain deeply traumatized … or both?
Take a look at the rest of the official GH spoilers for the week below.
MONDAY, JUNE 22
Willow gets an unwelcome surprise. Trina sticks to her guns. “Nathan” wants reassurance. Ethan advises Ava. Brook Lynn receives an update.
TUESDAY, JUNE 23
Dante cautions Liz. Laura learns a secret. Brook Lynn confides in Michael. Sonny challenges Ava. Chase makes a decision.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
Anna meets with her doctor. Carly makes a stunning confession. Britt extracts a promise. Cullum pulls a fast one. Gio and Emma hit the pool.
THURSDAY, JUNE 25
Josslyn clashes with Cassius. Lulu and Dante make a discovery. Chase receives a warning. Jordan seeks help. Alexis is summoned to the PCPD.
FRIDAY, JUNE 26
Anna takes a huge risk. Britt is in grave danger. Willow is in disbelief. Danny must act fast. Curtis jumps to the wrong conclusion.
Check out the latest General Hospital promo entitled, “Rescue Mission” below.
Now weigh-in: Do you think Anna is still mentally off-balance, or OK, and just pretending to be troubled to get out of France and get back to Port Charles? Will Josslyn finally be rescued, or will Carly and Lucas find themselves locked up with her? And, who will get to Britt and Rocco first? Cullum, or Dante and Lulu? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.
General Hospital
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric

With the highly-anticipated returns of Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) on this week’s June 24 episode of General Hospital, Steve Burton’s (Jason Morgan) upcoming return on July 13, which also serves as the ABC daytime drama’s 16,000 episode, things are about to fire on all cylinders in the story, as noted today by series star, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos).
On Father’s Day, the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning actor and mental health activist took to his Instagram and expressed in a video that he has some unbelievable upcoming senes with the aforementioned Burton and Hughes. Add to that Nazneen Contractor (Justine Turner) and Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing), where Benard gave credit where credit is due to the GH writing team, which is led by co-head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten..
In this video, Benard said, “I just want to get on here and say that I did some work with Steve Burton, Finola Hughes, Rick Hearst, Nazneen Contractor, and they’re all just fantastic. Truly fantastic. But, I want to say the writing was just exceptional. It truly was. It was exceptional. So, thankful for that kind of writing. I know writers don’t get the credit a lot, but I just want to say to the General Hospital writing team, keep rolling!”
GENERAL HOSPITAL PREVIEW
So now the question becomes, with a major tease like that, what is about to go down between Sonny, Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric? Will we finally get to the end of the line for Sidwell (Carlo Rota), as previously teased by the GH co-head writers? Will we learn what happened to Jason and Anna, fully? Will Justine and Sonny becomes closer or stop their liaisons? And what of Ric? Will he be true blue to his brother or double-cross him? There is a lot at stake as we move further into the summer and one that looks like it could be one of the more exciting ones in years!
FINOLA HUGHES CONFIRMED AMAZING SCENES WITH MAURICE BENARD
As a punctuation point to his video, Benard also shared this written message in the post: “I just did some wonderful scenes with Steve Burton, Rick Hearst, Finola Hughes and Nazneen Contractor and and unbelievable writing, freaking amazing scenes that you will see in the near future on General Hospital.” In fact, Finola Hughes jumped in the post comment thread and responded, “I loved our scenes so much xxx”
Fans will most likely see all the scenes Benard referred to later in July, since GH tapes approximately six weeks ahead of air.
So, are you excited to see what Maurice is talking about? Are you hyped for what’s to come on GH? Any clue on what you think will go down between the main characters on the soap with the returns of Anna Devane and Jason Morgan to the mix? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
View this post on Instagram
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Announces Upcoming Release of His First Single, ‘If You Need Me’

In a surprise move, Daytime Emmy winner, Chad Duell (ex-Michael Corinthos, GH) is getting ready to unveil a new chapter of his career in music.
The former GH star, where he played the son of Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Carly Spencer (Laura Wright) for 15 years, has announced his new single, “If You Need Me” will drop on Friday, June 26. The single is now available for pre-order on Spotify and major music streaming platforms and is distributed by DistroKid.
Taking to his Instagram story over the weekend, to announce the pre-save of his new single, Chad expressed, “I’ll make a full post about what I’ve been up to and my music once it goes live next week, but you can pre-save my first single so it goes straight to your Spotify once it drops next week.”

Photo: CDuellIG
SINCE LEAVING GENERAL HOSPITAL
Previously, since his departure from the ABC soap opera. Chad starred alongside Zach Mendez in the world premiere of of Yum Yum at Annapolis, a new play written by Bruce Reisman. Duell last appeared on General Hospital on the January 21, 2025 episode.
The part was recast with Rory Gibson who debuted as the new Michael in May of 2025 during the Nurses’ Ball episodes and who has remained in the role since that time.
In an interview earlier this year on The Able Show, Duell said on his decision to exit the soap opera, “I was blessed to be part of that (show) for as long as I have, but what happens sometimes is if you’re doing the same thing, especially in a creative field for such a long time, you can get a little burnt out in a way. It can make you a little depressed, so that’s kind of what happened. On top of that, I had other things going on in my life at the time. My father passed away recently and I just needed a reset. So, I stepped away. A lot of times you have to go through some stuff to really step into that next level. I needed to kind of feel uncomfortable.”
So, what type of musical genre will Chad’s new song be? Country? Pop? Rock? Dance/Club? Something else? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section below, and if you are eager to hear the new single next week via the comment section below.
-

General Hospital2 days agoMaurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
-

General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’s’ Controversial Luke and Laura Rape Episode: Writer Sheri Anderson Reveals Behind the Scenes Decisions and Admits ‘I Was Wrong’ to Defend It (Exclusive)
-

Days Of Our Lives1 week ago‘Days of Our Lives’ Eric Martsolf Recalls Moment He Learned He Was Cast as Brady Black, and Last Scenes with Drake Hogestyn (SOAPY Exclusive Preview)
-

General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Weighs-In on Dante and Elizabeth Pairing and Sharing Scenes with Rebecca Herbst (Exclusive)
-

General Hospital1 week agoGENERAL HOSPITAL Promo: Rocco’s in a Panic as Britt’s Health Takes a Turn, Chase is Called to the Carpet
-

Days Of Our Lives2 days agoAl Calderon Reflects on ‘Major Chapters’ Coming to an End on ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘Brilliant Minds’
-

Beyond the Gates5 days ago‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Karla Mosley Weighs-in on Dani Dupree’s Love Life Endgame: Are You Team Bill or Team Andre?
-

General Hospital1 week agoGENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Michael Puts Willow On Notice After Tracy Is Arrested















