General Hospital
GH's Maura West Talk's Ava's Pregnancy, Crypt Sex, and Daytime Emmy Snub!

Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
Last week viewers of General Hospital watched as Sonny (Maurice Benard) armed with the truth confronted Ava (Maura West) that he knows she shot and killed Connie Falconeri!
When about to shoot the mob gal, Ava had one more bombastic surprise that she pulled out of her sleeve! … she is pregnant with either his child or his son Morgan’s (Bryan Craig) child! Now the plot thickens and the question remains … is Ava really pregnant? From this week’s ABC sneak peek, does Ava visit Britt (Kelly Theibaud) and hold something over the doctors head and make her an accomplice to a cover-up?
TV Guide Magazine’s Michael Logan caught up with two-time Daytime Emmy winner, West to get the skinny on the story beats, how Ava has had more than nine lives and not been killed-off yet, and the fact that Maura was shut-out of a Daytime Emmy nod for the Outstanding Lead Actress race when many thought she was a shoo-in!
Maura on Ava’s pregnancy and if she is faking it: “Well, you could only fake something like that for so long. I guess there could be ways around it but, frankly, I don’t yet know how they’re going to handle it. What we’ve already shot is really cool, though. It’s injected with the gravity of Sonny’s death threat, but it’s also been infused with great humor and fireworks. It’s a lot of fun. The idea that this could be Sonny’s son or grandson really plays into history because, for him, family and children are all-important. If Ava were pregnant with someone else’s child, he’d kill her for sure.”
Maura on Sonny and Ava’s crypt sex scene at the Quartermaine mausoleum which caused some controversy amongst fans: “You know what? A lot of people seemed shocked by it and I was very surprised by that reaction. I was never even thinking about the locale! I was thinking about Ava’s pain. She told Sonny that she ‘walks the earth with an unfathomable burden’ — a line I really loved that referred to Connie’s murder. She was so heartsick she almost told Sonny about it right then. But for a lot of the audience that scene was all about crypt sex.”
Maura on why she thinks she did not land a Daytime Emmy nomination: “I don’t know. Maybe the reel I submitted wasn’t the right choice. But that’s okay. Really okay. It would have been great to be nominated and a real honor but I still show up every day on the set and work as hard as I always do. It doesn’t change a thing. I was much more surprised that GH didn’t get nominated for best show or writing or directing. That was the snub, if there is such a thing. I watch our show every day and it’s pretty phenomenal.”
So, what do you think about Ava escaping death and getting to live another day via a pregnancy? Do you think she is really pregnant? If so, who is the baby daddy? Will Britt help Ava? What did you think of Maura’s omission from the Daytime Emmy Lead Actress race? Let us know and check out this sneak peek below from this week’s GH!
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.
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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.
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I really love MW’s portrayal of Ava Jerome. Hope she sticks around for awhile.
Still hate that AJ died, and the crypt sex, but that’s not her fault.
Keep up the great work Ms. West! You are a great addition to GH.
I looked at the crypt sex scene as an act of passion. Both Ava and Sonny were in a dark place and they both forgot themselves. Under normal circumstances they wouldn’t have hooked up. I really liked that scene actually. I didn’t just look at the sex part of it.
I predicted the pregnancy long ago so no suprise here…crypt sex, Cranco sex(carly and franco sex on plane) and any sex scenes with Tracy/Fluke and especially Micheal/Kiki i could do with out…next Mr.Marbles will forgive Epiphany and they’ll have a sex scene…lol
Well, Mr. Marbles already has a woody.
The cowboy from ‘Toy Story?’…lol
That was a nice interview with Maura West and i liked that she was okay with not getting an Emmy nomination this year.To her maybe just doing the best job she can is enough.As for Ava i do think she’s pregnant but i’m wondering if she was lying to Sonny only to find out she is indeed pregnant.As for killing Connie that wasn’t something Ava planned to do versus trying to kill Franco last year.So maybe in her own way Ava does feel guilty about killing Connie.
Ava killed Connie to protect Julian actually. Her intention was to warn Julian but Connie was in the office instead. Ava was the one who found AJ drunk. I like MW’s acting. I was surprised she didn’t get nominated as well. Ava is not more a killer than Sonny, Julian and company. Carly and Shawn planned to kill Franco.
Love Ava!! She is Amazing.
Maura deserved a nomination for her incredible job as Ava Jerome. She brought life back into the series, and has been giving consistently amazing work. She is such an actress beyond her years; she has that Old Hollywood vibe about her. Greta Garbo and Katherine Hepburn kind of talents. I love me some Ava, and I hope that she continues to be given the material. I’d rather Ava kill Sonny and put him out of his misery. Ava is too good to let go!
I agree with all you said…hope she’s nominated next year…i dont see Sonny getting killed off…i see Ava and Sonny eventually getting together…maybe!!!
I don’t they’d let Maura go from the show, it’d be a big mistake of them. She’s too much of a genius and icon to be let go from the show. She has been killing it with everything she has, and the material for her is some of the strongest that the show naturally has.
I agree with your reply as well…she’s too good to let go…i liked her on ATWTs too but i like her better here!!!
Ava does act like the older actresses. I like her voice tone and expression. She sometimes reminds me of Marilyn Munroe the way she puts her lips.
I could see where people see Marilyn, too. She’s just an old soul with a very old Hollywood vibe about her.
Hmmmm…Game of Thrones does crypt sex….and then shockingly…so does GH. This regime needs to remember that this is daytime…not primetime…not cable…..and not a limited run edgy nighttime show. Things like corpse sex and men (and I use that term very loosely) threatening to murder pregnant women is not why we watch these shows. Ron clearly wants to write for cable where his “evil always triumphs” mantra can be realized…so he should start applying for those jobs. Send out out a few spec scripts Ron. The past few months have just been a farce, with criminals waltzing in and out of jail, making absurd deals and demands and getting out of paying for their crimes. Any regime that continues to make Finola Hughes’ Anna look like a moronic fool ought to be dismantled.
This…that last sentence. I agree Johnny.
Bob Guza also tried to replicate primetime cable as seen with his obsession with The Sopranos. Trying to aspire to loftier heights in of itself is a good thing, but both BG and RC seem to want to imitate plot gimmicks rather than dive in there and get to the heart of the character. I don’t watch Game of Thrones but what made The Sopranos interesting to me was not the whackings but the characters. The same hold true for Mad Men. I maintain that if the character is interesting, intricate and compelling, the story will follow.
and an innocent man like Ric Lansing can be framed and go to jail!
Maura West is a pro! Just adored her on AS THE WORLD TURNS and even watched THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS waste her talents in that messy Diane Jenkins plot. Thank goodness, GENERAL HOSPITAL hired Maura West and gave her a role that is so layered and fascinating. I do hope for a redemption arc (and fall!) at some point but for now, this woman is a spider. I suspect we will have more opportunities to understand why Ava is who she is. And with Maura West there, I will be watching.
so many things wrong here … Ava is not 20 or even 30 .. it would not be easy for her to get pregnant in the first place .. then there’s the fact that she had sex with Sonny maybe 2 weeks ago so knowing she was pregnant so soon via a pee on the stick test would be highly inaccurate .. a blood test would be more conclusive but given its the GH lab and Britt involved … PLUS if she was pregnant why was she having tropical cocktails while at Sonny’s island hideaway .. she turned down the waiter’s offer of another because she was going to be leaving …. if indeed she is truly pregnant the likelihood of its being Sonny’s is slim more likely its Morgan BUT given that Morgan and Sonny are related – father and son – the DNA would be misleading .. oh wait this is a soap .. riiiiiiiight
It’s funny how things play out, when the show is bad we fans are more cryticall of “crypt sex” ect but when the show is on full cylander like it been since Friday then u can get away with being a little out there, if that scene played out now it would have people talking. Prob in a good way , or saying can’t believe they did that. All I want is for the show to stay on track, I m loving that Liz is on air in the middle of what’s looking to be am interesting storyline as long as it plays out in a good time frame n doesn’t drag on for eternity.
Maura West is the best actress in all of daytime. She most certainly should have been nominated. I hope RC continues to write well for her. Don’t want to see her backburnered for too long ever.
MAURA WEST IS THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHE IS THE MAIN REASON I AM NOW A G.H. FAN AND TURNED OFF Y&R AFTER A HUNDRED YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!
I adore Maura West. I agree; she was definitely snubbed this year for an emmy nomination. I love how she can switch from evil to vulnerable in a split second. I don’t love to hate her; I just love her! A great, great, great addition to the show. Multi-talented!
Maura has always been an outstanding actress. The fact that she goes to work every day and gives it her all, not for the glory but for the good of the show, shows that she is also an outstanding human being. I hope that Maura and Ava stick around Port Chuck for many years.
Maura West is phenomenal as Ava. Her acting style is amazing. The way she transmits her character’s emotions without speaking– that’s real talent. As for being snubbed by the Emmys… meh. The Daytime Emmys have been a joke for as long as I can remember.
I never seen Sonny and Ava’s sex as nothing but what it was..
Two dark souls bonding.. And, it was hot and outstanding! ..
The way some fuddies seen it you’d have thought they had sex on the Popes bed..
Britt plays a bitch supremely! I feel she will go on the darskside again and help Ava!!
Sonny and Ava are a powerful couple; Sonny finally met his match!
Ava is the only woman that can handle Sony and I do feel they will become a couple, a never a dull moment couple!!
Without a doubt– GH was greatly snubbed ..
Something is dark behind the curtain about that happening..
GH has been phenomenal both stories and `acting` ..
A soap that went from death row to doubling its’ viewers that speaks volumes that GH is indeed of great quality!
So many high drama stories are coming-up !! Looking forward to all of them 🙂
((love Sonny & Ava!!!
We have nothing against Sonny and Ava having sex, and they do have good chemistry together, so we are on the same page there…however, having sex in a crypt is gross and offensive…showing respect and having morals dont make you a fuddie!!!
It was only a stone crypt not a church..
Actually– having their burden release sex in a crypt was showing just how sudden and unexpected it was..
It was a surprise shocker, for them to do the nasty, and doing it in a crypt ,for them it was befitting lol ..
For Ava and Sonny to have their explosive sex in a bed on white sheets would not have had the bang needed to express them as in the crypt.
It was an powerful and stellar performance from Maura and Barnard ..
I liked it!! luv them, an Intense couple !
Absolutely right, jimh! Additionally, I really have to wonder about the mentality of someone who is still wildly raving over a truly appalling and distasteful sex scene which happened months ago….
I never said it was a church but still sex in a crypt is tasteless and tacky even for Sonny and Ava and i they didnt have to do it in a bed with white sheets…you probably think im an old prude…well, its partly true…lol…i like Sonny and Ava…id rather they do the ‘nasty’…somewhere else…even in the Qs Mansion id could accept…wouldve been funny had Alice caught them and chased them out…lol…having them do in the crypt was truely ‘NASTY!’
jimh..
Sonny and Ava were far from even being connected in any way outside of a secret and protecting each-other..
They simply had a moment haa..
They were bursting with fear and disgust for what they had done and wallah guilt release!! right there bang! It was not making love nor was it sex, its was a whole different release going on it was more mental than physical..
The crypt was a great place for them to do a death knell nasty haa..
A crypt start to them most likely trying to kill each other before thy love..
anyways;; it was down and dirty HOT .. as it was meant to be 😉
The nasy was suburb!!
@su000000000000000000……..Still waxing orgasmic over this scene, I see…..Why do I get the sneaking suspicion that you must have it saved to DVD so that you and your cats can enjoy that disgusting, declasse’ display over…and…..over…..and….OVER again??????
suOOOO, i guess youve traveled over to the darkside and there is no saving you now…lol
LOL, jimh !
All should cross over to the dark-side , even to the grey side!!
It is fun watching the soaps from here!! Lots of laughs 🙂 lol ..
Shay, naww not disgusting, declasse’ just simply good ”wow” soap stuff, where else but on a great a soap would we get to see the nasty in a crypt. LOL.
((gotta love the soaps
((the soap watching from the dark-side has a secret;; never take a soap seriously just have fun.. 🙂
There is no reality in fiction .. !!..
Maura west rocks!
How is Maua West being snubed? I believe she has two emmys the one great thing about the nominee’s except for Heather Tom is that we have new faces. Why can’t we have some other talent honored? I am sorry but her character of Ava does nothing for me Cynthia Preston’s Faith was a lot more interesting, I have been down the route of Sonny treating women like second class citizens. Every time she comes on the screen I find her channeling Marilyn Monroe.
Cynthia Preston’s Faith was a blast. I SO hated to see her go but it was amazing she lived as long as she did considering everything she got into!
Why is Ava killing any worse than Sonny trying to kill a very young undercover cop–both were killed within some bizarre set of mob rules that include killing those that would risk your organization.
Of course both are abhorrent, but Sonny was not only forgiven by the son he tried to kill and the mother of that child, the son perjured himself for “daddy” and the mother ended up falling in love WITH THE MAN WHO TRIED TO KILL THEIR SON!
Sonny and Ava really do deserve each other but how anyone can watch this show and not think that Sonny is not the worst character most deserving of getting locked up is a mystery to me. He tried to kill his son (and who cares that he didn’t know dante was his son–he tried to kill a twenty something cop that justifiably was trying to get the goods on him). He has repeatedly endangered anyone that he supposedly loved.
So Ava’s “redemption” has a lot less to go than Sonny’s did. If RC is moving him toward a point that everyone rejects him for just how repugnant a human being he is, that would be a set of acting opps for Maurice Bernard that would be worth playing out
Maura is simply amazing and I love her Ava. I’m more likely to fast forward through a scene than actually rewind and watch it a second time, but I had to rewind and watch her tears during the scene with Sonny on the island. She digs deep. Hope she gets a nomination and win next year.
She’s an awesome actress and has brought a lot to GH in her role as Ava. She’s the only character in the Sonny “family” that I like.