General Hospital
Ingo Rademacher Addresses His Lawsuit & Being Fired From General Hospital on the Heels of Steve Burton’s Return
At the conclusion of Thursday’s primetime special, General Hospital 60 Years of Stars and Storytelling, Steve Burton made a surprise announcement that he was returning to his soap-famous role as Jason Morgan. Previously, Burton was let go from the ABC daytime drama series for not complying with the Covid-19 vaccine mandate that was in place at the time from Disney/ABC.
Ingo Rademacher was also fired from the show for not complying with the vaccine mandate, but then sued ABC back in December of 2021. He lost his court case in June of 2023, which he is now appealing the decision.
Taking to Instagram on Friday, Ingo says he wanted to “clarify” why he was fired from GH and his court case. Rademacher began his video claiming, “I was fired for not complying for the vaccine mandate but in the discovery process (which he explains what that means), we found out they were actually trying to fire me before the vaccine mandate because they didn’t like my political and social views.”
Photo: JPI
Accompanying his video post were these words,”I think it’s time to set the record straight on a few things about my lawsuit against against ABC Disney which is now in appeals. I recorded this on January 1 but hadn’t had time to post it. I say this because the news of Steve Burton coming back on the show was announced today and a big congratulations to him. Also a big thank you to General Hospital for proving me right. I know some of you are going to say well, ‘If you wouldn’t have sued them, maybe you could’ve come back too,’ but that’s not true because what we found out during discovery is that they were trying to figure out a way to fire me (without getting sued) because they didn’t like my political and social views.”
Photo: JPI
Later in his video, Ingo goes on to say that he hopes for certain cast and crew members that his case never sees trial because he will then have to air all the ‘dirty laundry” from how he claims he was treated.
The former soap star says he feels what happened to him was wrong, and that it hurt him and his family, and that is why he is fighting the courts decision with an appeal, and for anyone that got fired for the same reasons.
You can watch what Ingo said below.
So, do you think that Ingo could win his appeal? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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Just like his Lord & Savior Donald Trump, Ingo always blames his dragonshit on everybody but himself.
Can I get an amen, lol, Well said and so true!
Would the world be a better place if everyone could stay out of other people’s bedrooms?
He acts like nobody knows how soap contracts work. There are “option windows”’ where – for whatever reason – the producers can choose not to pick up the remainder of the contract. For newer performers it’s every 13 weeks. Some veterans have 26 week windows. Covid vaccine non-withstanding, all ABC had to do was wait until that window to not pick up his option.
It’s 2024 and I’m tired of this topic. Ingo is just trying to save face and stay relevant.
Sort of confused by this. Acting on soap operas is a contract gig, usually with the show having the power every 13 weeks to drop anyone they want. They didn’t need to find a “reason” to fire him if they wanted. How many times have we seen actors leave soaps for “storyline-dictated” reasons. Just write a story in which Jax leaves town or is killed, and bam the actor is gone. There wouldn’t have been any reason for a conspiracy against him if they wanted him gone. They had the power.
I support Ingo 100 percent. We need to stop censoring those with conservative views. I am a former journalist who supports free speech all the way, as long as you’re not calling for genocide of Jews or something hateful. Many court cases could explain further the limits on the First Amendment better than I can. The liberals are shredding our precious Constitution, one bit at a time. We need to end it before we end up living in a socialist nation.
The First Amendment deals exclusively with government suppression of speech. It would not apply here, as ABC is not a government entity, so nobody–liberals, conservatives, or any other particular political group–is doing any Constitution shredding, at least in this instance. (If this website wanted to report on IR’s lawsuit, and some government entity tried to interfere with that, then that would be a solid First Amendment issue. But IR’s lawsuit is between a citizen and a privately owned corporation–totally outside the scope of the First Amendment.)
Whether ABC (or any other employer) can fire somebody for not getting a Covid vaccine is beyond my knowledge of law, so it could indeed be a legal issue, but it’s not a Constitutional issue under the First Amendment. As I understand it, some have argued that, if someone asserts religious beliefs as a reason for not getting the vaccine, and then is fired for not getting it, their rights have been violated under the Fourteenth Amendment (not the First), but it’s not cut and dry–you can’t practice polygamy, for example, or human sacrifice, even if you assert your religion believes in it, supports it, or requires it, so the Fourteenth Amendment has limitations–and the courts are still working through the issue, though I gather they’ve largely been ruling in favor of the employers so far. But IR’s political views, and whether or not ABC liked them (or him), would be irrelevant to the argument.
Socialism is an economic system (not a political system, which is what the Constitution deals with) in which economic gains are distributed differently than under capitalism. (That’s a very simplistic definition, for sure, but will do for this discussion, and full disclosure: I’m not a fan.) Many socialist societies have constitutions (such as a number of the major western European economies), and it would certainly be possible to maintain the current US Constitution and have a socialist economic system. One thing has very little (if anything) to do with the other, and there’s actually little to nothing in the Constitution–that I’m aware of–that guarantees US citizens the right to live in a capitalist society. It’s also entirely possible, as I mentioned, to have a socialist economic system and a political system that’s a democracy; see Sweden, for example, and other western European democracies.
We already are
As a former journalist you should have a better grasp of free speech and the First Amendment. The government did not stifle Ingo’s speech or ability to express himself. A private employer (Disney/ABC) set a workplace condition that Ingo chose not to meet, as was his right. Therefore, the employer terminated his contract, which was their right. This is a labor issue, not a free speech issue at all.
Ingo was not a team player . He throws his cast mates under the bus when ever it suited him . Ingo is racist, transphobic, doesn’t care about his fans , he turned on the network . You can’t sue your boss and expect to keep your job .
what?? they have contracts some can be let go after any 13 week period fr others it is 26 weeks ,,,, all they had to do was wait for that window or write a story where jax leaves so why would they need an excuse to fire him??? makes no sense at all
Ingo was bullying his coworkers so he better hope things don’t come out. We literally saw him saying things about Nancy Lee Grahn to Maurice Benard. He’s an idiot.
Exactly
As others have pointed out, he’s either seriously deluded (if he believes what he’s saying) or lying to his fans because he wants to save face (if he knows better–and I find it hard to believe that he’s been around soaps as long as he has and doesn’t understand how his contract works).
Soaps can get rid of just about anybody they want to, four times a year; they don’t have to try “to figure out a way to fire me (without getting sued) because they didn’t like my political and social views.” All they have to do is wait for the end of a 13-week period and write someone’s character out of the story; that’s the way soap contracts work. They don’t even have to have a reason, really, because nothing is implied about job performance, etc.: “we’re just choosing not to have this character on screen anymore.”
Largely because of this, soap actors who have tried this kind of argument in court before have not been successful. He may break that mold, I guess, but it’s hard to argue there’s some kind of discrimination at work when not just your contract, but EVERYONE’s contract, has these same kinds of out-clauses. And it’s been that way the entire time I’ve been watching soaps (going on 50 years now).
I guess he’s counting on his fans not understanding this basic fact about the way soap actors’ contracts work; if they do (understand soap contracts), his post makes no sense at all, and they’d be left scratching their heads.
I wonder if he’s hoping that he can use ugly publicity to try to pressure ABC into settling out of court, but I suspect they’re on such solid ground legally that they’re laughing at him.
I don’t care about anyone’s religious or political views this is supposed to be a free country but Isn’t Steve Burton fairly conservative? And the networks can get out of a contract with a snap of a finger and for most soap actors it’s every 13 weeks.
I have heard “rumors” about Steve’s politics, but I have never heard him say anything overtly political at all. Cameron Mathison recently signed a contract with an ultra conservative media company, but he still works for GH. Jen Lilley works for that same company, but she came back to Days of Our Lives for a while. I doubt that being a self described “conservative” has caused anybody to lose their job.
Now being a racist, transphobic bigot who cheers on open treason against the US, like Ingo did, well that’s a different story. And it should be.
Love your post. The Satan we all know and love is back in full force!
Im curious I was Roger let go because Steve is coming back?? Hmmmm
Probably. They have to maintain a casting budget. So trade one top-tier paid actor for another…
It will be interesting to see if Steve has the same episode guarantee as in the past. Kelly M has noticeably been reduced (and rejuvenated as a character). Roger’s guarantee must have been low since we’d sometimes go weeks without seeing Austin (and barely noticed).
There’s no evidence to support that. But if it was a question of a GH legacy character who has been around since 1982 (and an actor who started in 1991) vs an OLTL transplant on his third failed character, then yes, that’s an easy choice to make.
Or.. ABC could do OLTL version 3, and give Roger his massively great role of “Todd Manning” again.
I would say the odds of that happening are slightly less than me shoveling 666 feet of snow off my sidewalk tomorrow morning.
While ABC seems to be slightly supporting GH these days, there’s no indication they’re going to invest in any other daytime programming other than so-called “news” shows.
Could I get you on my side if they were to go back to original name ” Between Heaven and Hell” ?
Ingo is conflating his right to free speech with experiencing consequences for his actions.
Sorry. Nothing against him personally, but I don’t miss him or Jax on GH. End of story for me. I don’t think he’s necessary to the story.
Sounds like he’s threatening to spill the Beans or rather spill the text of some of his coworkers. Just not cool.
He seems unhinged
I don’t understand his point of view at all. According to him, ABC was looking for reasons to get rid of him because of his political views.But as many here have pointed out, they don’t ‘need reasons’ because their out for whatever reason comes around every 13wks. And more importantly, that IS. NOT. WHAT. HAPPENED. IN. REALITY. Let’s just go with his argument – they were trying to find a reason. But then circumstances completely changed in the world and COVID came along and they instituted a policy to protect their employees that everyone working on GH needed a COVID shot. He chose not to get that shot. And had to be released. Same thing that happened to one of GH’s personal jewels with Steve Burton (whether you agree with that jewel assessment or not), as well as perhaps, a couple of other actors. So in the end – no matter what he said was thought about or discussed or wanted by ABC – he was NOT released for his political beliefs. He was released because of the COVID shot mandate.
And then all of sudden, he was being treated unfairly. And he had a religion he had never discussed or revealed before (which is odd right, since he seems to be rather proud of espousing political views but not his religious views). Of course, I wouldn’t put it past him at this point to believe they came up with the shot mandate just to get rid of him, and were willing to sacrifice Burton to get to Rademacher – which is ludicrous.
And it’s been my experience that people who try and turn themselves in martyrs for the ’cause’ of punishment for political views tend to have a much different view of their vocal expressions than do the people who have to listen to and experience them. In other words, I have a feeling, think, perhaps, maybe he was more obnoxious about the whole thing than he likes to admit – and people were probably sick of him. Because GH has brought Ingo back several times over the years, so his personal political views couldn’t have been a secret to them, so something had to be different this time around that made the circumstances different. And since by his own admission, there are people there that share his views, it’s not just about his views (hey, they brought Burton back). So what exactly was different this time specifically relating to Ingo? Probably not the innocent persecuted lamb he likes to portray.
And again – what he says happened that was so wrong, actually did not happen when it came right down to it.
Ok let’s release the texts/emails and see what’s he’s got and GH release your text/emails and let’s see what you’ve got–let it all come out. Would not surprise me if Roger was let go d/t Steve coming back either. Glad for Steve he’s coming back. Does anyone rememer if Victoria Rowell situation with Y&R turned out well? Is she back? How many years has it been? Just sayin. What it basically boils down to is if your work/employer requires something to be employeed and you don’t comply you can be fired.
If they cared aboutvratings or fans they’d bring him back
Hell no! It’s Disney you’re going up against. I wish you luck but not in this lifetime will you come out victorious in this fight . You will never see the win. I however always remember you never walked away from a challenge on G.H .I hope you are somewhat like your character on the show .I for one miss you sweeping in to save the day. I wondered why you didn’t show up for Carley when Nina blew up her life as she knew it.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Jonathan Bennett Receives 3 ‘Critics Choice Real TV Awards’ Nominations for Hallmark Series, ‘Finding Mr. Christmas’
Many things are coming up roses for Jonathan Bennett! On the heels of the news that he is set to debut this month in the role of Joe Fitzpatrick on General Hospital, who is rumored to be a new love interest for Lucas Jones (Van Hansis), comes the news that Bennett’s reality series, Finding Mr. Christmas has received 3 nomination for the Critics Choice Real TV Awards.
Bennett’s Hallmark Channel series finds itself in tough competition alongside fellow nominees: RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV), Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix), Survivor 50 (CBS), Top Chef (Bravo) and The Traitors (Peacock). In addition, Jonathan himself is nominated for Best Show Host and the series participants as the Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series.
The Critics Choice Association (CCA) revealed the nominees for the eighth annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards on Thursday, which recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. Winners will be announced online at CriticsChoice.com on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 9:00am PT/12:00pm ET.
Photo: Hallmark
Taking to his Instagram to celebrate the nominations, GH’s Bennett, enthused, “3 Critic Choice Nominations! I’m so proud of the FINDING MR CHRISTMAS and to be in the company of all the legends in all these categories is so surreal! Congrats to Hallmark Channel and to our nominated cast and nominated show and everyone who made this magical show possible. This is crazy! This gives FMC 6 Critics Choice nominations in 2 years. Not bad for a little show on Hallmark Channel. What are your thoughts on our show?” Jumping first into the comment thread was one of his new GH co-stars, Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) who expressed, “Yeah buddy!!!🔥🔥”
In the series, Bennett, the host and co-creator spends eight weeks guiding 10 aspiring actors through a series of “festive face-offs” and acting challenges alongside actors like soap opera notables, Hunter King (ex-Summer, Y&R) and Alison Sweeney (Sami, DAYS). Along the way, they develop their skills and a bond with one another. The show, which is available on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Plus, highlights LGBTQ+ representation with openly gay contestants vying to be the next Hallmark star.
It should be noted that Traitors received the most Critics Choice Real TV Award nominations with 6 nods, followed by Dancing with the Stars with 4.
Bennett is very familiar to daytime fans having started his career as JR Chandler on All My Children in 2000-2001, before landing the part of Aaron Samuels in the motion picture, Mean Girls in 2004 starring Lindsay Lohan, which would become his breakout performance.
You can check out the full list of Critics Choice Real TV Award nominations here.
So, excited for Jonathan Bennett’s General Hospital debut this month? Have you ever watched Finding Mr. Christmas on Hallmark? Let us know via the comment section below.
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General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Kelly Thiebaud on Britt and Cassius Sibling Drama, But Who Will Ultimately Blow His Cover?
On the April 30 episode of General Hospital, Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) had some choice words and warning for her brother Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey) who has been masquerading as his twin, the very dead, Nathan West.
As the story has unfolded, viewers learned that Britt knew all along that when “Nathan” showed up in Port Charles seemingly resurrected with a missing 7 years of his life unexplained, that Cassius was taking his place.
Now in developments on today’s GH, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) is figuring out that this guy pretending to be Nathan is someone else, and Cassius learns from Britt, that Joss is not just a ditzy sorority girl as he claimed, but a WSB agent! The moment stuns Cassius. Are the walls about to close in on him and his charade?
Courtesy/ABC
Daytime Emmy winner, Kelly Thiebaud spoke to Soap Opera Digest, about the story point and getting the opportunity this time back at GH to work with Ryan Paevey, when she hadn’t had the chance to before.
BROTHERLY LOVE?
Thiebaud expressed on sharing scenes with Ryan Paevey, “It’s just been so wonderful to have him back and to actually work with him! When he first came onto the show (as Nathan at the end of 2013) I was kind of heading out — it was right towards the end of my contract, so we didn’t actually work together a ton. It’s been really refreshing and so much fun to really spend time together and get to know each other and work together. I think we have really great on-camera chemistry and banter with each other. I really enjoy working with him.”
With the stakes at an all-time, Thiebaud explained how she views her on-screen alter-ego’s involvement with her more hot-to-temper sibling and why Britt revealed the truth about Josslyn to him. “People finding out about Cassius would expose what she’s involved in and what she agreed to do,” explains Kelly “And now Josslyn is digging around, and she’s connected to Carly (Laura Wright) to Jason (Steve Burton) and that whole dynamic! It’s messy!”
BRITT’S MURKY FUTURE
Britt has currently also reached her breaking point with Jason being carted away by the WSB, Rocco (Finn Carr), the child she gave birth to, shooting Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) to protect her and Jason, Marco (Adrian Anchondo) being killed after trying to help her, and Cullum holding over her head getting her Huntington’s disease medication to control her symptoms, while blackmailing her into finishing the research on her father, Cesar Faison’s, final project. Thiebaud summed it up best for Britt right now, sharing, “It’s been a really tough time for her.”
So, who do you think will be the person to blow Cassius’ cover? Will it be Britt herself? Josslyn? Liesl? Brennan? Nina? Lulu? Rocco, Maxie, Cullum or someone else? Let us know your pick in the comment section.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Michael Reveals His Plan to Set Up Chase and Willow to Have an Affair
After the Wednesday, April 29 episode of General Hospital, it’s clear outside interference and other circumstances are set to blow Chase (Josh Swickard) and Brook Lynn’s (Amanda Setton) marriage sky high, as Michael (Rory Gibson) reveals his plans to entrap Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) and use her relationship with Chase to do it!
In story, Michael dropped by unexpectedly to Carly’s (Laura Wright). A plotting Michael reveals his plan to nudge Willow and Chase into having an affair. Michael hopes it would create both a political and personal scandal, where Willow would lose her seat in congress. In the scenario, she would be having an affair with her ex-husband, while taking care of her supposed disabled husband, Drew (Cameron Mathison), who cannot speak and is confined to a wheelchair, which in turn will look horrible for Willow’s character.
Carly asked does he really want to destroy his cousin, Brook Lynn’s life in the process? Michael goes in on Chase’s holier than thou attitude, and says he is going to set-up the circumstances that would lead Chase and Willow to betray their spouses, and hit the sheets together. Michael swears to Carly what the two of them do is up to them, but he’s going to go on the offense with this.
MICHAEL HAS BACK-UP
Later, Jacinda (Paige Herschell) is talking with Charlotte (Bluesy Burke) at Crimson and how much she dislikes Willow because of what she has done to Michael. Just then, Michael shows up and tells Jacinda privately, he’s figured out a way to fight Willow. Looks like Jacinda might work with Michael to bring down Willow and use Chase as the person to do it!
At the hospital, Lucas (Van Hansis) tells Josslyn (Eden McCoy) that Carly is cheating on Jack, but he doesn’t know with who. Josslyn suddenly flashes back to the moment she found her mother harboring a fugitive, Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart), in her attic, and as figured out that her mother is sleeping with him. She heads out.
Courtesy/ABC
BRENNAN IS ABOUT TO LEARN ABOUT CARLY
Next thing you know, Josslyn has showed up inside Jack’s (Chris McKenna) hotel room at the Metro Court and when he enters his room, he is shocked to find her there. He lays into her for not keeping his distance and that Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) will have no problem killing her if he knows she’s WSB. Josslyn fires back that he is only concerned about that because his relationship with her mother depends on her being safe. But then, she lays the boom, and tells Jack, Well, you’re too late. You already lost her.”
LULU GETS A GLIMPSE OF CASSIUS’ TEMPER
In addition, Lulu (Alexa Havins) sees a different side of “Nathan.” Since she is unaware that the man before her is his twin, Cassius Fasion (Ryan Paevey), he tells her that Rocco (Finn Carr) blabbed that he shot Cullum to Britt (Kelly Thiebaud), and now he thinks they should send him away to stop him from talking to everyone else. This concerns Lulu, who rails at Nathan for telling her what to do with her son and that she isn’t going to abandon him. With “Nathan’s” outburst at her on the matter, will she finally get a clue this is not the man she thinks it is?
So, what do you think of Michael’s plan to push Willow and Chase into an affair? Will it work or backfire? Do you think Joss will reveal that Valentin is the man sleeping with Carly to Brennan, which will send him in a rage? Will Lulu continue to be clueless about “Nathan?” Weigh-in via the comment section below. But first, take a look at the GH video tease for today’s April 30 episode.
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THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Nick Confesses His Drug Problem to Victor; Joshua Morrow, Mark Grossman, Eric Braeden Bring the Newman Bond
‘General Hospital’s’ Jonathan Bennett Receives 3 ‘Critics Choice Real TV Awards’ Nominations for Hallmark Series, ‘Finding Mr. Christmas’
DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Sophia Seemingly Plans to End Her Life, But Not Before Setting Fire to Johnny’s Apartment With Him Trapped Inside
WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus Talks Humble Beginnings, Test and Albert, WrestleMania 22 with Mickie James, Current Women’s Roster (Exclusive)
DAYS Stephen Nichols Remembers Drake Hogestyn as the ‘Most Vital, Enthusiastic, Committed Man I Ever Knew’ Ahead of the PanCan PurpleStride Walk
DAYS Stephen Nichols and Co-Stars Walk in Honor of Drake Hogestyn at PanCan PurpleStride LA, ‘I Felt Him With Us’
Brandon Barash Granted Restraining Order Against ‘General Hospital’s’ Kirsten Storms
‘Days of Our Lives’ Rob Scott Wilson Talks ‘Turning Heel’ as Necktie Killer, Ben Weston
Paige Herschell Marks One-Year as ‘General Hospital’s’ Jacinda Bracken
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Has Dylan’s Mystery Caller/Stalker Been Revealed to Be an Alive Luna Nozawa?
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WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus Talks Humble Beginnings, Test and Albert, WrestleMania 22 with Mickie James, Current Women’s Roster (Exclusive)
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Michael Reveals His Plan to Set Up Chase and Willow to Have an Affair
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