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Jacqueline Grace Lopez Talks Her General Hospital Exit, Blaze and Kristina’s Break-up, Ricky Martin, and If She Could Return

By Michael Fairman

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2 years ago

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Photo: ABC

Back in mid-August, in an abrupt on-screen departure, Allison “Blaze” Rogers (Jacqueline Grace Lopez) not only had a devastating break-up of her relationship with Kristina Corinthos-Davis (Kate Mansi), but then left Port Charles and headed out to be the opening act and go on tour with music superstar, Miguel Morez (formerly played by Ricky Martin).

As General Hospital fans also know, Jacqueline Grace Lopez previously opened up that she was also caught off-guard when her storyline quickly wrapped. Now, for the first time since her exit, Lopez spoke on what went down behind the scenes at how she learned she would be leaving the role she loved to play on and off since 2022, and more.

During a livestream conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, Jacqueline spoke on her exit, how the decision was made to make Allison gay, working with Kate Mansi and creating the couple known as ‘Kraze’, and if how you’re going to leave a show best to do it to go on tour with Ricky Martin, right?

Photo: ABC

HOW LEARNED BLAZE WAS BEING WRITTEN-OUT

Jacqueline found herself in shock when she found out after the most recent co-head writing change, she was leaving GH. “I found out via script and I confirmed it. I received the script for the first episode where we first learn about the tour,” Lopez began. “I remember reading that and going, ‘Oh, well, I changed  mind. So I’m staying and I’m taking care of my girlfriend because that makes sense because I love her and I want to be there for her.’ Then, the next day I got the second script, and I remember reading that and I was like, “Oh, I’m going.’ There was this ‘spidey sense’ for me of, ‘I think I’m being written off the show this time.'”

After reading the script details, Lopez checked with GH execs to make sure she is interpreting this to mean she is definitely exiting.”My last two days were the Monday and Tuesday before we went to break in July,” Jacqueline recalled. “So the week before, I sent an email to the powers that be. And I said, ‘I just need to know if I’m coming back on the other side of the break. And the response was, ‘We love you, but Blaze has to be gone for a while.’ So that’s how I found out.”

COULD A RETURN FOR BLAZE BE IN THE FUTURE?

On soap operas, the key phrase for all actors is ‘”never, say never.” After all, even if your character dies that doesn’t mean you cant come back! Looking at the current GH canvas, Lopez thinks there could still be a place for Blaze. “I think there’s possibility. I have an anchor parent (in Natalia). I have family on the show. I speak about additional family on the show. I think there’s space to come back, be it in passing. You know, Blaze has a tour date in Port Charles,’ shared Jacqueline. “From a character standpoint, I think Allie would drop everything for Kristina if need be. 90% of the heartbreak in that last scene between Allie and Kristina is that she knows she’s doing this because it’s about, ‘I love her so much and this is what she needs.’ So, I’d like to think there’s space to come back.”

Photo: ABC

FINDING OUT BLAZE WOULD RETURN TO THE SHOW IN AN LGBTQ+ LOVE STORY

When Allison first arrived on the scene back in 2022 as a singer, she was managed by the abusive Linc Brown. However, when GH brought Lopez back in this last incarnation, viewers learned Blaze was gay. Jacqueline explains, “I was off the the show for two months already. All of a sudden I get a call from Mark Teschner (casting director, GH).  He goes, ‘So Frank (Valentini, EP, GH) wants you back and but he wants to make Blaze queer. Are you comfortable doing that?’ I first wanted to sit with it because I said, ‘I don’t want to take an opportunity away from someone else who can authentically live this experience because I identify as straight.'”

Later, Lopez had second thoughts on her stance, adding, “Then, I thought about, and I said, ‘I’ve established this character. This character is mine. It’s just another layer (to her). Frank actually got on the phone with me, which I give him immense credit for, and he quelled my fears. I said, ‘I want to earn it. I don’t want to just drop in and all of a sudden I’m running around and this is my new identity. I want it to be a slow burn. So, fans don’t see it as just a token storyline drop kind of situation.’ Frank was wonderful. He said, ‘The gift of this medium is we can tell and build relationships organically and in long form, and we’ll earn it.’ He’s like, ‘Don’t worry. The audience will know it before the characters do.’ And he was absolutely right. They did it in a way where we learned all the layers of what she had gone through – that her mother was conservative-valued, and completely not accepting of this life that she believes her daughter was having.  It wasn’t just like, ‘Wait, all of a sudden, Blaze is gay?”

Photo: ABC

Jacqueline, who has shared the importance of representation in the media not only for LGBTQ+ community but as a Latina, earned many new fans on her GH journey.  She expressed, “It was a huge responsibility and something I don’t take lightly at all. One of my throughlines with how I try to carry myself in the world, both personally and professionally, is I try to help people feel seen. I tell stories. I want to get it right. I’m very blessed to have a lot of gay friends, and a lot of people in the LGBTQ+ community and allies as well. I have a friend who’s from Puerto Rico who came out, who ended up having to sleep with a bible under his pillow with passages just completely demonizing homosexuality and to pray the gay away. I get to go through this and feel the hurt and feel the shame. But to get to be Blaze, to get to be Allison, and feel my mom (Natalia) dismiss me in that way and not see me and not want to see who I love in my heart. I mean, even now, it’s just heartbreaking. It’s given me such an insight that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to experience in this way.”

Photo: ABC

WORKING WITH KATE MANSI

The main thrust of Jacqueline’s recent storyline was bringing the on-screen relationship of Blaze and Kristina to life. “Kate pretty much knows what she wants to do,” explains Lopez.  “For me, I was more the person where I was like, ‘This line it’s weird to me.’ And she goes, ‘We’ll figure it out.’ We would talk about it. We developed this routine where we would run lines with each other, then we would block on the day if there were questions brought up. Jacqueline recalled a key scene for Kate. “If we had any emotionally, impactful scenes, I made it a point to call her up or text her ahead of time, like the day when Kristina was in the bathroom after Chase and Brook Lynn’s wedding and she sees her dad (Sonny) beating up Dex. Kate had to come in so emotionally raw. I just remember texting her on the day just being like, ‘If you need anything from me or whatever you need from me, you let me know. ‘”

Photo: JPI

RICKY MARTIN

Now that Allison is off on a world tour with Miguel Morez, did Jacqueline realize at the time, that it meant her character was essentially going on tour with Ricky Martin in the story? Lopez recalled, “The only reason I knew Ricky played Miguel on GH is because of fan Wiki. So, when I saw Miguel Morez, I was like, ‘Either they just really love alliteration with names or this is an actual character.’ So I googled it and then I saw Ricky Martin and then I called casting and I was like, ‘I’m sorry … is Ricky Martin coming on the show? And they were like, “Not to my knowledge.” And then I left. (Laughs)

Watch the full interview with Jacqueline below.

Now, let us know do you want Blaze to return and eventually go back to Kristina? Were you glad the GH tackled, albeit for a short time this same-sex relationship, but also showing how a mother can be so disrupted and bigoted against her own daughter just for being her ‘authentic’ self? Share your thoughts via the comment section.

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Bring her back

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Good for her for speaking up before accepting the storyline. She’s so right. Don’t pander to audiences. Just write all characters with depth and it will transcend everything else.

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I think it would make perfect sense for her to return considering what Kristi’s going through because she can’t depend on her sister..

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Sonny Tells Dante, “I Don’t Want a Son Like You,” While Michael Tells Brook Lynn to Bide Her Time Till Chase and Willow Have an Affair

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2 days ago

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October 1, 2026

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Sonny, Dante, Michael, Brook Lynn General Hospital

On the Thursday, October 1 episode of General Hospital, both Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson) had some things to say and what they had to say didn’t go over well with whom they were talking to!

Sonny had a confrontation with his son, Dante (Dominic Zamprogna), while Michael leveled with Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) over Chase (Josh Swickard).

GH is setting up a scenario where everyone is going to make it look like Sonny was responsible for having Sidwell (Carlo Rota) beat up in Pentonville; while viewers already know Ava (Maura West) and Drew (Cameron Mathison) were behind it.

Sonny and Dante

Courtesy/ABC

A VISIT WITH DAD

Now, Dante comes to Sonny’s house. He wants to know straight up from his dad if he ordered the attack at Pentonville. Sonny flatly denies any culpability or responsibility, but Dante refuses to believe him.

Dante informs Sonny he has video footage of Sully and Vito at the prison. Sonny explains to Dante he doesn’t know why Sully beat up both Curtis and Dante. Things escalated when Sonny was deeply hurt that Dante refused to believe him. Dante says he was disappointed that his father didn’t respect him enough to be truthful with him!

Sonny asks Dante to consider that he was being set up. He says all he did was to tell Vito to instruct Sully to keep a watchful eye on Sidwell, not to harm him. No matter what Sonny said, Dante continued hammering him with how he knew deep down, even though he said he left the mob, he had to finish off Sidwell for himself.

Next, Sonny explains everything he has ever done was to provide for and to protect his family. Dante fired back that he doesn’t want to deal anymore with Sonny’s half-baked truths. As the two men argue, Gio (Giovanni Mazza) shows up at Sonny’s front door and overhears Sonny losing his temper and shouting at Dante, “Get out of my house! I don’t want a son like you!”  The scenes featured an excellent performance by Maurice Benard.

Michael and Brook Lynn

Courtesy/ABC

MICHAEL THE MANIPULATOR

While this is going down, outside the Quartermaine boathouse, Brook Lynn opens up to Michael about living at the Q’s with Chase being there, since he only came back due to legal advice from his lawyer, Monet Mitchell (Blythe Howard).

Brook Lynn questioned whether they should get legally separate. Michael insisted that would be a big mistake. When she asks why, Michael tells Brook Lynn to bide her time until Chase and Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) have an affair; then she’d have full custody of Phoebe.

An angered Brook Lynn pushed Michael into the water and accuses him of moving Willow back into the gatehouse with intent on putting Chase and Willow in closer proximity and sacrificing Brook Lynn’s family in the process.  As the two cousins bicker, Chase shows up asking Brook Lynn if she is OK. Michael punctuates their talk with “You know, I’m right.”

CURTIS FIGURES OUT A WAY TO GET OUT OF THE SLAMMER

At GH, Willow visits Curtis (Donnell Turner) in his hospital room. Curtis wants Willow to get him pardoned and keep him out of jail, and in return, he will help her nail Sonny.

Next, Willow tells Dr. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) she wants Curtis held for observation for three more days. He agrees to do so under one condition, that she understands that he may need to call in a favor from a congresswoman.

So, what did you think of how Dante accused his father and refused to believe Sonny’s answers? Is this the end of their father and son relationship for good? Is Michael the most manipulative person of all, except for Willow? Do the two deserve each other? Do you want Chase and Willow to have an affair? And what of Curtis? Does he have many redeeming qualities left? Share your thoughts via the comment section,  but first check out the talk Michael had with Brook Lynn.

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General Hospital

GH Alum Tajh Bellow and Y&R Alum Loren Lott Star in New Tiktok and Microdrama ‘Love Island’ Spoof

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2 days ago

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October 1, 2026

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Tajh Bellow and Loren Lott

Two soap opera alums very familiar to fans of General Hospital and The Young and the Restless are paired together in a new short-form digital series from none other than Issa Rae’s production entity HOORAE Digital.

Look for Tajh Bellow (ex-TJ Ashford, GH)) and Loren Lott (ex-Ana Hamilton, Y&R) as part of the cast of  The Compatibility Experiment, premiering on October 14, 2026, exclusively on TikTok and its companion microdrama platform, PineDrama.

In the video teaser, it appears that Bellow and Lott play a couple, Kelvin and Camila, set in a Love Island reality show-esque environment trying to win the one million dollar cash prize, only what could go wrong?

The Compatibility Experiment

Photo: HOORAE

The Compatibility Experiment loglines share that it brings a fast-paced, relationship-focused reality check—much like Love Island with a twist. The show takes a participant’s current relationship, introduces them to a potentially more compatible partner, and forces them to navigate the differences with life-changing money on the line.

The new series is part of a groundbreaking content deal between HOORAE Digital and TikTok to develop premium short-form storytelling. The ensemble cast also features; Ayona, Reggie Luck, JaNa Craig, Tosin Morohunfola, Jessica Jacoby, Georgia Warner, and Nick Cassidy.

General Hospital fans know Tajh Bellow for his performances as TJ Ashford, and who earned two Daytime Emmy nominations along the way during his run. Bellow took over the role in 2018 and last appeared on the ABC daytime drama series in December of 2024.

Loren Lott first appeared as Devon’s (Bryton James) sister Ana Hamilton on The Young and the Restless from 2018 to 2019; making a brief return in 2024. She has continued to perform on the stage and screen with recent credits including: Bel-Air, Cherish the Day, and All American: Homecoming.

Check out the trailer for The Compatibility Experiment below and let us know what you think of its concept and if you are glad to see Tajh and Loren again? Hoping they might return to daytime in their GH and Y&R roles at some point in the future? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ava and Drew Revealed to be Behind Framing Sonny for Sidwell’s Prison Beatdown

Published

2 days ago

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October 1, 2026

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Drew and Ava

If you thought that the person responsible for the Pentonville brawl that saw Sidwell (Carlo Rota) and Curtis (Donnell Turner) taken to General Hospital was Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) or even Sidwell himself, you were dead wrong! On the Wednesday, September 30 episode of GH, it turned out that the culprits were actually Ava (Maura West) and Drew (Cameron Mathison).

In story, Drew apparently bankrolled the attack on Sidwell and framing Sonny. He told Ava their planned worked (she came up with it!) but was horrified when Drew informed her that Curtis got caught in the crosshairs. Ava is visibly upset because of her longtime friendship with Curtis’ daughter, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali). Drew tried to make Ava see the bright side. Curtis was witness to it and his presence will cast doubt on Sonny’s claims to that he had gotten out of the mob and gone legit.

Later, Vito shows up at Drew’s. They informed him that his guy on the inside of the slammer made a big mistake by hurting their friend and ordered him to leave town.

Maura West

Courtesy/ABC

BOATHOUSE BRAWL

In other major developments, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) and Rocco (Finn Carr) have a blow out fight as Danny blames his “brother” for the reason Charlotte was sent off to boarding school.

Rocco told off Danny for Charlotte’s (Bluesy Burke) reckless behavior and he explains he had to protect his sister. He went in on Danny saying that his mother Lulu (Alexa Havins) has been right to send Charlotte to boarding school and far away from Danny.

However, Rocco went a bit too far when he shouted, “And if your mom was alive, she would send you away too!” Next, Danny punched out Rocco, leading to a terrible brawl. An angered Danny yells at Rocco to, “Stay away from me and everyone in my family. And don’t you ever mention my mom again!” Danny storms off.

Rocco

Courtesy/ABC

Now alone outside the boathouse, Rocco flashes back to his first kiss with Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarksi), hoping that his fight with Danny will not escalate and ruin their budding romance. Meanwhile, a bloodied-mouth Danny heads over to Sonny’s and Jason (Steve Burton) is there at the same time. He then admits that he has a bad fight with Rocco and they are both beaten up.

WILL SCOUT WISE UP?

At the end of the episode, Scout, who had a fight with Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) over Drew, and who keeps telling everyone how good a man her dad truly is, comes upon a suspicious scene.

Scout hides behind the wall outside Drew’s. She sees her dad, Ava and Vito talking. Next, Scout seems to overhear Vito assuring Drew and Ava that their business dealings are done, and he’ll be leaving Port Charles for good.

So, what did you think of the reveal that Ava and Drew were behind framing Sonny for the prison beatdown of Sidwell (and Curtis)? Do you think Danny and Rocco’s relationship can be repaired, or do you think the teenagers will continue to be at each other’s throats? Finally, do you hope Scout gets a clue and stops thinking her dad walks on air? Weigh-in via the comment section, but first check out how Ava and Drew conspired below.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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