Breaking News
(EXCLUSIVE) Joan Van Ark Reacts to the Death of ‘Knots’ Landing’ Husband Doug Sheehan: “My Heart … and ‘Valene’s’ Heart … is Broken”
As previously reported, former Knots LandingĀ and General Hospital star, Doug Sheehan has died. The actor passed away at the age of 75-years-old at his home in Wyoming with his wife, Cate Abert, by his side.
Now, his television wife, Joan Van Ark (ex-Valene Ewing, Knots Landing) has offered up her sentiments on the passing of her beloved co-star. In a touching statement to Michael Fairman TV, Van Ark shared: “My heart – and ‘Valene’s’ heart – is broken to hear the news of Doug Sheehan’s sudden passing.” In addition, she added, “Good night, sweet prince, and may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.ā (Hamlet)Ā
Sheehan played Ben Gibson for five seasons from 1983-1988, while Joan Van Ark was with Knots Landing from its beginning to its very end from 1979-1993.Ā Van Ark also spoke highly of Sheehan as a co-star and cast member, when she recalled, “Doug kept the set light. He was funny and positive with wonderful energy, and usually cracking jokes. He would keep us laughing and smiling which is a good thing on set.”

Photos: CBS
On Knots Landing, the love story of Ben and Val certainly had its ups and its downs. As fans will remember, Valene fell for journalist, Ben Gibson, but a one-night stand with Gary (Ted Shackelford) resulted in Val becoming pregnant with twins. Valene decides not to tell Gary that he is the biological father as he is now married to Abby (Donna Mills), and she has fallen in love with Ben. At that point, Ben makes everyone believe he is the father of the twins. Shortly after they were born, the babies are stolen. This causes Val to have a breakdown and she leaves town. Eventually, she is found and she gets the twins back.
Next, Ben and Val are married in a ceremony in 1985. Ben’s condition was that he remained the twins father, but this proved difficult as he knew Gary wanted to be part of their lives. Eventually, Ben and Val breakup, but by the fall of 1986, the two find their way back to one another. However, things go south again after Jean Hackney (Wendy Fulton) wants Ben to murder Gregory Sumner (William Devane). Ben becomes mentally unstable and eventually leaves the cul-de-sac and heads to South America, never to be heard from again.
Now below, check out the love story of Val and Ben with clips from Knots Landing. Then, let us know if you were a fan of the on-screen pairing, and what you thought of Joan’s touching words on her former co-star via the comment section.
So saddened by Doug Sheehan’s passing.. Ben and Val were my favorite couple..Beautiful and poignant words by Joan Van Ark..
I loved them too. They had fun not so serious all the time. And Doug was great looking!
Doug Sheehan was a class act. On Knots I always wanted Val with Gary… but if Val wasn’t going to be with Gary then Ben would have been my next choice for Val. Rest in Power, Doug Sheehan. You left us with many memorable performances.
He was very good as Ben Gibson on KNOTS and as Joe Kelly on GH.
Breaking News
Robert Kelker-Kelly, ‘General Hospital,’ ‘Days of our Lives’ and ‘Another World’ Star Dies at 62

Robert Kelker-Kelly, who became prominent as a one of the leading men in soap operas back in the late 80s and 90s has died at the age of 62. TMZ first reported the news of Robert’s passing on Saturday, October 3 at his home in St. Peters, Missouri.
According to the St. Peters police report, officers responded to call at around 8:16 pm about an unconscious man who was not breathing, as paramedics and other EMS were en route. Kelker-Kelly had reportedly complained of chest pain shortly before becoming unresponsive and the circumstances appeared consistent with a medical event.
Officers and paramedics administered life-saving measures, but were unsuccessful in reviving Kelker-Kelly. The cause of his death is still unknown and under investigation.

Photo: NBC
Daytime fans first saw Robert back in 1987 when he was cast as Sam Fowler on Another World. He played the role for three year suntil 1990. Two years later, he took over the role of Bo Brady on Days of our Lives replacing Peter Reckell, who at that time decided to leave the show.
As Bo, Kelker-Kelly was major in story playing opposite the likes of: Crystal Chappell as Dr. Carly Manning, Kristian Alfonso as Hope Williams and Lisa Rinna as Billie Reed. When Peter Reckell returned to his signature role in 1995, Kelker-Kelly left the show.
Next, Robert returned to his original stomping grounds at Another World but this time as race car driver, Bobby Reno who was actually Dr. Shane Roberts. His second AW stint lasted from 1996-1998.

Photo: ABC
Eventually, the actor would begin his run as the evil Stavros Cassadine on General Hospital in 2001, then make returns in 2002 and 2003. In 2013, he briefly returned as Stavros as part of the showās 50th anniversary celebration, and made one last appearance in 2014.
Robert has also became a professional pilot full from 2003 to 2015 and had been married to former Days of our Lives star, Miriam Parrish (ex-Jamie Caldwell) from 1997-2011, but the couple divorced in 2011. Since that time, he has not remarried.

Recently, Robert was back in the news when Lisa Rinna talked about her time working with her former Days of our Lives co-star in her recently released memoir, You Better Believe Iām Gonna Talk About It.
Rinna shared on her then on-screen love interest, āBehind the scenes, we hated each other. Remember when Kathy Hilton said I was the biggest bully in Hollywood? Not true. Not even close! I have legit stories about the real bullies in this town. Robert Kelker-Kelly is one of those bullies.ā
The former Billie Reed and reality star even punctuated that with, āHe made my life a living hell on the set of DAYS, He was horrible to me, Iād go so far as to say verbally abusive. He was passive-aggressive, manipulative and played weird mind games.ā
Besides his role in the soaps, Kelker-Kelly appeared on primetime on Touched by an Angel and Rescue 77 , and played Bo in the Days of our Lives specials Night Sins and Winter Heat in the early 90s.
Michael Fairman TV will provide further updates as they become available on the death of Robert Kelker-Kelly.
Now, share your remembrances and condolences on the loss of Robert Kelker-Kelly via the comment section below and let us know of all his daytime roles, which was your favorite.
Breaking News
Hayden Panettiere’s Cause of Death Revealed

On Tuesday, September 22, the Greenville, South Carolina Coroner’s office ruled that actress Hayden Panettiere’s death was an accident, attributing the 36-year-old’s passing to be a combination of toxic effects from fentanyl and other drugs that were in her system.
Panettiere was found unresponsive on Sunday, August 16. There have been numerous reports and sources speaking to various outlets about the manner in which the Nashville and Guiding Light alum died, but nothing was certain until now.
The Greenville County Coronerās office shared that fentanyl, combined with 4-ANPP, Alprazolam (also known as Xanax), Methocarbamol (a muscle relaxant) and Quetiapine (used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia but is sometimes prescribed to treat depression), were all found in Hayden’s system.

Photo: CBS
GUIDING LIGHT ALUM’S DEATH IS STILL UNDER AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION
Meanwhile, the Greenville Police Department shared there is still an ongoing investigation into this case. āOur detectives will continue to follow leads and gather information as we work toward resolving this case,ā the department shared.
That is, because despite Panettiere’s death being ruled accidental, authorities continue investigating whether anyone might be criminally responsible for providing the star with a lethal substance. It is being shared that this is Ā ācross-country investigationā stretching from as far as South Carolina to California.
As we previously reported, TMZ shared on September 14 that law enforcement officials believe Hayden’s “long time drug dealer” may have been the person responsible for supplying her with an oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl which she took the morning of her death.
Panettiere āhad been temporarily stayingā at the apartment in Greenville, the coronerās office said in August. Authorities did not say whose apartment it was but it was said to later be an Airbnb. It was Hayden’s on-again off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother Zach who called 911 the afternoon of August 16 to say Panettiere was unresponsive, according to police reports.

Photo: ABC
HAYDEN PANETTIERE IMPRESSED IN EVERY ROLE SHE PLAYED
Soap opera fans still remember Hayden’s as a very young Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live from 1994 until 1997, and then her signature daytime role as Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light from 1996-2000.
She later went on to star on the Music City primetime soap opera, Nashville from 2012-2018 on ABC and CMT where she played country and western singer, Juliette Barnes opposite General Hospital alum, Jonathan Jackson (ex-Lucky Spencer), who played her love interest, Avery Barclay.
Over this past weekend, Jackson, Charles Esten (pictured above), Connie Britton, and others from the cast of Nashville gathered for a memorial service in Hayden’s honor to pay their respects for their beloved co-star.
So, what do you think about the ruling in the death of actress Hayden Panettiere that it was an accident involving toxic effects of fentanyl combined with other drugs and medications she was taking at the time? Share your reactions via the comment section below.
Breaking News
Soap Alums Remembered During In Memoriam Segment at 78th Emmy Awards; Patrick Muldoon Omitted

During last night’s 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, as it does every year, the television academy paid tribute to those in the industry that they’ve lost over the last year; since the previous Emmys held each year in September.
Starting with an emotional tribute to the late Catherine O’Hara by three of her co-stars, Schittās Creek’s Annie Murphy and Dan Levy and Home Alone’s Macaulay Culkin, the segment then dovetailed into Noah Kahan performing “Bridge over Troubled Water” as the faces and the names of those being remembered were shown on the screen.
Daytime soap alums, who either stayed in the genre for the majority of their career, or went on to primetime success as well, were honored including: Anthony Geary (Luke, GH), Hayden Panettiere (Sarah, OLTL, Lizzie, GL, Juliette, Nashville), James Van Der Beek, (Dawson, Dawson’s Creek, and Stephen, ATWT), Gil Gerard (Alan, The Doctors), June Lockhart (Mariah, GH), Patricia Crowley (Mary, Port Charles and GH), Randolph Mantooth (Clay/Alex, Loving and The City, and Richard, GH) and Jon Cypher (Alex, ATWT and Arthur, Santa Barbara).

Photo: TVAcademy
THOSE HONORED AND THOSE WHO WERE NOT
However, in a glaring omission, the producers of the In Memoriam failed to include Days of our Lives beloved star, Patrick Muldoon who played the OG Austin Reed and also Richard Hart on Melrose Place. Muldoon passed away in April of this year at 57.
After Kahan concluded his performance, a special tribute to Rob Reiner began with Jamie Lee Curtis taking to the stage to share some warm words about her late friend.
In a ironic and sad twist, Curtis shared ,āLast week, Robbie won an Emmy for guest actor in a comedy series for his beautiful work on The Bear, and he now holds the record of 48 years for the longest gap between acting Emmys, which was previously held by his father Carl Reiner, at 37 years.ā
Reiner, who along with his wife, Michele Reiner were killed by their son, Nick Reiner, is currently awaiting a decision if he will stand trial. Prosecutors on Tuesday, shared they will not seek the death penalty if he is convicted at trial, but instead life in prison. Curtis said of Rob, āHe was generous and kind and funny as hell, and a friend to all. We all miss Rob and Michele and all those we lost this year.” The Emmys then faded to black and went to commercial break.
So, were you happy to see those who you know from their work in soap operas included in the 2026 In Memoriam tribute at the Primetime Emmys? Share your thoughts in the comment section. But first, in case you missed it, you can watch it below.
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