General Hospital
Kelly Monaco Notes ‘General Hospital’ Alter-Ego Sam McCall Became a “Character I Didn’t Recognize, Let Alone the Audience”
General Hospital’s 21-year veteran, and one of the longtime leading women on the show, Kelly Monaco, has left the building after the news last Friday she had taped her final episode as Sam McCall.
Monday, October 1st would have marked her 21-year anniversary since she debuted on the soap opera back in 2003 following her other soap-famous role of Livvie Locke on the GH spinoff, Port Charles.
Monaco’s GH departure was reportedly “storyline-dictated,” while others have continued sharing other speculations and online scenarios, since Kelly has not yet, publicly offered up any official statement. Last week, when Kelly wrapped her run, her mother Carmina took to X and shared some heartfelt sentiments, on and for, her daughter’s last day, and the culmination of two decades of her body of work for the ABC soap opera.

Photo: JPI
However, on Tuesday, several media outlets were reporting a response from Monaco to comments and remarks made on a Soap Hub post on Instagram in a related story about Monaco’s former GH co-star Greg Vaughan (ex-Lucky, now Eric, DAYS), where the actor shared his thoughts on his time working with Kelly.
In the IG post thread, some disparaging remarks about the reason Monaco was let-go, and in particular from one of the posters, who said that Kelly had “no primary roles,” prompted Kelly herself to respond. While some may be negative towards her, Monaco’s true fans have continued their online petition campaign to bring her back to the soap and have more than 16,000 signatures on top of taking out a billboard in Times Square and more to call attention to their battle cry for Kelly.

Photo: ABC
On the IG thread in question, Kelly responded, “‘No primary role’… do your homework. When Billy Miller was fired (as Drew in 2019), Sam’s storyline stopped. Stripping Sam of every characteristic she had. Something I worked for decades to build… Slowly dismantling her, into a character that I did not recognize, let alone the audience. Call it what you will… retaliation at it finest. I will give a proper statement. The truth will set you free.”
All this, leading viewers to surmise how the character of Sam will be written-off the show in the weeks ahead, and what Monaco may plan on saying when the time is right on her side of the story, after playing an extremely popular character on the iconic soap opera for two decades.
So, what do you think about the words Kelly relayed to a poster when speaking of her exit from GH? Comment below.

Photo: SoapHubIG
If this is the way frank treats actors who dare to speak up it really makes me want to stop watching.
Billy Miller’s mother has said that Billy was fired for standing up for Kelly and paid the price.What is the matter with her other co-stars in that Billy was the only one to stand up for her?
Makes me really wonder about the shows three leads who have considerable clout and could have done something to help Kelly out all these years from this.
There have been several actors who were let go over the last year and all have said very positive things about Valentini. Roger Howarth and Michael Easton, who followed him over to GH from OLTL both sung his praises. Others, who have medical conditions or other personal issues have also spoke about his generosity and supportive nature. I find it hard to believe he is the only villain in this issue.
They always say there are three sides to a story. His, hers and the truth. I don’t think we will ever know the real truth about everything.
Hmmm. Makes me think the the blame lays at her feet.
I think it lies with frank and Disney
I think a highly successful 21 year run on a successful television show is a very big achievement and something not a lot of people get! Not everyone loved and revered the character of Sam!!! Her death story is going to be bracing and polarizing, something GH does very well!!
simply disappointed at GH, as a fan I don’t know what else to say, the writers, new, old whatever incarnation of writing team are just horrible, they should be fired, and FV, what is going on behind the scenes? why did you fire Kelly, and appearantly the late Billy Miller? the drew characters is not working, there’s nothing ab0out him that’s appealing.
I rather enjoy GH right now
Ditto! I’m excited to see some of my favorite characters return and also like some of the new characters on the show.
Really good actresses turn “s**t into sugar”. Just look at some of the horrible storylines Maura West has had as Ava through her time at GH.
Yes, some of the stories for Sam the past few years haven’t been good, but why did Lindsay Hartley make an impact whenever she subbed for Kelly?
Her suggesting the character changed after Billy Miller was let go doesn’t add up. Burton returned to GH in the fall of 2017. It was a few months after when Sam was reunited with his Jason. Miller (as Drew) stayed on the show until summer of 2019. Sam went through the whole Shiloh mess while Drew was dealing with Oscar and his eventual demise. Once Sam reunited with original Jason, there wasn’t much interaction between she and Drew.
Kelly quit kissing the ring of the three pets they were why I quit watching . I had no idea they fired Billy Miller I thought he quit. I personally hope she gets a job making triple her salary.
Her behavior appears to be unprofessional.
B.S!
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out! Sounds disgruntled to me. I never have been a fan of Sam’s. I do like her when Lindsay Hartley is in the role! Kelly is a fine actress but I don’t think she has been happy at GH for a while. Time for her to move on. I am sure she will land on her feet and land a roll elsewhere. I’m sure I will like her there as well.
Shame that this is how the show treats longtime actors I was very upset to see them get rid of Michael Easton and Roger Howarth this is no way to run a series… first you force us to have Peter August… then Nina and you want to get rid of Sam and keep Nuttallia and Nina ewww
I personally don’t believe her “version” of the events. I don’t think not having your contract renewed is exactly the same thing as being fired. I think once Steve Burton decided to come back there was t much use for Billy anymore. And yeah Kelly is biased in what happened. Personally I never thought she was a great actress. She hasn’t been on much and honestly hasn’t been missed.
To my knowledge, Kelly was essentially responsible for Frank having hired Billy Miller- as Jason- in the first place. So of course she had all sorts of opinion on the fact when Billy Miller left no matter what the circumstances. And since the two had whatever sort of relationship outside the studio that they had, she never accepted that much of the audience didn’t think Billy was right for the role of Jason, and wanted Burton back. So that was the first thing she resented. In 2012 I saw an interview with Burton and Kelly, and she couldn’t have sung Steve’s praises more effusively. That was just before he left for Y&R. But when Billy was pushed aside for his return, Kelly couldn’t have been further from that. She didn’t want Burton to be the real Jason, she didn’t want her character to reconnect with him, she didn’t want anything to do with him. And she couldn’t get beyond it, with her acting or anything else. And this last time around… those GH photos of Jason with Carly and Sam on each arm… Kelly simply looks miserable. I’m sure that behind the scenes she was lobbying whenever and wherever she felt she needed to keep her character away from his, and I imagine it just got tiresome. Especially when the alternative was for Steve to be paired with Laura Wright, and they have so little chemistry it almost shows up as anti-chemistry. Certainly romantically.
Soaps ebbs and flow. The GH of Ms. Monaco’s era is not the same GH that captured my attention and heart once upon a time. Changes in producers and writers change characters’ motivations, situations, value. I never connected to Sam but the mob mess and all the implausible resurrections never set well with me. A mob daughter may not be long lived and Sam’s death (?) may be a catalyst for new plot directions and improvement to GH overall.
Kelly nailed her response
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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