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’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
General Hospital star Cynthia Watros, who can currently be seen in on the ABC soap opera in the role of Nina Reeves, has had a enduring career in television. That included her time on the 2000-2002 Fox sitcom, Titus.
In Titus, Watros starred along with Stacy Keach as Erin Fitzpatrick and Ken Titus, respectively. After the November 10th news that Keach had passed away at 85 while living in Poland, Cynthia took to her Instagram on Thursday, November 12 to pay tribute to the great actor.
Watros expressed, “My first prime time show was along side Stacy. I loved him instantly. What an amazing talent and man.❤️”
Photo: ABC
In Titus, Stacy played stand up comedian Christopher Titus’ heavy-drinking, chain-smoking, five-times-divorced father who frequently pulled cruel pranks and tried to toughen his kids up. Cynthia played by Christopher’s level-headed, big-hearted girlfriend trying to build a normal life with him. In fact, Cynthia’s role on the sitcom was first series regular role after her Daytime Emmy run of Annie Dutton on Guiding Light which ran from 1994-1998.
STACY KEACH’S WIFE ON HIS PASSING
Keach’s wife, Malgosia shared the news of the actor’s death publicly in a statement with PEOPLE. Malgosia expressed, that Stacy had, “a long and difficult battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure.”
She added, “Stacy peacefully departed this world. He fought for so long, with extraordinary courage, determination and strength. He was a true warrior, facing his illness with the same remarkable spirit and resilience that defined his life.”
Małgosia continued, “Stacy was not only a legendary actor, admired and loved by audiences the world over, but also my beloved husband, my companion and the heart of our family. His passing leaves an immeasurable emptiness in our lives. But his extraordinary spirit, his unforgettable voice and the love he gave so generously will remain with us forever.”
Now, let us know do you remember when Cynthia made her sitcom debut in Titus? Share your thoughts via the comment section on Cynthia’s many TV roles and the passing of Stacy Keach in the comment section. But first, check out the very first episode of Titus with Cynthia Watros below!
The latest ratings are out for the week of October 26-30, 2026 and the big takeaways include: that CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates was separated by only 23,000 viewers behind third place (of the soaps) General Hospital! For the last several weeks, Beyond the Gates has been closing the gap on this year’s winner for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, and continuing to best GH in the key demos.
According to the latest Nielsen ratings breakdown from Soap Opera Network, the final week of October brought Beyond the Gates 1.790 million on average tuning-in and the show set a season high in total viewers. Meanwhile, General Hospital hit a new season low! The long-running ABC soap had 1.813 million for the week, and once again the series did not go over the 2 million mark.
Meanwhile, in the key Women 18-49 demo, Beyond the Gates was firmly ahead of GH with a rating share of 0.21, while General Hospital had 0.17 rating share.Then, in the key Women 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates was once again ahead of the ABC soap with a ratings share for that demo at 0.30 while GH came in with 0.26.
Photo: CBS
MORE BY THE NUMBERS
In addition and comparatively, Beyond the Gates +22,000 viewers week-to-week, and had the largest gains in viewership year-to-year in daytime TV with +267,000 from this in 2025.. However, General Hospital seems to be going in reverse. The show was down -56,000 viewers week-over-week and down -22,000 year-over-year .
BEYOND THE GATES
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines that had people tuning-in to Beyond the Gates during the ratings week:
Hayley (Marquita Goings) attempted a massive shocker regarding her pregnancy and tried to use it to extract money from Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). Although, Bill saw right through her game, he demanded a paternity test, and made it clear he has no intention of raising the child—planning instead to pay her off to take the baby and leave. Meanwhile, Hayley confided her plan to her cousin Randy (Maurice P. Kerry).
Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) clashed over Jacob’s ongoing investigation into The Impaler, causing significant strain in their marriage. At the same time, Smitty (Mike Manning) considered taking matters into his own hands—including potentially heading to Mexico for evidence—while Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) worried about what comes next.
Photo: ABC
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Over at General Hospital for the ratings period, the story served up included:
Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) teamed up to investigate what really happened to Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). Later, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) leads them to Jack’s dead body.
Jude (Wil Traval) dropped a bombshell claim to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn); that he is Phoebe’s father, while Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) signed their divorce papers.
Then, Danny caught Rocco (Finn Carr) and Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) sharing a kiss, plus the shocking return of Heather Webber (Alley Mills) capped the week.
Now the questions become; without having much promotional synergy in the ABC day-part to draw more eyeballs it is not helping but hurting General Hospital. It seems Beyond the Gates is also a benefactor of a one-two-three punch of CBS soaps (Y&R, B&B and BTG) and promotion.
However, that still doesn’t take away the fact that Beyond the Gates is close to besting GH in all ratings category as they go head-to-head in some markets across the country.
So, are you excited to see Beyond the Gates climb in the ratings? Are you concerned for General Hospital? Do you think they can stave off Beyond the Gates in total viewers or will the upstart soap overtake them in the next ratings report? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Antonio Sabáto Jr., the former Jagger Cates of General Hospital and GH: Night Shift, and the former Dante Damiano of The Bold and the Beautiful has issued his first public statement since the incident involving his son, Jack’s arrest in Alaska for a fatal hit-and-run.
Jack is the son of Sabáto Jr. and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, and according to court documents obtained by KTUU Jack, was allegedly driving a white Chevy Tahoe when he hit and killed Carl Simmonds, 42, near an intersection in Anchorage around 5:35 a.m. on Monday, November 9.
The reports indicated that Jack fled the scene — but later decided to called the cops to say he hit “something” that “suddenly appeared in the road” while he was “doing late-night DoorDashing.”
Photo: NBC
Now, Antonio has taken to his Instagram breaking his silence on the situation, sharing, “At this time, my family and I are navigating an extremely sensitive and deeply personal matter.”
He added, “As a father, my love for my children remains unconditional, and my priority is the well-being of my family. We ask that the public and members of the media honor our privacy during this difficult time and keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.”
The soap alum concluded, “I also wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the gentleman who tragically lost his life. My thoughts and prayers are with them as well. We sincerely appreciate your compassion, understanding, and respect for the privacy of everyone affected.”
Jack Sabáto was arraigned in court on Tuesday, November 10 with bail set at $5,000, and a no-driving order and the potential of $5,000 penalty fees if he fails to attend future court appearances.
Antonio is the father to Jack, 34, daughter, Mina Sabato, 24 and son, Antonio Sabáto III, 15.
This is a developing story. You can check out Antonio’s official statement below.
So, let us know your thoughts on this tragic hit-and-run, which claimed the life of another man, and Antonio’s statement, via the comment section below.
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‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
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