Light it up! On an all-new episode of General Hospital star, Maurice Benard’s (Sonny Corinthos) mental health series, State of Mind, he welcomed back to the show, AJ Lee (aka AJ Mendez) for update on her life in and out of the pro wrestling ring.

Before the Sunday, June 14 episode dropped, AJ had previously appeared on State of Mind, back in November of 2021, where she shared with the three-time Daytime Emmy winner her struggles with bipolar disorder, and one terrible situation back in 2014 where she contemplated a suicide attempt.

As WWE fans know, in September of 2025, Lee made a triumphant return to the wrestling ring after she stepped away 10 years ago. AJ is married to former WWE champion CM Punk (aka Phil Brooks), and both were a part of a major storyline against Seth Rollins and his real-life wife, Becky Lynch. This past April, Lynch defeated Lee to win back the women’s Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 42. Following that, Lee stepped away, for now, from the WWE. CM Punk, who lost the WWE World title to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, is expected back on WWE programming in the near future when ‘RAW’ rolls into his hometown of Chicago on July 6.

Photo: WWE

AJ LEE’S RECENT WWE COMEBACK WAS DONE UNDER WATCHFUL EYES

AJ, who has been an open book about her mental health struggles and who has been advocate for those also struggling, shared how the behind the scenes of the pro wrestling business has changed in the last ten years, and how this time, there were built in protections in-place if she were to run into any mental health issues.

“My first run was maybe ten years, then I took ten years off,” explained Lee to Benard. “To be fair, I am very lucky. I never had to have a surgery for wrestling-related injuries. Most people don’t make it out unscathed like that. Knock on wood. I’ve had suggested surgeries, but I haven’t done that for my neck. I’ve like strained stuff and had minor tears, here and there, but a lot of the culture when I was younger was you just keep going because it’s going to keep going without you. So, if you’re injured, you just kind of fake it and say you’re fine and keep going.”

However, fast-forward to 2025 and during AJ’s comeback, she felt taken care of. “It’s very much not like that now, which I was really happy to see. It’s very much about, ‘let’s have a conversation about how you’re feeling and you can get time off, and you can spend more time with your family.’ I will say to their credit, my biggest concern coming back was my mental health. WWE President Nick Khan and WWE Chief Content Officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, were the bosses that kind of brought me (back) in. They were so open about saying, ‘We will protect your mental health and if we don’t, we’re not doing our job. That’s got to be our number one priority.’ It was never like that 10 years ago. I felt like I had to hide this that part of me 10 years ago. So, for my bosses to support me in that way (meant everything).”

Photo: WWE

AJ CALLS HER BIPOLAR DISORDER BY THE NAME “JEAN”

As it turns out, AJ has a very intriguing way to deal with manic episodes when she feels them coming on, as she explained to Maurice, “I made friends with my bipolar disorder and the darker stuff. I named it and I call her ‘Jean,’ and when she’s acting up, I’m like ‘Jean, you’re not being cool.” I think the hardest thing, especially this year has been trying to cope with the big feelings and how to high stay balanced, I had a big fear coming back to the spotlight and wrestling again. Ten years ago, I was at my lowest when it seemed like I was on the top of the world as a champion. So, taking 10 years and really taking care of myself and feeling the healthiest I’ve ever felt, then being like, ‘okay, now go back into wrestling.’ I was really scared about what that (type of) pressure was going to do. I felt so proud of myself for having the tools now. If I wake up anxious, or I am anxious behind the scenes and about to go out through the curtain in wrestling, now I know how to work with it.”

Photo: WWE

AJ HAS HIGH PRAISE FOR HUSBAND CM PUNK WHO’S IN THE BEST SHAPE OF HIS LIFE

Benard brought up the love of AJ’s life, WWE superstar CM Punk. She explained how continually impressed by him she is, and its important to be a supportive spouse. “He’s in the best shape of his life right now and was just champion for most of the year. I am his wife, so I am a little like biased, but objectively, he had one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time (against Roman Reigns).I’m so impressed with how he’s able to push himself and just be the best athlete he can be.  He reaches for the moon every time, but it’s amazing. He’s such a good wrestler and I know he can do anything he sets his mind too.”

MORE PROJECTS IN THE WORKS

Coming up, while you may not see her on weekly editions of Monday Night Raw, Lee clarified her immediate future, “I spent the last eight months on Monday Night Raw on Netflix. I am going to be doing WWE Unreal the documentary series also for Netflix,. I’m still writing and producing. I have a production company called Scrappy Heart Productions, and our goal is  make underdogs the stars of their own stories. Right now, we are producing our first feature film and the short film version of it. We have a bunch of other projects in the works that we love and we’re so passionate about including comic books. We’re working hard on that one. So, it’s all different parts of the same muscle (for me). It’s all about telling and creating stories.”

You can watch AJ’s chat with Maurice Benard on State of Mind below.

Now, let us know, do you miss AJ after her 8 month comeback in the WWE? What did you think about what she shared on how the WWE higher-ups protected her mental health as best as possible? Are you a fan of CM Punk and AJ as a duo? Does AJ’s journey and story compel you to also check and look after your own mental health? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

The Friday, June 12 episode of General Hospital marked the last for Daytime Emmy winner, Kate Mansi as Kristina Corinthos-Davis. As previously reported, the character was accepted to medical school at UCLA in California, making the end of the run for Mansi who played Kristina for three years.

The decision to depart GH was all Mansi’s decision and as also previously reported, GH executive producer Frank Valentini had left the door open for a return down the line and is currently not planning on recasting the part.

In story, in her final episode, having already said goodbye on Thursday’s show to her parents, Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn), Kristina meets up with her siblings, Molly (Kristen Vaganos) and Michael (Rory Gibson). The three have a chat at the Metro Court Gardens.

Courtesy/ABC

SIBLING ADVICE

Before she leaves Port Charles, Kristina tells her brother and sister, she wants them to be there for each other, while each is managing their personal relationships: Molly with Cody (Josh Kelly) and Michael with Jacinda (Paige Herschell). Kristina thanked them for taking her to the airport and urged them to lean on each other while she was gone.

In her last scene, Kristina tells Molly and Michael right before they head for her flight, “I want each of you to be the person the other can call. OK? To show up for each other, no questions asked. Because that’s what you’ve been for me.”

KATE’S NEXT MOVE

Speaking with TV Insider, Mansi shared what she is up to next which has included accompanying her husband, Matt McInnis to Europe. Kate explained she had made the decision a few months back to exit GH. “I knew my contract was up in April and I wanted to give them the proper notice so that they could plan their future storytelling.” Kate added, “Given that my husband is working in Europe predominantly and I’ll be traveling so much, that’s what this next chapter of my life will be.”

Kate expressed that the news of her exit was hard to share with people, because she would feel sad when talking about it. Ultimately, the first to know were Nancy Lee Grahn, Kristen Vaganos, and Rory Gibson. She chose not to tell Maurice Benard, because she was so close to him in real-life, until they filmed their last episode together which aired yesterday.

There’s more! Kate gave a final tease that she has project in the works sharing, “I’m excited to have booked a short-term project in the fall that works within my schedule.” As to a future return to GH, Mansi doesn’t rule it out, “It’s Port Charles. Anything is possible.”

So, what did you think of Kate’s final scenes as Kristina with Sonny, Alexis, Molly and Michael? Do you hope Kate come back in a few years time? Weigh-in via the comment section. In case you missed it, you can catch the scenes where Kristina tells her parents she is leaving Port Charles below.

There are even more newbies coming to General Hospital with the news today that Troy Lennon Appel is joining the cast of the ABC daytime drama series in the contract role of “Hudson.” Look for Appel to make his debut on the July 30th episode.

What we do know is that Hudson is a business executive with mysterious ties. As first reported by TV Insider, Troy has already been enjoying his time on the legacy soap opera. He enthused, “Working on GH has been nothing short of an incredible, fast-paced experience, Everyone is very professional; they’re on top of every intricate part of this very established, well-oiled machine, and I’m just trying to keep up and not halt the process in any way.”

In a statement, General Hospital executive producer, Frank Valentini expressed: “Troy is a terrific guy, and we are excited to have him join our cast. And fans will be intrigued to see how his character fits into the story.“

FOUR NEWCOMERS IN SHORT ORDER

Appel’s casting comes on the heels of three other major additions coming to Port Charles, and all should be landing on-air next month in July. As previously reported, Dean Geyer has joined the cast as Tristan Robert and is set to debut on the July 13 episode. Daytime vet, Kelly Kruger (ex-B&B and Y&R) has signed on to play the new Serena Baldwin and Kayden Brenna Tokarski is the new Scout Cain, the daughter of Drew (Cameron Mathison) and the late Sam (Kelly Monaco).

Apple added on his GH experience thus far, “So many of the cast and crew have gone out of their way to welcome me, and I am immensely grateful for how simple and easy this transition has been. I owe it all to them. They know what they’re doing, and I hope to learn as much as I can and add to the show, to the best of my ability.”

Troy’s previous credits have included: Revenge Best Served Chilled, Blackmail, Lies and Murder, and Lethally Blonde. Finding Master Right and Menflix, and he appeared with The Goldbergs star  Hayley Orrantia’s music video for her single, “Find Yourself Somebody.”

So, what do you think about the casting of Troy Lennon Appel to General Hospital? Who will Hudson actually have ties to, since it is a contract role? Will you be intrigued to see all the new arrivals next month in Port Charles? Let us know via the comment section below.