Kelly Monaco is promising daytime fans she “will give a proper statement” addressing her departure from General Hospital.
After playing Sam McCall on the sudser since 2003, Monaco’s unceremonious exit was announced in August by Soap Opera NetworkwithVariety, Deadline, Us Weekly and other outlets sharing the shocking news.
But the two-time Emmy nominee offered up her own reason why she was written off the series in response to a comment on a Soap Hub Instagram post that referred to her as being “fired,” which read, “What do you got concrete in your head she wasn’t fired she didn’t take the pay cut so she had to leave.”
“‘No primary role’.. do your homework. When Billy Miller was fired, Sam’s storyline stopped. Stripping Sam of every characteristic she had,” Monaco wrote in a now-deleted statement (per PEOPLE). “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 (sic) finest. I will give a proper statement. The truth will set you free.”
Last week, Monaco’s mother Carmina took to her own Instagram to speak out on her daughter’s exit from the long-running soap.
“I want to take this moment to reach out to Kelly’s incredible fans and express my deepest gratitude for the unwavering love, loyalty, and support you’ve shown her throughout her time on General Hospital,” Carmina posted. “On this final day, just four days shy of the anniversary of her first episode on October 1, 2003, Kelly will close the door of her dressing room for the last time.”
She continued, adding that the occasion was a “difficult one,” but thanked Monaco’s fans for their unwavering support.
“You’ve stood by her through every twist and turn, celebrating her achievements and providing comfort in the hard times. Your love and dedication have meant more than words can express, not only to Kelly but to all of us who care so deeply for her.”
According to sources speaking to Soap Opera Network in August, Monaco was “blindsided” by the news that ABC has “decided to terminate her character.” The move, Deadline reported, echoed a casting change that happened on CBS’ The Bold & the Beautiful earlier this year when Executive Producer Brad Bell decided to kill off Sheila Carter, played by the popular Kimberlin Brown. At the time, Carter called the decision a “hard pill to swallow,” but she was eventually brought back in a shocking twist.
After playing Livvie Locke from 2000 to 2003 on the spinoff Port Charles, Monaco joined General Hospital as Sam, a con artist who is the biological daughter of mob boss Julian Jerome (William deVry) and attorney Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn).
Last year, during the series’ 20th anniversary celebrations, Monaco revealed that landing a role on General Hospital was her “dream” job, saying she also met with producers of One Life to Live and All My Children after Port Charles ended in 2003.
“I remember very specifically that I was at a diner in the Valley when I got the call that Port Charles was being cancelled and my heart sunk,” she told Soap Opera Digest. “I was so new and just getting my feet wet in the soap community, earning (a fan base), establishing a family. I was like, ‘Okay, well, back to the drawing board! Gonna start auditioning again!’”
But following the news that Port Charles was ending, Monaco got an invite to audition for General Hospital.
“I was, like, a die-hard General Hospital fan. That was my dream; I was like, ‘General Hospital all the way!’ So, I was thrilled when (then-ABC Daytime President) Brian Frons said they would create a role for me,” she said last year.
On social media, news of Monaco’s departure was met with anger by longtime fans of the TV drama.
“This is truly shocking and so disrespectful to her history with and devotion to the show,” one person wrote on X. “I hope Kelly Monaco knows she has the fans’ love and support.”