Kelly Monaco Speaks Out on General Hospital Exit After 21 Years

Kelly Monaco is reflecting on her exit from General Hospital after news broke that she was leaving the series.

“Last scene with the Davis girls. 😘🥲🙏🏻,” Monaco, 48, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, October 6. “Still doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Alongside the message, Monaco shared a snap posing on a couch with costars Kate Mansi, Nancy Lee Grahn and Kristen Vaganos. In the comments section of the upload, Grahn, 68, offered words of encouragement.

“‘In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.’ — Albert Einstein,” Grahn wrote. “I love you. All will be well. There are some things a TV mother just knows. ❤️😥❤️💫.”

Monaco played Sam McCall on the soap opera since 2003 and appeared in over 2,000 episodes. In August, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that Monaco would be parting ways with General Hospital. (Soap Opera Network was first to report the news of her departure.)

Fans were quick to express their disappointment with the decision. “No no no no NO!! Reverse course immediately!” one X user wrote at the time. “Kelly plays one of the most deeply connected, significant characters on the canvas. Sam has had one of the most beautiful evolutions on #GH and there is no storyline that should keep her away from her home!”

Some launched a campaign to stop Monaco from leaving General Hospital, creating social media hashtags including #SaveKelly, #SaveSamMcCall and #IStandWithKelly.

In September, Monaco appeared to address her exit in a since-deleted Instagram comment. The Soap Hub upload showed Monaco with costar Greg Vaughan, with the text, “Greg Vaughan shares memories with Kelly Monaco after her GH firing.”

One commenter claimed that Monaco refused to take a pay cut, which she publicly refuted. “‘No primary role’.. do your homework,” Monaco replied. “When Billy Miller was fired, Sam’s storyline stopped. Stripping Sam of every characteristic she had,” she wrote. “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.”

Monaco’s mom, Carmina, addressed her daughter’s departure via Instagram. “This moment is a difficult one, but knowing that she has had such an incredible, devoted fan base has given her strength,” she wrote. “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.”