General Hospital shocker: Kelly Monaco reportedly out

General Hospital is making big moves behind the scenes, and the latest one involves a fan favorite.

Kelly Monaco has been on the ABC soap for over 20 years, but that seems to have ended.

According to Soap Opera News, a source claims Kelly is out at General Hospital, and she was “blindsided” by the news.

Kelly has not updated, and GH does not comment on casting news. It’s currently a dark week on set, so there likely won’t be much more available.

Viewers first met Kelly as Sam when she debuted in October 2003 after spending time on the GH spinoff, Port Charles.

For the last two decades, she has been part of the General Hospital family, but for longer, Kelly was a part of the ABC family.

Will Sam be recast on General Hospital?

The reason for Kelly Monaco’s exit from General Hospital is reportedly storyline dictated.

There is no need for a recast because Sam will be killed off. That leaves her two children, Danny and Scout, without a mother.

When Kelly was unavailable to film in the past, soap vet Lindsay Hartley stepped into the role. While she isn’t Kelly, she was one of the better recasts in the soap’s history.

Unfortunately, Sam’s character will be wiped from Port Charles.

Given the ABC soap’s advanced taping schedule, Kelly will likely remain in the role for several weeks. Since Sam will die, they might drag it out until November sweeps, which would be time to pull out all the stops.

Why was Kelly Monaco let go from General Hospital?

With no news about Kelly Monaco from her or the show, speculation is that it could be due to the budget.

General Hospital recently brought back Steve Burton (Jason) for the second time, and Jonathan Jackson is back on-screen as Lucky Spencer.

They likely came on with big salaries, meaning cuts must be made. However, viewers assumed that was why Finn (Michael Easton) was sent to rehab off-screen.

Sam’s departure from Port Charles opens the door to a reconciliation between Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) and Lulu (formerly Emme Rylan). There were questions about how things would work out when NuLulu returns, and it seems the writers have considered that.

Seeing Kelly and Sam leave General Hospital won’t be easy for viewers, especially because she has been incredibly popular over the last twenty years. Her pairing with Jason and on-screen chemistry with Billy Miller has left a lasting impression.

General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC.