General Hospital star Leslie Charleson passed away last month at 79.
She was the longest-running actor on the ABC soap, playing Monica Quartermaine since 1977 when she took over the role.
Her death was shared by GH’s executive producer, Frank Valentini.
It had been over a year since Monica appeared in Port Charles. Leslie’s last on-screen appearance was in December 2023.
At the time of her death, it wasn’t clear what led to the event. She had been in failing health for quite some time after taking several falls over recent years.
Now, a month later, Leslie’s cause of death has been revealed.
How did Leslie Charleson die?
According to TMZ, Leslie Charleson died as a result of sequelae of blunt head trauma. It is not something that happened recently; it was the result of head trauma received during an injury, likely one of the prior falls she had taken.
It was also revealed that Leslie had asthma, atrial fibrillation, arthritis, and normal pressure hydrocephalus. When she last appeared on General Hospital, she was in a wheelchair, and it was apparent she could no longer get around like she used to.
Leslie’s death left the soap world in mourning, hitting her General Hospital co-stars especially hard. Many of them took to social media to pay tribute to the woman she was and the moments they spent with her while working on the ABC set.
Will General Hospital pay tribute to Leslie Charleson?
There is no doubt that a tribute episode will be done for Leslie Charleson. It seemed as if Frank Valentini may have known she wasn’t doing well, so we don’t expect it to take months, as some of the other tributes have for other actors who have passed.
Monica has been frequently mentioned, especially regarding her wanting Michael’s (Chad Duell) kids at the Quartermaines. Tracy (Jane Elliot) frequently mentions her sister-in-law, which leads us to believe something will happen to Monica while she is “upstairs” in the mansion.
It’s unclear how many scripts are written in advance, but episodes film roughly six to eight weeks in advance, depending on scheduling. We venture to guess that May sweeps may be when the ABC soap acknowledges the loss of Leslie and her alter-ego, Monica Quartermaine.
Losing Leslie Charleson wasn’t easy for those who knew and loved her, but it was also a tough hit for General Hospital viewers who spent over 40 years watching her as Monica Quartermaine.
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC.