Much to the disappointment of longtime “General Hospital” fans, Steve Burton, who portrays Jason Morgan, recently announced that he will be stepping away from the show. However, the reasons for Burton’s planned hiatus are noble. Burton shared with fans that he is looking to spend more quality time with his new bride and their blended family.
Still, that doesn’t mean fans, and even some of his co-stars, aren’t sad to see him go. One of Burton’s “GH” co-workers in particular felt completely blindsided by Burton’s exit. She even sat down with fellow co-star Maurice Benard on his podcast, “State Of Mind with Maurice Benard,” to share some of her feelings about the situation and what it means for her character on the show.
Kelly Thiebaud Opened Up to Maurice Benard About How Steve Burton’s Exit Affected Her
Fans of “General Hospital” know all too well what it feels like to experience a Steve Burton exit. Burton was a staple on the soap as “Stone Cold” Jason Morgan from 1991 to 2012. Fans missed Burton for five years before finally seeing him return to Port Charles in 2017. Sadly for fans, Burton left “GH” in 2021 after disagreements with production over COVID-19 protocols.
As fans may remember, at the time of Burton’s 2021 exit, his character, Jason Morgan, was involved with Dr. Britt Westbourne, played by Kelly Thiebaud. Burton’s exit had a big impact on Thiebaud’s character and her career.
When sitting down with Maurice Benard for a podcast episode, Thiebaud shared that after Burton’s exit, she was feeling “really restless personally and professionally.” She went on to discuss how she had just signed a three-year contract extension with “GH” because Jason and Britt’s storyline was taking off, and she wanted to be there for it.
However, that was before she found out that Burton was leaving the show. She eventually begged producers to let her out of her contract because she was unhappy after Burton’s exit. Thiebaud left “GH” in late 2022, with her final scenes airing in January 2023.
A Second Chance for Jason Morgan and Dr. Britt Westbourne
After leaving Port Charles behind, Thiebaud shared with Benard that she had no plans of ever returning to the soap. She even asked production to kill off her character, which they did. But as any good soap fan knows, resurrection is always possible. So, after talking with Burton and show producers a couple of years later, Thiebaud decided to return to “General Hospital” in 2025.
Thiebaud told Benard that after Burton had returned to the soap in 2024, he had actually reached out to her to ask if she would make a return to Port Charles, too. That is why Burton’s latest exit from “GH” really blindsided Thiebaud. She went on to share how special it felt to get a second chance to redo the Jason and Britt storyline, saying, “It’s been wonderful.”
Kelly Thiebaud Shares Her Thoughts on Steve Burton’s Latest Exit
Thiebaud summed up her feelings about the situation, sharing, “He has to go live his life, and I wish him nothing but the best. I really do. I love Steve, and I will miss him terribly.” As for Thiebaud, it looks like she plans to stick around Port Charles for a bit longer, even if she is still unsure what that will mean for her character.
