Why is Elizabeth leaving General Hospital?

Rebecca Herbst has been portraying Elizabeth Webber on General Hospital since she originated the role in 1997. In recent months Liz has not been in many front-burner storylines and fans were excited when she began having disturbing problems in her life that could not be explained. It was

revealed that sleep medication had her acting out and now she is recovering in Shady Brook.

This has led overzealous fans to discuss on social media what they believe is going on. The actress has decided to get out in front of false rumors, clear up misconceptions regarding her status on the soap and tell her truth. She addressed five false statements and said the following on Twitter on June 17.

“Well, hello there, Just thought I’d shut down some rumors that have been circulating: I haven’t been fired. I’m not on vacation. I don’t have COVID. My kids don’t keep me from working. Nor do I have cramps." (the best one yet).

Fans responded by showing lots of love and support and said they have enjoyed the actress for the past 25 years on General Hospital. One viewer praised Herbst for being a “class act” because she set the record straight.l The following are a few of the other Tweets.

. “We just love you and want to see you more,” “We miss you a lot on our screens,” “You’ve been so stellar portraying the Dissociative Fugue diagnosis the writers gave Elizabeth.”

The fans' curiosity was not unfounded as often on soaps popular characters can have their screen time diminished and slowly are taken right off the canvas without explanation. There have been 10 other General Hospital actors who were replaced temporarily or off-screen without explanation since January and 4 of them did admit to having COVID.

Everyone has returned to work except Leslie Charleson who portrays Monica Quartermaine. Fans don't know why she is absent or if and when she will return. When neither the show nor the actors explain what is going on it causes viewers to try to figure it out on their on. As a heads up Cameron Matthison (Drew Cain) is filming a Christmas movie in Canada so don't panic because he will return.

When Liz does return to Port Charles life she will have to make a decision about dating Finn. She believes she was acting out in her sleep because she was not ready to move on from Franco Baldwin (Roger Howarth). Some fans have been hoping that Jonathan Jackson would reprise his role as Lucky Spencer and Liz would reunite with her childhood sweetheart.

Jackson lives in Ireland but has said he would commute to the USA if asked to play Lucky again. General Hospital fans were getting used to Elizabeth and Franco as a couple and never got a satisfactory answer for why he was killed off and Howarth returned as Austin Gatlin Holt.

Will Liz emerge from this situation with a new focus and where will Finn fit in? Will she reunite with him or brush him off by saying she has not gotten over her former spouse? Now that Rebecca Herbst has addressed the rumors her fans can simply wait to see what happens when she returns to Port Charles.

Be on the lookout for General Hospital spoilers and updates elated to Liz and what comes next for her. Hopefully, the writers will give her a storyline that keeps the actress and her character front and center just as her fans desire. Perhaps she will come out of this determined to marry Finn and fans can see cute little Jophelle Love (Violet Finn) as a flower girl.

General Hospital actor Rebecca Herbst is an integral part of the show. Since 1997, Herbst has portrayed Port Charles heroine Elizabeth Webber. As a legacy character, Elizabeth has become a fan favorite as she deals with one crisis after another. However, her recent storyline has viewers worried about the character’s fate and her portrayer.

Elizabeth Webber said an emotional goodbye to her family on ‘General Hospital’

Elizabeth has been through plenty of drama throughout her 25 years on General Hospital. Her recent storyline had the nurse afraid for her life because of a mysterious stalker. A string of incidents, including a torn wedding dress and a fire, had Liz on edge.

RELATED: ‘General Hospital’: If Elizabeth Were to Die, Fans Think It Would Be a ‘Heroic’ Death

After an intense investigation, Elizabeth’s boyfriend Hamilton Finn (Michael Easton) finally uncovered the truth. As fans suspected, Elizabeth was the one behind the weird occurrences. Elizabeth’s sleepwalking is responsible for her behavior, and realizing she needs help, she decides to commit herself to Shadybrook. 

Before leaving, Elizabeth shared an emotional goodbye with her son Cameron Webber (William Lipton). While the scene left the audience teary-eyed, it also led to speculation about Herbst’s status with the show.

‘General Hospital’ fans wonder if Rebecca Herbst is leaving the soap opera

Soap opera fans know to expect the unexpected when it comes to casting decisions. In 2022, there have been some big shakeups in Port Charles. There’s the addition of newcomer Josh Kelly as Cody Bell and many temporary recasts, including Robert Adamson as Michael Corinthos. But could the show be losing a few of its beloved actors?

That’s the question on the minds of General Hospital fans after Herbst’s latest performance. As Elizabeth said goodbye to Cameron, fans wondered if this meant a permanent exit for the character. On a Reddit thread, users expressed their concern that Herbst might be leaving. 

“Liz’s goodbye scene as she was heading off to Shadybrook seemed very emotional as if she’s going to be gone for a while. I got the same sort of vibes that I had when Briana Henry left the show. Has there been news about Rebecca taking a break from the show?” asked one viewer.

“I hope not. GH treat Becky like crap, and she has chemistry with almost everyone. She has a long history and is a direct descendant from Steve Hardy, the original star of GH,” wrote another fan.

“Probably not leaving the show, although she might have taken a vacation during the time she’s not onscreen,” another commenter chimed in.

Elizabeth Webber has scenes coming up

General Hospital fans can rest easier because they’ll be seeing more of Herbst soon. According to Celeb Dirty Laundry, this week Laura Collins (Genie Francis) and Finn visit Elizabeth at Shadybrook. Odds are the visit won’t go so well since Elizabeth made it clear she didn’t want Finn coming to the hospital.

This latest ordeal has tested Elizabeth and Finn’s relationship. While Finn wants to be there for his girlfriend, she keeps pushing him away. The situation with Elizabeth is creating a lot of tension for the couple. This could either tear them apart for good or give Elizabeth the motivation for a fresh start with Finn.

RELATED: ‘General Hospital’: Rebecca Herbst Says She Would Like 1 Former Cast Member to Return to the Show

Posted Wednesday, July 06, 2022 1:52:06 PM

General Hospital fans have been more than a little concerned about the recent lack of airtime for Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth Webber). But some fans have let that concern morph into something totally different: making up reasons about why the actress and her character are seemingly missing in action.

Things have gotten so out of control that Herbst recently took to social media to address some of the rumors.

"[J]ust thought I'd shut down some rumors that have been circulating: I haven't been fired. I'm not on vacation. I don't have COVID. My kids don't keep me from working," Herbst wrote.

One of the "explanations" for her exit even amused Herbst. "Nor do I have cramps," Herbst added, noting that that was "the best one yet."

Herbst did not offer an explanation about why she hasn't been seen on-screen, but, as many fans noted, the actress isn't required to give one.

In storyline, Elizabeth is currently receiving treatment in a psychiatric care facility. Elizabeth is hoping that care will help her understand why she "blacked out" and "haunted/stalked" herself.

Herbst will mark her 25th anniversary with General Hospital on August 1.

Should actors have to confront rumormongers on social media? Are you relieved that Rebecca Herbst has not been fired? We want to hear from you -- and there are many ways you can share your thoughts.