‘General Hospital’ Rick Hearst Opens Up On Exit Rumors

Rick Hearst is known for bringing Ric Lansing to life on General Hospital. Recently, the actor has become the subject of rumors over his exit from the soap. Since then, the actor has broken his silence on what is going on.

Rick Hearst First Joined General Hospital In 2002, Making His Most Recent Return In 2024

Hearst has had a prominent career in soaps over the years. He has appeared on Guiding Light, The Young and the Restless, and The Bold and the Beautiful.

In 2002, Hearst originated the role of Ric Lansing on General Hospital. After initially leaving in 2009, Hearst has appeared on and off the soap over the ensuing years, making his most recent return in 2024 after an eight-year absence.

Rumors have since come out that Hearst was planning his next exit from the soap. Taking to Instagram, however, the actor himself told a different story.

Hearst shared a screenshot of a Wikipedia page that described him as a “departing” actor. It was claimed that he was “unexpectedly let go” from the soap. It was also claimed that the character would be written off the soap by dying from a “fatal heart attack.”

The share also included what appeared to be a search engine result for the question, “Is Rick Hearst leaving General Hospital?” The resulting Google AI Overview also appeared to mention that Hearst allegedly claimed to be leaving the soap.

Fans Also Shared Their Reactions To Hearst’s Share, With Some Sharing What They Wanted To See Next

Over the images, Hearst wrote a short and simple sentence in bright, red letters. Saying, “I Hate The Internet,” Hearst effectively put these exit rumors to rest. In other words, fans can expect Hearst to stay on General Hospital as Ric for the time being.

Taking to the comments, fans are sharing their reactions to the news. While many disliked seeing Hearst be the subject of rumors, others were simply happy to learn he would be staying on as Ric. He even got a few comments from fans who have been following his career for years.

Of course, since Hearst is staying after all, a few fans also shared what they want to see next on the soap. Some comments included:

• “Glad to hear! Love your character and always enjoyed you on GL as well.”
• “LOVE you being back on GH!! Please never leave.”
• “We love you Ric and you are doing fantastic on GH. I hope you & Sonny bond and work together to take down Cullum & Sidwell. Do not trust Ethan and Nathan is Cassius.”
• “Oh good. I just read you were leaving and I was so mad. Ric is my favorite character on the show and I’m so glad you came back.”
• “Oh Thank You for letting your fans know. I was like …. PLEASE DO NOT BE TRUE. Your character is finally getting happiness.”

What is your reaction to Rick Hearst’s recent share? Have you been following this story? Are you keeping up with General Hospital? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest TV and celebrity news.

John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.

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