KELLY Monaco was fired from General Hospital after 21 years on the hit ABC soap opera.

The Sam McCall actress was left “blindsided” by the axing after starring in over 2,200 episodes.

But why was Kelly written out of the show?

Why did Sam McCall leave General Hospital?

Kelly, 48, first joined the medical drama in 2003 and quickly became one of the most-loved characters.

Her departure sent shockwaves after it was first announced in August this year.

She was hailed as the “most popular” character on General Hospital by devastated fans after they heard the news.

Last month Kelly shared a snap of her last scene on social media and told followers that her exit “still doesn’t make any sense to me”.

She deleted the post shortly after.

Kelly hit back at claims that she left the show because she “didn’t take the pay cut,” telling fans to “do their homework”.

“When Billy Miller was fired, Sam’s storyline stopped. Stripping Sam of every characteristic she had,” Kelly wrote.

“Something I worked for decades to build… Slowly dismantling her, into a character that I did not recognize, let alone the audience.

“Call it what you will… retaliation at it [sic] finest. I will give a proper statement. The truth will set you free.”

How did Kelly Monaco’s character die?

In Kelly’s final episode on November 1, viewers watched as Sam donated her liver to Lulu Spencer.

But Sam suffered a heart attack after the surgery.

Her mum, Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn), had to break the news to Sam’s longterm partner Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna).

Dante sobbed: “How can she be gone? It doesn’t make any sense,” while Alexis explained that the heart attack came from nowhere.

Alexis cried: “She was showing me her engagement ring, then she couldn’t breathe and then closed her eyes.”

Nancy took to X to pay tribute to Kelly, writing: “As hard as it may be for #gh viewers to watch today’s episodes and the episodes to follow, it was equally as hard for me and my casemates to play. Playing Kelly Monaco’s mom has been effortless and the love is real.”

Before she was Sam, she played Livvie Locke from 2000 to 2003 on General Hospitals spinoff show Port Charles.

Why did Lindsay Hartley play Sam McCall?

Following Monaco’s temporary leave from GH in July 2020, actress Lindsay Hartley portrayed Sam McCall until Monaco’s return.

Kelly was suffering from Coronavirus and needed to take a break from the soap.

She resumed her role as Sam on August 18, 2020.

Hartley filled in for Monaco as Sam again on February 3, 2022.

She temporarily stepped into the role for the third time in the January 4, 2024 episode.

A source told TVLine that Monaco was “under the weather” and only missed one episode.

Lindsay Hartley is an American actress from Palm Springs, California.

Hartley is no stranger to soap opera roles.

She’s appeared in Passions, All My Children, and Days of Our Lives.

She married fellow actor, Justin Hartley, on May 1, 2004, and they divorced in 2012.

The former couple share one daughter.

How can I watch General Hospital?

General Hospital premiered on April 1, 1963. The daytime soap is the longest-running serial produced in Hollywood.

It is also the longest-running entertainment program in ABC television history.

The show airs Monday through Friday at 2 pm ET. Fans of the show can also stream episodes on Hulu.