GH EP Frank Valentini on the Decision to Let Rebecca Budig Go

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Frank Valentini of General Hospital, and Rebecca Budig, formerly of General Hospital.

GH Executive Producer Frank Valentini explained why the show said goodbye to Rebecca Budig, a decision fans have been incensed about.

To Every Season There Is an End

Valentini said the storyline with Hayden (Rebecca Budig) and Finn (Michael Easton) had reached an organic story conclusion, so the show let her go, he told one of the daytime press’ preeminent journalists, Michael Fairman in an interview.

“This story had come to a natural end,” Valentini

Related: Sign this petition to get Rebecca Budig back on GH.

Hmmm…that doesn’t really make any sense to us. Hayden and Finn’s story had just gotten started! They were expecting a baby and moving in together.

Valentini said he knew Budig would become a quick hit with fans, given her irresistible screen presence,  talent, and daytime fanbase.

Must-Read: What Budig herself had to say on her departure from the ABC soap.

There’s Always Hope, In Daytime

Given Valentini’s odd comment about why the show axed Budig, we at Soap Cities think something more is at play here, don’t you, dear Soap Cities readers?

There could be some BTS machinations, budgeting concerns, etc. that we don’t know about and Valentini isn’t really at liberty to dish on.

Or, given a telling comment the EP made, perhaps the show is trying to keep us guessing and Hayden could very well return in the future…even the near future!

Don’t Miss: This uber-popular GH star was let go too–and you can act to get him back!

“Hayden could return…you never know what the future holds,” he said.

Give us your input in the comment section below. Check back with Soap Cities for more GH spoilers, recaps, news, and fun! Follow us on Twitter at @soapcities, on Instagram at @soapcities, and come chat with us in our Facebook group. Catch General Hospital weekdays on ABC. If you want more soap action 24/7, go to Soap Fans United!

Akbi Khan has been watching and loving soap operas for 31 years and writing about them for the last four. She also loves sitcoms; musicals; laughter; going dancing; spending time with family and friends; fighting for animal rights, ethical environmental stewardship, civil liberties preservation, and LGBTQ rights; and evolving along a spiritual path. She has a Master’s in rhetoric and composition. Akbi is 39 years old and lives in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Discussion45 Comments

  1. I’m sorry, but Frank is trying to spin 💩 into gold! There was nothing “organic” about the way Hayden’s story ended!
    With all the people leaving the show, there has to be a lot of junk going on behind the scenes that we haven’t heard yet.

  2. Frank don’t know how popular Rebecca budig is was a big mistake of letting her go What’s wrong with our writers these days just fire anybody

  3. I don’t believe that excuse for a second she and Finn had a great story coming up… and what’s your excuse for Dillion.?? .. you just couldn’t afford to keep them on because of others actors coming on the show , if this new woman is coming to GH you still have to pay her, so why not Rebecca or Dillion for that matter.. i think this show is going way down do t be surprised if ABC cancels this soap too , for another cooking show , or a dumb game show , or talk show … you writers at GH better wise up and listen to your fans who kept this soap going , you are definitely disappointing all of us ….😠

    • Maybe that’s why they are firing and hiring new people trying to get new actor and actress that the show don’t cancel maybe they are trying to bring something new to the table

      • I watch this show faithfully everyday. I have watched for 45 years. You are making some serious mistakes not listening to your fans. I love Steve Burton, but you should’ve gotten him back before you replaced him. The storylines are getting ridiculous. There is nothing natural about Hayden and Finn’s ending. There is no reason at all for Robert Watkins firing. Nothing against the actress, but the Parker storyline is boring. Get your staff together! Don’t be the reason this great show gets cancelled!

  4. The Story for Hayden & Finn just got started and they were having a Baby why would it just end like that. That is Totally Stupid & Lame!.. As well as Dillon why did that end? Robert Palmer Watkins is also a Great Actor! Why all the Bad Decisions on both of them. Makes no sense whatsoever!!! RETHINK Frank Valentini what you was SO WRONG!!! These 2 are so Lobed! Get rid of Dr. O, AMY, Nelle, Scotty Baldwin, Brad Cooper if he is still on there. And get rid of Steve Burton, who in the Heck wants him Back! BAD DECISIONS make for a Bad Show!! Think!!!!

    • Bunch of bull if you ask me!!! Get rid of all the good stars for $ reasons and put a lot of low budget people that you think will replace all the great people we love!!!!! Are you kidding me Parker story is important NOT!!!! If anything I will stop watching for 50 years!I’ve just about had it with your stupid firings!!!! Your not the brightest light bulb in the pack!!!!!

  5. Send Parker packing bring Hayden back. to work that was an awful decision. She was a loved character please bring her back

  6. Explain how a story has met its end when they are having a baby? Dr. O story has come to an end too. Jordan’s story has come to an end. Amy story is so stupid that it never had a beginning, never mind an end! Same with Parker, that story ended too. If you want a gay story line you could have used that stupid Amy! At least she would have had a reason to be on the show. ABC is to blame! Get rid of the bitches on The View and you would save enough to bring back AMC and OLTL and still have money left over for GH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  7. I don’t understand why you would let people go that we want there and bring in new and old ones back, your not making any sense at all. We don’t need Amy, Parker, Auntie Stella, Jordan, Valarie, and as much as I loved Steve Burton he left us so he could be closer to home, now he wants back in at the expense of people that have worked their asses off to make good stories… Valentini is doing a lousy job and is going to kill our soap right out from under us.

    • Y Steve have to be in all comment that he shouldn’t return and he was one of the main actor in this show is that so bad a good actor want to return to the soap for my opinion all that they let go is a newcomer to the show the only one I see so far was Dylan there should I let him go watching this soap so long in my opinion they had no foundation that’s why they let them go I don’t see where they’re going

      • If they were going to bring him back it should’ve been before they hired Billy and screwed with the storyline. I see no reason why all these oher good actors are being fired and they keep bringing on new characters with crappy storylines.

  8. Im so sick of gh thier show is the only one that cant keep nobody they always firing someone or the actor/actress always quitting for some unknow reason im bout to stop watchin this show they full of shit i know its not they budget cause they always hiring someone after the other people be done got fired or quit GH YALL NEED TO GET YALL SHIT TOGETHER FAST i been watchin gh since i was a little girl biut 30 yrs

  9. Bunch of bull if you ask me!!! Get rid of all the good stars for $ reasons and put a lot of low budget people that you think will replace all the great people we love!!!!! Are you kidding me Parker story is important NOT!!!! If anything I will stop watching for 50 years!I’ve just about had it with your stupid firings!!!! Your not the brightest light bulb in the pack!!!!!

  10. OK, I read this! Whatever the reason is, bring her back! The Finn and Hayden story line has a lot of potential, unlike other story lines in the past. We love the actress that played “Greenlee’ years ago. Please bring her back to GH!

  11. I’m one of thousands of fans whi can’t stand Rebecca B. Good riddance. GH finally did something right and let go of a horrible actress. Finn is better off without Hayden/Rachel.

  12. He is full of it!! How damn stupid does he think we are!? They came to a natural end?! Total BS! They were just getting started! There has to be money issues we know nothing about yet. Now James Watkins as well!? I can name some that I wouldn’t miss at all like Amy. Let her and some others hit the bricks and keep the ones we love!

  13. I have to question any excuse Vanentini uses at this point in time. The story between Hayden and Finn was just getting started and those of us who are fans of this couple have years invested in their romance and wanted to see it come to a happy ending especially with all they have been through; and now you are sending the character of Dillon packing just as things were getting interesting with him encouraging Ned to go after ELQ and things are going well with Kiki! All of this is happening I can almost guarantee you so they can afford to pay Steve Burton a huge amount of money to come back on a show he was all too willing to abandon and screw things up for the Jason/Sam story being brilliantly played out by Billy/Kelly. I don’t care how popular an actor was NO ONE is worth disrupting the lives, livelihood and story lines of so many people and as a long time fan of the show I think these decisions STINK!!!

  14. Whoever made the decision, it was the wrong one. There was still so much more to the Finn and Hayden love story. They kept Julian, who is beyond redemption as far as I’m concerned. Kept Franco to be with Liz. Didn’t even notice Franco was gone. For thge first time EVER, I was actually starting to like Liz. And for a huge fan of Sam and JaSam, that is shocking. The interaction between Hayden and Liz was fun to watch. And Amy and the Manlanders storyline with Nathan, it was something to keep Nathan there while Maxie was not in the picture. One of the worst storylines in the last several years.

    The above is MY OPINION and I don’t care if you agree with me or not. Unless you do, of course.

  15. Cris DAlessandro

    Wow, I guess if you say it enough you hope the fans will buy into the bs. I have watched this show for over 50 yrs, starting as a young kid.
    All the radical changes and abrupt departures really makes me lose interest. Haydenwas an interesting character, she and Finn brought some real emotions back into the show. Bad decision!

  16. I think the reason Me. Valentin gave was dumb. Haden and Finn’s relationship was just beginning to happen. It was great they were both happy. Then Dr.O had to put her two cents in and scared Hayden into leaving She and Finn didn’t have a chance to talk about everything. Again Finn is hurt.

  17. It is sad that the writes think that the story line between Hayden and Finn is over, when it just begun. It is not Hayden that should be fired, but the writers and Frank Valentini that don’t know a good story line if it smacked them in the face. They love to keep useless story lines going, like Kiki and Dillon, Lulu and Dante, Ned and Olivia, and Nelle story line just to name a few. I guess when there is no longer anyone watching the boring story lines is when a light bulb will go off for Frank and the writers, but by then it will be too late. That ask Manlander story line with Amy is so boring and dumb, yet Frank and the writers think they got something good going, It is time to hire a new producer and new writers.

  18. Wow, interesting what passes for a “reason” for firing, the story came to it’s organic end! Ha! As opposed to what exactly? The ENDLESS non-organic Jake crap? The ridiculous and NEVER ENDING Fluke story? Come on, we all know this was a craven bargain to get Steve Burton back..a nice guy whom we do not need..HE CHOSE TO LEAVE remember? Many of us (me included) were devastated but Billy Miller MORE than compensated and now, frankly, Frank we’re over Steve..Next time just stay silent, it’s better than a lie

  19. I think it was a money issue, or they would have her let go after Nicholas was presumed dead. They seem to build a story with Elizabeth and they dropped that story to. I also think she would have gone to Curtis and told about the ex husband blackmailing her. . Curtis knew her before they redeem her. I think this is a major problem with General Hospital. They have stories they build up for a big bang and then they drop it so it comes out in a whimper.

  20. Ok I give what the hell is an “Organic conclusion”? Sounds like a spin on trying to justify his decision to let Rebecca Budig go, you know I’m not trying to be sorry loser her but I am just tired of the only storylines these managers and writers care about involve the people that are tied to the Mob, personally I sick of it, don’t get me wrong I like Maurice but I just can’t deal with the Mob if they are going to concentrate on that then change the name and forget about calling it General Hospital maybe more like General Mob

    • Akbi Khan

      Well, I was paraphrasing and used the word “organic.” Valentini said something like “natural end.”

  21. It seems so obvious that there are budget concerns and this is why cuts are happening. Whether it is to pave the way for Steve Burton’s return, or not, there are PLENTY of other useless characters who could have been eliminated (or not brought back, in the first place, like Parker.)

    As for Steve, I couldn’t care less, I stopped watching the day Hayden disappeared, but I would think his fans would rather he were playing Jason. I mean, what’s the stinking point, otherwise?

    Hayden and Finn were a beloved couple with a significant fan base. I was even starting to like Liz because of her interactions with Hayden. It is SO LAME to tease this happy-ever-after for Hayden and Finn and then snatch it away from us, only to give us stupid Parker who is TOO OLD for Kristina. Parker and Kristina LOOK RIDICULOUS as a couple because of the age difference and the ick factor of Parker being Kristina’s teacher. If you want a popular gay couple on the canvas, THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. Even the character Kristina is kind of useless. Why not get rid of her? Or Joselyn? Or Aunt Stella?

    Frank’s nonsensical, dim-witted decision-making just makes me think HE’S the one who should be cut! And quickly, before he gets General Hospital canceled.

  22. The more established the actor, the more money they get. That’s all it’s about. RB has fans from her AMC days. They bring on less popular actors and pay them less.

  23. 💩face is what I think when I think of you and that crappy excuse you gave. And when they ax GH, remember your decisions. I’ve probably watched the show longer than you’ve worked there and this is one of the most asinine decisions made. You should be fired. Be gone I say.

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