For months now, rumors have been flying across the internet claiming that Rick Hearst was leaving General Hospital and that Ric Lansing was about to be killed off.
Well, according to Hearst himself, none of that is true.
The actor recently took to Instagram to shut the rumors down personally after spotting what appeared to be a Google search result suggesting his exit from the soap.
Hearst stamped out the fake news by adding bold red letters over the image that read, “I hate the internet.”
He didn’t pull any punches in his comments either. He wrote, “Complete shyte.”
Daytime Stars and Fans React
The post was instantly flooded with love and relief from fans and daytime colleagues alike, many of whom have dealt with the exact same internet hoaxes.
Tamara Braun (ex-Carly/ex-Reese, GH), who currently plays Sienna Bacall on The Young and the Restless, chimed in with her own experience, commenting, “The internet said I died last month. Can’t believe everything you read.”
Lesli Kay, well-known to soap fans for her role as Felicia Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful, also agreed, adding, “I concur happened to me recently. People can literally post whatever they feel like.”
Meanwhile, viewers were overjoyed to hear that the slick Port Charles attorney isn’t going anywhere. A fan named Tristan commented, “Thank you for clearing it up!! I was so upset.” Another dedicated viewer wrote, “I’m really glad you came on here to say this. I don’t know how you deal with this stuff. Your fans are so happy you are back on GH! We want you to stick around!!”
Hearst has been a major part of the soap world for decades.
Over the years, he has appeared on several iconic daytime dramas, including Days of Our Lives as Scotty Banning II, Guiding Light as Alan-Michael Spaulding, The Young and the Restless as Matt Clark, and The Bold and the Beautiful as Whip Jones III.
Of course, many fans know him best as Ric Lansing on General Hospital, a role he first debuted in on November 8, 2002.
While Hearst has exited and returned to the series multiple times over the years, it looks like fans do not need to worry about another departure right now.
Daytime Emmy Success
Hearst has also earned plenty of recognition throughout his daytime career.
The actor has received seven Daytime Emmy nominations over the years. He won Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series in 1991 for Guiding Light before later winning Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series twice for General Hospital in 2004 and 2007.
Needless to say, Ric Lansing is still very much part of the GH world for now, and fans seem more than happy about it.
Are you happy about this update? It is always frustrating when fake storylines catch fire online, but knowing that Rick Hearst is staying put on General Hospital is the best news fans could have asked for!
Photo Credit: ABC/Disney.
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