Another episode of State of Mind is in the books! The weekly series, hosted by General Hospital fan favorite Maurice Benard (aka Sonny Corinthos), featured one of GH’s newest stars, Adrian Anchondo, in its latest episode.
Viewers got an intimate look at Anchondo, who plays Marco Rios on the ABC daytime drama. Naturally, he opened up about his background, his childhood, his mental health journey, and the deep impact of losing his mother.
Adrian was born in Los Angeles, and from the start, life wasn’t easy. He described himself as a sad little kid, raised mostly by his grandparents. His parents were very young when they had him. His mom was only 17, and his dad was in jail, so his grandparents stepped in. He spoke lovingly about his mother, saying she was a stunning woman who reminded him of “a cross between Selena and Cindy Crawford.”
After his brother was born, his mother moved to New York, leaving Adrian behind with his grandparents. That, he said, was the beginning of a feeling of abandonment. Later, he and his family moved to Puerto Rico, then to New York, where he met his stepfather. Sadly, he shared that his stepfather was physically and emotionally abusive.
Despite the trauma, Adrian pushed forward. He recently earned a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. It’s clear he’s worked hard to heal and help others do the same.
Adrian Anchondo Talks the Loss of His Mom
He also spoke about the devastating loss of his mom.
“ She passed away. I was 28. She was 46. It was interesting because I think the saddest part about it was the hope of us having a better relationship was what really died for me.”
He continued to reflect:
“She allowed certain things to happen with my stepfather. And there was some neglect growing up, but she was young and we were very, very poor. I mean, I remember, when I went to college, I was trying to apply for financial aid. We were a family of six, living on $30,000 a year. There were times we just couldn’t eat.It was because they just couldn’t. And sadly, that’s what a lot of people are living through right now, too.
So I know that she loved me. I feel like she just didn’t know how to love me, and I got that love from my grandparents.”
His stepfather passed away ten years before his mom did. On her final day in the hospital, Adrian whispered something to her that still stays with him:
“I was like, ‘It’s okay, Mommy. We’re going to be fine. I know we were supposed to have a better relationship, but I forgive you. I still love you no matter what. And you don’t want to live this life anymore… even if you made it out of this, this isn’t the life you’d want to live.’”
Later that day, she passed away. Adrian admitted that he still struggles with that loss to this day.
It was a powerful, vulnerable, and moving conversation. Watch the full episode below. (Photo: ABC.)
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