Why General Hospital’s Steve Burton is Taking Another Break From Show

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Steve Burton is bidding a short farewell to Port Charles.

Steve Burton, known for playing Jason Morgan on General Hospital, announced he’s temporarily stepping away from the show, just nine months after marrying Michelle Lundstrom.

Hi everyone, just wanted to let you know I’m taking a little time off from General Hospital. As many of you know, I recently got married, and I’m really excited to focus on enjoying this special time and making some wonderful memories with my family. It’s important to me to prioritize those personal moments, and I’m looking forward to it!

The 55-year-old expressed their gratitude for the support they’ve received and said they plan to return this summer, signing off with “Much love -sb.”

He didn’t say when he’ll be back, but fans largely supported his decision. One commenter wrote, “Have a great time with your family, and we hope the show gives you a good story when you come back.”

Steve first appeared on General Hospital in 1991 and stayed until 2012. He then acted on The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives before returning to General Hospital in 2017. He was let go in 2021 because he didn’t follow the rules requiring the COVID-19 vaccine, but he returned to the show again in 2024.

Steve and Michelle met online and began dating in early 2024. They got engaged in January 2025, and were married just four months later in May.

Michelle explained to People magazine that they didn’t want to delay their wedding. She said she had “never felt so safe and loved.”

Steve expressed feeling incredibly loved and supported, saying he’d never experienced such care before.

I’m so lucky to have her with me,” the Emmy-winning actor shared. “She’s the most wonderful, beautiful, and giving person I’ve ever met, and I love her deeply.

Steve, who publicly separated from his wife Sheree Gustin in 2022—they share three children, Makena (22), Jack (19), and Brooklyn (11)—shared that he’s excited to spend his life with his best friend, continuing to grow in faith and love together.

For a look at more stars who have said goodbye to their TV roles, keep reading. 

Jenna Lyons has confirmed she won’t be back for season 16 of The Real Housewives of New York City.

The rumors are true,” former J. Crew Creative Director Jenna Lyons announced on Instagram on November 21st. She explained that she was asked to join season 16 of The Real Housewives of New York City as a “friend of” the cast, and because she wasn’t comfortable sharing her personal life on camera, they agreed that role was a good fit.

The fashion icon, who started on the Bravo show in 2022 for its fourteenth season, realized she didn’t want to be just a supporting player.

After careful consideration, I’ve decided not to return to the show,” she said. “I’d be the oldest and only openly gay woman on the cast, and I think it’s a good time to let some new energy and perspectives come in.”

Fans were surprised in 2025 to learn that Mehcad Brooks was leaving the NBC crime show before its 25th season.

Brooks, who joined the show in 2022, portrayed Detective Jalen Shaw for three seasons.

After nine seasons, the A-list realtor is done selling mega-mansions on the Netflix reality show.

In a November social media post, Chrishell shared that she no longer needs the show for income. She explained she’s fortunate to have other work and that continuing with the show was negatively affecting her mental well-being.

Jax Taylor has confirmed he won’t be back for season three of The Valley. This decision comes after fans expressed concerns about his actions during the show’s second season.

In July 2025, the Bravo star, who is going through a difficult divorce with Brittany Cartwright, explained that he needs to prioritize getting sober, improving his mental health, and being a good coparent. He believes taking this time to focus on himself is essential, particularly for the sake of his son, Cruz.

Several cast members from Saturday Night Live recently announced they won’t be back for the show’s 51st season, with the announcements happening close together.

Longfellow and Walker each spent three seasons on SNL while Wakim exited after just one season.

Following the departures of Longfellow, Walker, and Wakim from SNL, two more popular cast members, Gardner and Nwodim, announced they wouldn’t be back for season 51. Gardner had been with the show for eight seasons, and Nwodim for seven.

Sofia Mattsson finished her role on the long-running soap opera in the summer of 2025 after seven years as Sasha Gilmore. Her character moved to Paris as part of the storyline.

Tracy Ifeachor, who starred in the popular HBO Max series The Pitt, decided to leave after its successful first season.

The actress shared on Instagram on July 10th how honored she was to play Dr. Heather Collins in what she called a truly special season of the show. She also thanked viewers for watching, supporting season one, and sharing their personal experiences with her.

Even though fans likely expected Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal, to die – his fate in April 2025 closely mirrored the events of The Last of Us Part II, the video game the second season of The Last of Us is based on – the way his character died, being brutally impaled, was still shocking.

Pascal, known for dying in roles on shows like Game of Thrones and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, wasn’t surprised by his character’s fate. He jokingly told Entertainment Weekly, “I get killed a lot—I actually enjoy it!”

Following what he called a “wild adventure,” Peter Krause finished his run as Bobby Nash, the fire captain on the drama 9-1-1, in an episode airing in April 2025.

As a storyteller, I always aim to create characters with depth and purpose. With ‘Bobby Nash,’ that meant crafting a narrative that truly honored the bravery of first responders. It was important to me that his journey – and ultimately, his sacrifice – reflected the real risks these heroes take every day so others can live to see another sunrise. He wasn’t just any character; he was specifically designed to pay tribute to their unwavering dedication and courage.

Showrunner Tim Minear told Variety that the decision to kill off a popular, yet troubled, firefighter was a difficult one, but necessary. He explained that after eight seasons, having characters face real consequences meant someone had to die to raise the stakes for future storylines.

Summer just got a little less fun.

In June 2025, Paige DeSorbo revealed she was leaving the Bravo series after being on the show for seven seasons.

The Giggly Squad podcast cohost announced on Instagram that after seven years, she’s leaving the show. She expressed gratitude for the experiences, the community, and the opportunities it provided, but said it’s time to move on to new things. She jokingly added that even though good things must end, so do some bad decisions!

The popular Netflix show won’t have the French actress in its fifth season, which is set to release in April 2025.

In an Instagram post on April 23rd, the actress announced she’s leaving Emily in Paris. Sharing photos with her former co-stars, she described her time on the show as a fantastic experience full of growth, creativity, and cherished memories.

Before the third season of The Sex Lives of College Girls begins, Reneé Rapp has announced she’s leaving the show.

She shared on social media in July 2023 that the show College Girls brought her to Los Angeles and connected her with many of her closest friends. She added that after two and a half years, it’s also given her this wonderful community of fans.

Mindy Kaling, one of the show’s creators, also confirmed that Reneé Rapp is leaving. She shared on Instagram that they’re sad to see Leighton Murray go, but excited to support Rapp’s upcoming music tour and career. Kaling expressed a lot of love for Rapp in her post.

After over a year of speculation, Kevin Costner confirmed in June 2024 that he won’t be back for the final season of the popular Paramount drama, following reports he unexpectedly left the show after four and a half seasons.

In February 2023, Ellen Pompeo finished her run as Meredith Grey on the ABC drama after playing the character for 19 years.

Pompeo said on The Drew Barrymore Show in December 2022 that she needed to try new things. She’s 53, and feels like her brain needs a refresh. Even though she’s already been back for a guest spot in May and continues to narrate the show, she explained you can’t keep doing the same thing – like The New York Times crossword – every day.

But she’s not gone for good. Pompeo still pops in and out of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

Henry Cavill, known for playing Superman and Batman, has announced he’s leaving the Netflix series The Witcher after season three. Liam Hemsworth will take over as Geralt, starting with season four and likely continuing in future seasons.

In an October 2022 Instagram post, Henry Cavill announced that his time playing Geralt of Rivia was coming to an end. He said he would be stepping away from the role, putting down his medallion and swords, after Season 3.

It was so hard to see Jesse Lee Soffer leave ‘Chicago P.D.’ in 2022! He played Detective Jay Halstead for ten seasons, and saying goodbye to him felt like losing a part of the show. I was a huge fan of his character and it was definitely a sad day when he turned in his badge.

Everyone involved with the show has poured their heart and soul into making each week’s episode, and it’s been a rewarding experience,” said Jesse Soffer after his last appearance on the NBC series on October 5th. “I’m incredibly proud of my work as Detective Jay Halstead.

After five seasons, Damian Lewis departed Showtime’s Billions in Oct. 2021.

In August 2021, Emily VanCamp left the TV show The Resident on Fox, marking the end of her role as a doctor on the series.

Madeleine Mantock, who played Macy on the CW’s Charmed reboot, decided to leave the show after three seasons. She announced her departure in 2021, calling the role a great opportunity and expressing her appreciation for the show’s producers, writers, cast, and crew, and how much she enjoyed working with them.

Elizabeth Keen will never learn the truth about who Raymond Reddington really is. Megan Boone, the actress who played Liz on NBC’s The Blacklist, decided to leave the show after eight seasons. Her character was killed off before she could read a letter containing the big reveal. Boone described her time on the show as “a dream” in an Instagram post following her departure in 2021.

Okay, so season two of Bridgerton was just… incomplete without the Duke! I mean, Rege-Jean Page was the show for so many of us, and when Netflix announced he wasn’t coming back in 2021, it felt like a personal betrayal. Seriously, my heart was shattered! He totally exploded as a star with that first season, and then… just gone. It was devastating.

He told Vanity Fair that he simply did the work he’d agreed to, and then took on additional assignments. He admitted it wasn’t a particularly exciting story, and he wished it were more dramatic.

I was so excited when Ruby Rose first appeared in the Arrowverse crossover! Then, to see her as Batwoman – Kate Kane – it was huge! She made history as the first openly gay superhero to lead her own series, and that coming-out moment on TV was incredibly impactful. It was really disappointing to hear she was leaving so soon after season one finished, but I understood. I was curious about where the show would go, and Javicia Leslie stepping in as Ryan Wilder, a completely new Batwoman, definitely shook things up – and gave us a fresh take on who could own the Batcave!

Later on in season two, Kate got a bit of a face swap and returned played by Wallis Day.

America Ferrera left the show Superstore after its fifth season in 2020, which meant Cloud 9 lost its manager and the series lost a main character. Because of the pandemic, she made a brief appearance in the first two episodes of season six. When season six was decided to be the show’s last, she returned for the final episode to give her character, Amy, and Jonah (Ben Feldman) a satisfying conclusion.

In the final episode of season four of the Syfy show The Magicians, Jason Ralph’s character, Quentin, successfully rescued Eliot (played by Hale Appleman) but died in the process. Although the show often features character deaths – it is called The Magicians – Ralph did not reprise his role in the show’s fifth and final season.

Ahead of the final season, Arrow‘s Emily Bett Rickards announced her exit in a poem of sorts.

Felicity and I are very close, but after the seventh day, we’ll have to say goodbye, she wrote.

She did, however, return for a guest appearance in the show’s 2020 series finale.

Lauren Cohan initially left The Walking Dead in 2018 after difficult contract talks. While she appeared in a few episodes of season nine, her character, Maggie Greene, disappeared after a time jump. Producers wanted her back for season ten, and when her short-running TV show Whiskey Cavalier was canceled, she returned. Cohan reappeared in the 16th episode of season ten, which aired in October 2020.

Following Cohan and Andrew Lincoln’s departures from the show, Danai Gurira also left. She joined the AMC series in its third season as the skilled swordswoman Michonne and appeared for the last time in an episode that aired in March 2020.

Nicollette Sheridan played the memorable Alexis Carrington in season one and became a series regular in season two. In 2019, she decided to leave the CW reboot before season three to care for her mother, who was ill.

George Eads left the CBS show in 2019, during its third season. He stated he wanted to prioritize spending time with his family.

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2026-02-10 23:20