With news of her unceremonious dismissal from General Hospital now reaching mainstream media, Genie Francis has broken her silence. While the actress did not make specific mention about her status at General Hospital, the actress thanked fans for having her back.
"I would like to thank all my wonderful fans for their support," Francis shared on Twitter. "It has made me feel so much better."
I would like to thank all my wonderful fans for their support. It has made me feel so much better. ????????
— Genie Francis (@GenieFrancis) January 23, 2018
Over the weekend, news broke that Francis' contract with General Hospital had not been renewed. As Soap Central first reported, Frank Valentini, General Hospital's executive producer, wanted Francis to appear in only about a dozen episodes in 2018. Francis was devastated by the news, the show's writers were caught off guard, and fans were outraged.
"She did not want to leave the show as a series regular," Francis' agent Arthur Toretzky told Entertainment Weekly on Monday. "It was not her choice to leave."
Petitions began circulating online to demand that GH rehire Francis, and fans adopted the "#GenieIsGH" hashtag.
One of Francis' peers, former Another World/One Life to Live star Robin Strasser, took to social media to blast the decision to fire Francis.
Bad Decision in High Places! #GenieFrancis is a fixture in our hearts-We of a certain age, remember exactly where we were for #LukeAndLaura's marriage:) (#OLTL actors stood watching in the make-up room...Cheering for the "I DO"s:) When #MichaelLogan speaks out-it gets heard!#HOPE https://t.co/2z90pux4nw
— robin strasser (@robinstrasser) January 21, 2018
"Bad Decision in High Places! #GenieFrancis is a fixture in our hearts," Strasser shared. "We of a certain age, remember exactly where we were for #LukeAndLaura's marriage:) (#OLTL actors stood watching in the make-up room...Cheering for the "I DO"s."
The criticism was notably pointed, since Strasser worked with Valentini when he was executive producer of One Life to Live. Perhaps understanding that, Francis thanked Strasser for her kind words.
Also, a very heartfelt thank you to @robinstrasser. I love actresses who support actresses.
— Genie Francis (@GenieFrancis) January 23, 2018
"Also, a very heartfelt thank you to @robinstrasser. I love actresses who support actresses," Francis wrote.
ABC has not made any official statement regarding Francis' status with the show, and multiple requests for comment have gone unanswered.
To read our original report detailing Francis' firing from General Hospital, click here.
UPDATE: I discuss Genie Francis' firing on the Tune In Tomorrow podcast, hosted by Soap In Depth executive editor Richard Simms. You can listen to the discussion in the embedded player below or click here to open it in a new window.
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