‘General Hospital’ star Steve Burton confirms firing over vaccine mandate: It’s 'about personal freedom'
Burton first joined the ABC soap series in 1992
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"General Hospital" star Steve Burton confirmed he has been ousted from his longtime gig after he did not comply with production's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
"I wanted you to hear it from me personally," he said on Instagram, before explaining his stance on the topic as a whole. "Unfortunately, ‘General Hospital’ has let me go because of the vaccine mandate. I did apply for my medical and religious exemptions, and both of those were denied, which, you know, hurts. But this is also about personal freedom to me."
Murmurs of Burton’s firing had been swirling on the internet for weeks.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In August, Burton tested positive for COVID-19. He said at the time that he believed he was "exposed at work."
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‘General Hospital’ star Steve Burton confirmed his firing from the ABC show after refusing to comply with show's vaccine mandate. (Scott Kirkland)
On Tuesday, Burton maintained that he doesn’t agree with ABC’s choice to institute a mandate when other soap dramas on competing networks, including NBC’s "Days of Our Lives" and CBS’ "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful," have yet to install such protocols and rely on people social distancing at the moment.
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"I don’t think people should lose their livelihood over this, but with that being said, you know me — I’ll always be grateful for my time at ‘General Hospital.’ I love it there. I grew up there. I grew up with some of you, so I’ll always be grateful, and I believe that when one door closes, multiple doors open. That’s always been my perspective," Burton continued.
Murmurs of Burton’s firing had been swirling on the internet for weeks. (Craig Sjodin)
"So, I am excited to see what the future brings, and maybe one day if these mandates are lifted, I can return and finish my career as Jason Morgan, and that would be an honor — and if not, I’m going to take this amazing experience, move forward and be forever grateful," he pressed.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Burton first joined "General Hospital" in 1992, per his IMDb. The star filmed his last episode on Oct. 27.
Steve Burton has been fired from "General Hospital," ABC confirmed to Fox Digital on Tuesday. (Nick Agro )
The actor concluded his video by wishing fans a happy Thanksgiving. He acknowledged the fact that many may not believe they have much to be "thankful or grateful" for given the current economic and societal climate, but he maintained that "being grateful really is the key."
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Fox News Digital has reached out to reps for ABC and Burton for comment.