The late General Hospital star Leslie Charleson’s exact cause of death has been revealed.
The actress, who played Doctor Monica Quartermaine in the serial, passed away aged 79 last month.
She assumed the role from original actress Patsy Rahn in 1977, and continued to portray her for the next 46 years.
Her death was confirmed by General Hospital’s executive producer Frank Valentini on 13th January.
Over on Instagram, a post from the General Hospital account read: ‘It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague, Leslie Charleson.
‘Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on General Hospital alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew.
He added: ‘I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set. On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time.’
It has now been revealed that her passing was caused by ‘sequelae of blunt head trauma’, sparked from an injury she suffered in the years prior.
In documents, the LA County medical examiner says that she had a history of asthma, arthritis, atrial fibrillation, and normal pressure hydrocephalus.
She suffered a number of health issues in recent years, including mobility issues caused by falls that left her requiring the use of a walking aid.
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As a result, Monica was temporarily recast to actress Patty McCormack for a stint in 2008, and more recently Holly Kaplan for a singular episode in 2021.
However, in 2022, the star spoke about how she arrived on the show when the environment was ‘hostile’ due to original Monica Quartermine star Rahn losing her job.
‘There was another Monica before me and she had been rather, I guess, rudely fired’, she told State of Mind.
‘I came into a kind of hostile environment.’
Away ay from the soap, Leslie had a wealth of guest appearances, including in smash hit comedy Friends, as well as sitcom Dharma & Greg.
She also took centre stage in the film Woman on the Ledge.
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