This article has been updated since its original posting to include a new statement from Emme Rylan. It appears at the end of the article.
The hits of 2020 just keep coming. General Hospital has reportedly made the surprising decision to cut Emme Rylan from the cast, meaning viewers will soon be saying goodbye to Lulu Spencer.
The show itself has not commented on Rylan's status, but the actress shared an emotional post on Instagram that seemingly all but confirms the saddening news.
"Some days are hard and you just need your whole family to give you a hug," she wrote along with a photo that shows her being lovingly surrounded by her husband, Don Money, and the couple's three kids.
Though none of their posts directly referenced the actress' dismissal, Rylan's costars did turn out in force to offer love and support.
"The love in this photo gives me feels," Kirsten Storms (Maxie Jones) wrote. "You know my love for you is the same. [...] You're a QUEEN, Emme."
"My sweet one, some choices are made for you, some choices are not. But the ones that are often lead you to the best places," shared Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis).
Briana Lane (Brook Lynn Quartermaine), Scarlett Fernandez (Charlotte Cassadine), and former GHers and now The Young and the Restless stars Michelle Stafford (ex-Nina West; Phyllis Summers, Y&R) and Brytni Sarpy (ex-Valerie Spencer; Elena Dawson, Y&R) also voiced support.
Rylan's ousting comes as a big shock because the show just recently decided to bring Lulu's longtime love, Dante (Dominic Zamprogna), back to the canvas, and there was every indication that the writers would invest in a love triangle between Lulu, Dante, and Lulu's beau, Dustin (Mark Lawson). However, behind the scenes, buzz now points to Lulu leaving town with Dante -- meaning Zamprogna might be on his way out soon, as well.
Says a source to Daytime Confidential, "More cast cuts are coming. People are nervous." One of those other rumored cuts is William deVry (Julian Jerome). The actor has made numerous vague references on social media about his rumored exit ranging from "A lot of junk out there" to "What should today’s song of the day be? ‘Don’t Fear the Reaper’?"
Rylan took on the role of Luke and Laura's daughter in 2013, having stepped in to replace actress Julie Marie Berman, who had played the character since 2005. This is the third time in recent memory that fans have worried about Lulu's place on the canvas. It looked as if she was going to die back in 2019, but Rylan assuaged fans' fears when she announced that she'd signed a new contract with the ABC soap opera. Viewers also thought it would be the end of the line for the character when Dante originally left town on a secret mission, but the writers kept her front and center by giving her a new career as a journalist.
Prior to joining GH, Rylan played The Young and the Restless' Abby Newman from 2010 to 2013 and Guiding Light's Lizzie Spaulding from 2006 to 2009.
UPDATE (October 29, 2020): Emme Rylan took to Instagram on Thursday, October 29, to give fans a little bit more information about what's going on in her life.
"I am not in a position to be able to comment on the work stuff, so in terms of General Hospital, I am going to keep that topic quiet," she says. "All you need to know is that I love everyone there, we all love each other, I'm okay, and all of your messages of love are amazing -- I love you guys so much, but I just can't talk about it."
She went on to reveal that her landlord sold the house she shares with her love, Don Money, and their three children, Jackson, Levi, and Dakota. The family was unable to find a new home in Los Angeles, so they've decided to leave California for the time being.
"We -- meaning my family and I -- have decided to do something completely insane. I have never done anything like this in my entire adult life. We are currently packing up our entire house and putting it in a Pod and putting it in storage here in Los Angeles, and with only our suitcases, we are going to go on a COVID-safe, epic road trip [with] one car, three kids, two cats, and two dogs," Rylan added. "I have been working every single day, Monday through Friday, on a soap opera since 2004 [she actually began her first soap role as Guiding Light's Lizzie in 2006]. I have only been in New York and L.A. I have never really explored life outside of this bubble."
Keep checking back to Soap Central for additional updates as they come.
How do you feel about the news that GH has decided to end Emme Rylan's time as Lulu Spencer? How do you think the character will exit the canvas? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
