Will General Hospital alum Kelly Monaco appear on State of Mind? Maurice Benard weighs in

General Hospital star Maurice Benard, who plays mafia don Sonny Corinthos, has had some great guests on his YouTube mental health talk series, State of Mind. His guests have included several co-stars past and present, including Kristen Vaganos (Molly), Max Gail (Mike), and Risa Dorken (Amy), among quite a few others, as well as late actors Tyler Christopher (ex-Nikolas) and Johnny Wactor (ex-Brando). But there’s one star that has yet to appear on his show, and fans are asking when that will happen.

He didn’t want to push

Benard wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “People keep asking to have Kelly Monaco on @mbstateofmind. I have asked. People will do things when they’re ready. I’m not one to push. I would imagine she has much more important things on her plate 👈🏾.” Monaco left the part of Sam McCall after being on the show for over two decades and fans still mourn the loss.

A fan going by @luckymomT responded to his post with, “Although I would be the first in line to watch Kelly Monaco in any show, I respect her privacy and don't expect that anytime soon. She is sorely missed. The most beautiful and talented actress to ever come out out of GH.” @patricia_deri agreed with that sentiment, responding, “Maurice, I want to hear what Kelly Monaco has to say. I'm a big believer let the person do their own thing and come on SOM when they want to do so. Great people on SOM Maurice! ♥️🇬🇧.”

Another huge Monaco fan, @15146_Liz, replied, “So true. I'm sure that appearing on your show would be an emotional & difficult thing for Kelly. If she decides it's something she wants to do, I will look forward to her visit. She should never have been written out of the show, & is greatly missed ♥️.”

Many followers had guest suggestions for General Hospital’s Benard. @mfeehan5 asked, “Have you asked Rick Springfield? He is very open about his struggles, and wants to help and educate. Plus I want to see you two together! 💕,” to which Benard replied, “Yes, I have.”

Other actors who were suggested as guests on State of Mind were Roger Howarth -- who played several characters on General Hospital including Austin Gatlin-Holt -- Charles Mesure (ex-Brennan), and Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth), among several others.

The fans expressed their sadness that Monaco exited the show, and @kR_1962 truly appreciated Benard’s politeness, responding, “You are so correct Maurice. All you can do is ask, it's up to the person to accept the invitation to appear on your show. Kelly has always been a private person, we love her but it is her choice if she wants to open her life to us. I love you @MauriceBenard ❤️❤️.”

You can watch new episodes of General Hospital on ABC and Hulu.