GH Maurice Benard’s Emotional Breakdown And Alarming Confession

General Hospital spoilers and updates reveal one of Maurice Benard’s (Sonny Corinthos) darkest real-life times. He recently revealed in an interview what happened when he had a mental breakdown.

Benard Has Struggled With Bipolar Disorder For Decades

Reel life has mirrored real life in the case of Maurice Benard’s bipolar disorder, with Sonny Corinthos suffering from it as well. He is not merely a soap star; he is a passionate advocate for mental health-for many years, he has battled bipolar disorder.

In a recent interview, he disclosed alarming details about a terrifying breakdown where he threatened to kill his wife.

This was many years ago, and we’ll discuss the details further down in this article. Like his Port Charles counterpart, Sonny, this happened when he went off his meds.

Sonny Has Had Many Love Interests On The ABC Soap

Maurice Benard has portrayed Sonny Corinthos on GH for more than thirty years. Throughout these three decades, he has experienced numerous romantic entanglements. Currently, Sonny is exploring a potential relationship with ADA Turner (Nazneen Contractor).

However, even if this develops into romance, the couple is unlikely to reach the same level of popularity as Sonny’s past love interests.

Any GH fan would likely agree that Sonny has had two significant loves on the show: Brenda Barrett  (Vanessa Marcil) and Carly Spencer (Laura Wright).

Maurice Talked With Richard Taite On The “We’re Out Of Time” Podcast About Sonny’s Love Interests

 Recently, Maurice Benard was a guest on the “We’re Out of Time” podcast.  He shared with host Richard Taite that Sonny is not in a relationship at the moment, but he was somewhat vague about Sonny’s prospects with the ADA.

He informed the surprised host that he had been matched with Carly via three different actresses for the part.

Richard Taite inquired about what every fan is curious about: who Maurice Benard’s preferred on-screen partner was. The actor sidestepped the question, responding, “You gotta love the one you’re with.”

Maurice Talked About Mental Health Issues

Maurice Benard has revealed a lot about his mental health; he publicly shared his bipolar disorder in 2006 on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The actor pushed for the GH storyline that also gave Sonny Corinthos a bipolar disorder diagnosis.

Sonny struggled through a breakdown in 2024 after his medication was altered, and Maurice  had a tough time filming the scenes in the studio in Los Angeles, California.

He took a short leave of absence but came back to the role-when he’s not working on GH, Maurice Benard hosts the State of Mind podcast.

He primarily talks about mental health topics with his guests; fans are concerned that he might leave acting to focus on being a full-time mental health advocate.

The Scary Time Maurice Threatened To Kill His Wife

Maurice Benard has been happily married to his wife, Paula, for more than thirty years; the couple exchanged vows in 1990. Throughout the highs and lows of his mental health challenges, she has remained by his side.

One of the most troubling periods in the actor’s life occurred shortly after he began his role on GH-he shared that he once threatened to kill his wife during a frightening breakdown.

He admitted to drinking excessive amounts of wine and intended to frighten her. Paula managed the situation as best as she could and promptly contacted his psychiatrist, who confirmed that Maurice Benard was experiencing a breakdown.

Maurice Had Gone Off His Meds, And Never Has Again Since Then

The actor disclosed that he had stopped taking his medication a few weeks before-he mentioned that each time he has stopped his meds, he has experienced a breakdown.

Since then, Maurice has not stopped his medications for over thirty years, and He spoke about the legacy he wishes to create. “I want my legacy to be: I was the first man to openly say he was bipolar … I’m not the first person, Patty Duke was way ahead of me,” he stated.

Plus, he recently addressed rumors regarding his retirement from the ABC soap, stating he won’t retire from acting until he is at least 65—he’s not there yet.

Be sure to catch up on everything happening with GH right now. Come back here often for General Hospital spoilers, news, and updates.