General Hospital has made sure to keep Hayden Barnes in viewers' minds with lots of sporadic mentions of the character who went MIA in 2019, but as it turns out, fans shouldn't get their hopes up that those name drops mean she'll be heading back to Port Charles any time soon.
In a new interview with Soap Opera Digest, portrayer Rebecca Budig reveals that as much as she loves GH, she is not returning to the ABC soap opera, nor is she aware of any plans to bring Hayden back to the canvas.
"I am getting bombarded with that question, honestly," she says of her GH status, adding that the rumor that she turned down an offer to return is wholly untrue. "Listen, I love [executive producer] Frank [Valentini], and Frank and I are friends, but I haven't been asked back since I left the show."
If that is to change in the year ahead, Budig just may be the one who breaks the news herself. After all, she just announced to fans that she's putting her hesitancy about social media aside and plans to be more active from here on out.
"I know I don't post a lot on here. Mostly because social media is not my thing," she shared. "The past couple of years have been busy in myriad ways... which is why I have decided to take a stab at sharing more on here."
Budig joined GH in 2015 and played the role of Hayden until 2017. She followed up that stint with a 2019 story arc that ended with Nikolas manipulating Hayden into leaving town. There have been recent hints that the character may be in the same location where Drew (Cameron Mathison) was being held; however, Drew is now back in Port Charles, and Hayden's whereabouts are still unknown.
How do you feel about Rebecca Budig's reveal that GH has not asked her to reprise the role of Hayden? Are you hoping the show asks her to return in 2022? 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.
