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Buchanan is back at GH
Posted Tuesday, March 06, 2001 5:08:13 PM
by Dan J Kroll
As expected, Jensen Buchanan returned to General Hospital last week in the role of Melissa, Roy's ex-flame. This does not mean that her legal troubles are over.
Buchanan was sued over her late-January appearances on General Hospital by Televest Daytime Programs and Procter & Gamble Productions as well as the producers of As The World Turns for breech of contract. Also named in the suit was Buchanan's agent and the ABC television network. According to briefs from the lawsuit, Buchanan's contract at As The World Turns prohibited her from appearing on competing programs. Procter & Gamble entered the picture because it, in addition to As the World Turns, also owns Guiding Light, which airs opposite General Hospital in many markets.
Buchanan was briefly replaced by Sharisse Baker-Bernard, a move that spared ABC a day in court. Upon learning that ABC had recast the role, Televest and P&G dropped ABC from their lawsuit. In a statement, a P&G spokesperson explained, "Once ABC realized how [Buchanan] and her agent had misrepresented the the terms of her exclusive contract at As The World Turns, the network immediately took action to remove her from General Hospital."
Apparently P&G's allegations that Buchanan misled the folks at ABC didn't change their minds about hiring the Emmy-nominated actress.
