Leaving or staying? Josh Kelly speaks out on his General Hospital status

Eagle-eyed General Hospital fans were shocked this summer when Josh Kelly suddenly started appearing on the recurring cast list during the show's credits and not the contract cast list. Did he plan to leave the soap when he was in the middle of a front-burner story? Finally, Kelly has explained what is really going on.

Josh Kelly is staying put on General Hospital

Cody and Molly had been getting along great on General Hospital | Image: ABC

Cody fans don't have to worry because Cody isn't going anywhere. Kelly has just chosen to work as a recurring player and not be on contract.

"I want to stay on General Hospital forever!" Kelly told Soap Opera Digest.

However, he also wants to pursue other projects, including a film he is making with his girlfriend, Emmy-winning former GH star Chloe Lanier (ex-Nelle Benson), which will take several months.

"I told them pretty much what I’m telling you, which is that I would like to stay forever. I love being here. I love everyone that I’m working with on the show. I was just looking to have a little more flexibility," Kelly said.

Cody's complicated love life

Cody is now romancing Ava for money | Image: ABC

In the current story, Cody has been romancing Ava Jerome (Maura West), thinking that he is doing Molly (Kristen Vaganos) a favor by ruining Ava's relationship with Molly's dad, Ric (Rick Hearst). Of course, the thousands that Kristina (Kate Mansi) is paying him to do this job are also an incentive.

Cody doesn't realize that Molly actually really likes him, and he could ruin the potential for a good thing if he follows through with this plan and sleeps with Ava.

When Cody first arrived in Port Charles, he was a ne'er-do-well who would do anything for some quick cash, and in some way, still is. Since coming to town, he learned he was Mac's (John J. York) son before falling for Sasha Corbin (Sofia Mattsson). Cody later learned that Sasha was his cousin and had to face the fact that they could never be together.

He acted out a bit, but when he met Molly, Cody started to mellow. However, when she gets wind of what he has been up to with Kristina and Ava, there will be hell to pay. We expect Cody's pal, Tracy, to tell him, "I told you so," and at least Kelly will be sticking around for the fallout.

Catch all-new episodes of General Hospital weekdays on ABC and Hulu.