Monday, May 18, marked the second and final -- at least for now -- live broadcast of General Hospital. While the scripted, fictional story had plenty of twists and turns, it was a real-life announcement that took many fans by surprise: Sean Blakemore (Shawn Butler) has wrapped up his GH stint.

The show also seemingly confirmed that Jeffrey Vincent Parise's (Carlos Rivera) alter ego won't be making a miraculous back-from-the-dead appearance the way so many other GH characters have.

Executive producer Frank Valentini announced the exits during a behind-the-scenes segment broadcast live on the Periscope service. Both actors were presented with a cake that thanked them for their work.

"Sean and Jeffrey. You will be missed" appeared in icing on the cake.

"Thank you all from my heart 4 all ur immeasurable [support]/luv during my time on GH," Blakemore shared on Twitter. "It was a great ride!"

"Thank u @carlivatiron & @valentinifrank for giving me the opportunity to play such a dynamic character," Parise wrote, with the hashtag "#RIPCarlos."

There is a bit of good news for fans: Blakemore will continue to air for at least a little while longer. The live episodes of GH were broadcast after episodes that will air in the coming weeks had already been taped.

"Full of sad emotions today," Vinessa Antoine (Jordan Ashford) wrote on Twitter. "Saying goodbye to my tv boo @SBlakemoreActor. [S]uch a pleasure to work with."

Blakemore joined the cast of General Hospital in January 2011.

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