General Hospital will be saying goodbye to one actor.
Sean Blakemore will be exiting the role of Shawn Butler, one that he’s held onto for over a decade.
The news came as a shock to viewers as he was just released from prison and beginning to build a life for himself in Port Charles while spending time with his son, TJ (Tajh Bellow).
Sean Blakemore confirms his General Hospital exit
News broke this week that Shawn Butler would be written off General Hospital.
The actor just returned to Port Charles last year when a storyline put Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) in jail. He vacated the role in 2015 and returned for a little less than a year.
On Twitter, Sean Blakemore responded to a fan and confirmed his exit.
He wrote, “Lol…I appreciate you and ALL my wonderful supporters! I was absolutely NOT let go. It was my decision to exit the show because of other obligations. The GH family has been great to me! Who knows [whats] to come in the near future ?”
How will Shawn leave General Hospital?
Shawn will be offscreen for a while with a job offer in San Francisco. Next week on General Hospital, he is expected to say goodbye to TJ.
This news is confusing, especially with Jordan returning with a new face. She has been offscreen for quite some time, with Briana Nicole Henry vacating the role. Now, it’s been recast, and Shawn is headed to the West Coast.
It’s unclear whether the show will recast Shawn. Sean Blakemore held the role for over a decade, debuting in 2011. His stint in jail for shooting Hayden (Rebecca Budig) upset viewers. Everyone knew it was Nikolas (Marcus Coloma), yet Shawn sat in a cell.
He helped Alexis along the way, and the writing was on the wall for a rekindling of their relationship, though she wasn’t down for that. Unfortunately, that gave him the option to leave when San Francisco called.
It’s the end of the road for Shawn Butler in Port Charles, at least for now. There are still so many loose ends that need to be tied up, mainly because TJ still needs his dad. Curtis (Donnell Turner) is a nice backup, but it’s not the same. There was already so much time lost, and now, there will be more.
Sean Blakemore is leaving General Hospital behind as Shawn Butler leaves Port Charles.
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC.