Genie Francis to General Hospital Fans: "I'm Sorry"

Inspired by the message at the heart of The Note, the Hallmark Channel movie she stars in this Saturday at 9 pm/ET, Genie Francis wants to make amends with any General Hospital fans who to this day — decades after the fact — were disappointed to see her quit the sudser at the peak of her popularity. "I know that Laura [baldwin Spencer] meant a great deal to many people, and still does," says Francis. "I've long regretted not taking the fans into account when making the hasty decision to leave the show.

"Forgiveness and reconciliation are at the core of The Note, and filming it forced me to look inside myself at certain decisions in my past.... Right now I want to reach out to all of my fans and say that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for leaving you so abruptly, for not taking into account the feelings of the people who helped Laura truly take on a life of her own.

"It was the decision of a young, impetuous girl," Francis says in closing, "and the woman she has become asks for your forgiveness."

The above represents a whole different caliber of class, folks. — Matt Webb Mitovich

It's a nice thought, but honestly, the woman deserved to have a life too. She shouldn't feel the need to apologize 20+ years later. Although cynically, I gotta wonder if it's just a little blurb to generate some publicity for her movie.

I tend to agree. I appreciate the sentiment, and I adore Genie, but I think this has something to do with publicity.

And didn't she leave the show because she had gotten addicted to drugs and was worried about her health? Because I don't consider that selfish.

I tend to agree. I appreciate the sentiment, and I adore Genie, but I think this has something to do with publicity.

I could see why, but then again, the only time she'd have that chance would be while promoting something. While she may get press with local articles, this is TV Guide, a medium that will reach most of her fans.

Genie is love!

I saw Genie in a commercial the other day talking about how she had lost weight. She looked terrific! Love her and so glad she finally won the emmy.

Genire's always respected the fans and Laura. End of story.

You have to admit, Genie looks great these days! In fact, when I saw the ad for "The Note," I automatically assumed it was a movie from the early 90s that they were replaying because she looked so thin. Come to find out it's a brand new movie circa 2007.

She has no reason to apologize but still...WHAT A CLASS ACT.

I adore her!!

She has no need to apologize...I thought this had to do with 2002 when she left but it was in the 80s. Hey she had to do what she had to do and still has my respect.

she really does annoy me for some reason.

Maybe Genire needs closure on that chapter of her life. What harm does it do to APOLOGIZE to her fans? Especially doing something that made absolutely no sense because there were no "spoilers" and "internet gossip" back then to know she'd just flat out disappear into the fog.

Shoot. I still carry guilt over the fact that I didn't let my mother come to Parents' Night back when I was in dance class in 1987. She doesn't even remember it, but I do.

Edited December 7, 200718 yr by R Sinclair

This is totally a publicity stunt she said on her intimate portrait on lifetime that she wished her stay on amc could of been longer(the show she went to after she left gh), doesn't that contradict that she's sorry for leaving? Seems to me she could of easily gone back to gh after her run on amc ended. I guess people change.

This is totally a publicity stunt she said on her intimate portrait on lifetime that she wished her stay on amc could of been longer(the show she went to after she left gh), doesn't that contradict that she's sorry for leaving? Seems to me she could of easily gone back to gh after her run on amc ended. I guess people change.

How is she contradicting herself? Read it again. She's not sorry for leaving GH, she's sorry for how she left GH and the fans.

AMC has nothing to do with it. She was already a grown woman by that time. She was talking about the first time she left when she was like 19, 20 years old.

How is she contradicting herself? Read it again. She's not sorry for leaving GH, she's sorry for how she left GH and the fans.

AMC has nothing to do with it. She was already a grown woman by that time. She was talking about the first time she left when she was like 19, 20 years old.

Well you will have to forgive me because I was just a toddler when she first left gh, so I didn't know she left twice. I thought she was referring to leaving the second time or whenever time she was on amc.