General Hospital Icon Leslie Charleson Cause of Death Revealed

General Hospital (GH) fans were saddened to learn about Leslie Charleson’s passing earlier this year on January 12. Reports at that time indicated the soap opera legend died after battling an illness; however, a recent report reveals this may not be the case.

As per documents obtained from TMZ, the daytime drama vet passed away from blunt head trauma.

More On Charleson’s Passing

According to TMZ’s report, Charleson passed away from “sequelae of blunt head trauma”, which basically means long-term effects from a head injury the actress suffered from.

As of this writing, it’s uncertain when the GH legend sustained the head injury; however, it is known that the reason she hadn’t been seen on the soap as of late was due to a number of falls she suffered from within recent years.

Among the other medical conditions listed, L.A. County medical examiner states that the actress had a history of arthritis, atrial fibrillation, asthma, as well as normal pressure hydrocephalus. According to John Hopkins, the latter is an illness where cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the brain.

The last time fans saw Charleson on the soap, where she played Monica Quartermaine, was December 2023, although the Q’s matriarch is still consistently mentioned in storylines on a weekly basis, to this day.

Leslie Charleson’s Legacy On GH

Charleson appeared in over 2,000 GH shows over the years during her tenure. She began with GH as a series regular from 1977 to 2010 and was dropped to recurring status from 2010 until her last appearance in 2023.

During her time on GH as Monica, Charleson was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in the Outstanding Lead Actress category a total of four times; once in 1980, 1982,1983, and 1995. The actress also appeared on primetime shows including, Happy Days, Barnaby Jones, Mannix, and The Wild Wild West, just to name a few.

Leslie was 79 years of age when she passed away.

On behalf of everyone here, our thoughts continue to be with Charleson’s family, friends, colleagues, loved ones, and fans. Please visit CTS for all the best news and updates in the land of daytime drama.