Why did Kelly Theibaud leave General Hospital? Explained

Kelly Theibaud, an American actress and model, first appeared in the hit series General Hospital on September 19, 2012, portraying Dr. Britt Westbourne. The ABC daytime serial opera earned her a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series 2022.

On December 8, 2014, Kelly Thiebaud stepped down from the role of Britt to explore other acting roles, but she did make brief cameos in 2015, 2017, and 2018. However, after almost a decade, on January 4, 2023, she left the show for good.

She explained her departure from the show in an interview with Soap Opera in January 2023. While listing the numerous reasons, she said,

"One is that I’m in love and have been doing long-distance for almost a year now, and my partner cannot move to the States at the moment."

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Kelly Theibaud opened up on leaving General Hospital

Kelly Theibaud left the show in January 2023 to pursue other projects in theater, cinema, and beyond. The viewers were devastated when Theibaud's character, Dr. Britt Westbourne, died from poisoning following an altercation with 'The Hook,' bringing her part in the series to an end.

After Britt's on-screen death, Thiebaud shared a heartfelt video on January 8, 2023, on her Instagram handle. She reminisced about her time on the show and the bond she formed with her cast mates. She captioned it, saying,

"Being a part of this show and being welcomed into your homes every day has been an incredible experience that I will always hold dear."

Theibaud said the fact that she was in love was one of the many reasons she decided to quit the show. Thiebaud desired to work on other projects, something she knew she wouldn't be able to do if she stayed at General Hospital. She said to Soap Opera Digest,

"As much as I love Britt and I love the fans and I love General Hospital, I just felt like I had to go and pursue those other dreams and goals of mine because being [on GH full time] doesn't really allow the flexibility to do other projects."

Kelly Theibaud in General Hospital (Image via Instagram/@kelly_theibaud)

Despite Kelly Thiebaud's departure being announced, fans still had a glimmer of hope she would return. The actor, speaking about the fan's response, said,

"I know this isn't the way that the fans wanted things to happen, but I hope that they like how we wrapped up this special character."

Thiebaud celebrated the completion of filming by posting a photo of herself and her partner on Instagram on December 22, 2022. She captioned, "Celebrating a year of long-distance love, no more." However, she did feel a little guilty about leaving the show.

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Kelly Theibaud as Dr. Britt Westbourne

Kelly Theibaud as Dr. Britt Westbourne (Image via Instagram/@kelly_theibaud)

Kelly Thiebaud had some acting experience on the NBC Daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives and the primetime series Criminal Minds. Besides acting, she also ventured into the world of modeling and appeared in four music videos for French disc jockey David Guetta.

In General Hospital, Kelly plays Dr. Patrick's romantic interest. In the fall of 2012, Kelly (Dr. Britt Westbourne) makes her debut by asking her colleague, Dr. Patrick Drake, to a date. Her character ends with her dying in her mother's arms, leaving the fans in mourning.

Because of Britt's dishonesty and manipulation, she is referred to as the "Britch" or "Dr. Britch." According to Zap2it, Thiebaud is a "natural" for her portrayal of Britt, being the daughter of supervillains Cesar Faison and Dr. Liesl Obrecht. Despite that, she became a fan favorite when she joined the series.

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General Hospital is available for streaming on Hulu.