‘General Hospital’: Ingo Rademacher Claims Political Beliefs Led to Firing
Ingo Rademacher was one of the most famous stars from General Hospital. The actor portrayed the dashing Jax Jacks on and off from 1996 to 2021. Rademacher’s 2021 exit from the soap opera created a stir and a legal battle with his former employer.
Why was Ingo Rademacher fired from ‘General Hospital’?
The COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone, including the entertainment industry. Many soap operas like General Hospital shut down production. When the show returned to production, the cast and crew followed the safety protocol consisting of social distancing.
The show implemented a vaccine mandate to help protect the cast and crew. However, its two biggest stars, Rademacher and Steve Burton, refused to comply with the mandate. The actors were outspoken about the mandate, and their requests for medical and religious exemptions were denied.
When Rademacher and Burton failed to get vaccinated, they were fired in November 2021.
Ingo Rademacher claims his political beliefs played a role in his firing
Rademacher is outspoken when it comes to politics. The actor is a Republican and endorsed Donald Trump for President. Rademacher’s political comments often land him in hot water.
After being fired from General Hospital, Rademacher filed a discrimination lawsuit against ABC for the vaccine mandate. The legal battle has been ongoing since December 2021, and now Rademacher is shedding more light on his firing.
According to Deadline, a new filing from Rademacher’s attorney claims the actor’s political beliefs were the cause of his firing. “ABC had a duty to accommodate Ingo. Instead, it put him through a sham process that was designed to fail and which was meant to cover up the real reason for Ingo’s termination: his political views.”
The filing last states that many producers and writers disagreed with Rademacher’s political stance. But they were eager to keep Rademacher and were negotiating an extension on his contract. “He was under contract until June 2022, and the producers had previously discussed extending his deal. Criticism of Ingo’s political commentary also led to the creation of #FireIngo, which was trending around the time ABC decided to ae him. So, instead of being honest with Ingo, ABC used the COVID vaccine policy as an excuse to get rid of him.”
The case between Rademacher and ABC is ongoing and scheduled for a March 30th hearing.
Will the actor ever return to ‘General Hospital’?
Rademacher and his character Jax were an important part of General Hospital for 25 years. His rivalry with Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and his romances with Brenda Barrett (Vanessa Marcil) and Carly Spencer (Laura Wright) made him a hit. Jax’s final appearance had him saying goodbye to Carly before leaving for Sydney, Australia.
The door is open for a potential return in the future. As for whether Rademacher will return to the role. Well, that seems unlikely, given his lawsuit against ABC, but stranger things have happened. A return isn’t likely unless both sides can work out an amicable deal. When and if the show does bring back Jax, he might have a new face.
