‘General Hospital’: Ingo Rademacher Doesn’t Believe Vaccine Refusal Was the Reason For His Firing
Ingo Rademacher was one of General Hospital‘s most prominent actors. On the show, Rademacher portrayed the dashing Jax Jacks on and off for over two decades. The actor’s departure from the daytime drama caused a stir and a legal struggle with ABC that has lasted more than a year.
Rademacher recently filed a new lawsuit against the network, claiming he was fired for his political views. The suit has stirred up controversy, with some supporting Rademacher’s claims and others questioning the validity of his arguments.
ABC fired Ingo Rademacher from ‘General Hospital’ for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected everyone, including the entertainment sector. Numerous daytime dramas, like General Hospital, had to stop production. ABC implemented a vaccine mandate to help protect the cast and crew when the show returned to production. However, the show’s two biggest stars—Rademacher and Steve Burton—refused to comply.
The actors were outspoken about the mandate, and their requests for exemptions were denied. When Rademacher and Burton failed to get vaccinated, they were fired in November 2021.
A month after being fired, Rademacher filed a discrimination lawsuit against ABC for the vaccine mandate. According to the court documents, Rademacher emailed Disney’s HR department in October after learning ABC would honor “sincere religious objection” to the coronavirus vaccine. After 30 minutes of questioning regarding his religious convictions, his plea for an exemption was denied without more explanation.
ABC argued Ingo Rademacher’s COVID-19 vaccine refusal wasn’t based on religion
According to The Hollywood Reporter, ABC petitioned an L.A. judge in December 2022 to dismiss Rademacher’s case over his sacking from General Hospital for refusing the coronavirus vaccine. The network insisted the actor’s refusal to get the vaccine had nothing to do with his religious convictions.
In a December 28 move for summary judgment, ABC’s lawyer Steven Marenberg said the vaccine policy was the result of “an exhaustive deliberative process at Disney.” He said the process included a case-by-case evaluation of religious and medical exemptions.
ABC alleged Rademacher stonewalled the employee relations department during the assessment and refused to discuss his religious views. The network further claimed that the actor’s objections were “based on health or efficacy concerns, not religious” and that his deposition views were “lifestyle choices.”
Rademacher was under a three-year contract at the time of his termination. Marenberg maintained that the contract was not “guaranteed” because ABC could terminate it in six-month increments as long as it gave the actor six weeks’ notice. The contract also compelled him to follow ABC’s policies.
Ingo Rademacher claims he was fired for political views, not vaccine refusal
Rademacher is known for his bold statements on political issues and has publicly declared his support for Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Over the years, the actor has gotten in trouble for his controversial political views. According to Deadline, Rademacher’s attorneys recently filed paperwork to fight ABC’s motion to throw out his case.
The documents said: “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.”
In other words, Rademacher claims he was fired because GH executive producer Frank Valentini and others on the show disapproved of his support for Donald Trump in 2020. So far, ABC has not commented on the actor’s latest filing. Rademacher’s attorney, on the other hand, said he’s confident in the case his team has built.
The legal battle between the actor and the network is still ongoing, and the case will be heard on March 30. Whether his team’s confidence is warranted is yet to be determined.
