Five Fast Facts About General Hospital’s Monica Quartermaine

Right now you know Monica as the Chief of Staff and Jason’s mom on General Hospital, but she is so much more than that.

Monica Bard Quartermaine (Leslie Charleson) is one of the top heart surgeons around — but has had her heart broken many times over the years — and not just when Jason (Steve Burton) was in that fateful car accident and turned his back on her and the rest of the family. Here are five facts you may not have known about her.

1. Went After Another Woman’s Man
Monica had always loved Rick Webber. When he was married to Lesley, Laura’s (Genie Francis) mom, the two had an affair. That’s okay — Monica was married too — to Alan. Monica was horrible to Lesley, but her rival still helped her when Monica went into labor with AJ — and spilled the beans about sleeping with Rick!

2. He’s Just A Jealous Guy
Monica’s late husband Alan was super jealous of Rick and plotted to kill Rick and Monica after he learned about their affair. But just like Wile E. Coyote, every devious plot backfired on Alan. He even had rigged the nursery to fall on them but ended up getting hurt when he pushed them out of the way.

3. Breast Cancer Survivor
They say doctors make the worst patients and for Monica, learning she had breast cancer was earthshattering. She left for treatment in Arizona and met Paige Bowen and her daughter Emily. Monica survived her treatment, but Paige did not and asked Monica to raise her daughter, which she did.

4. Losing Not One But Two Daughters
Monica had already lost one daughter, Dawn, whom she gave up for adoption at birth but got to know when she was a young woman. Dawn was killed by enemies of her new boyfriend Decker. Emily was killed by enemies of Jason, which happened soon after Alan’s death. Monica turned to alcohol and eventually had to get help.

5. Losing A Son…Twice
Her son with Alan, AJ (Alan Junior) — who is Michael’s (Chad Duell) biological father, was presumed dead after supposedly having suffocated to death by Asher Thomas.

But that death was faked until he eventually was shot and killed by Sonny (Maurice Benard) in 2014. A.J., despite being Monica’s biological son, always felt like he came in second to Jason, who Monica took in after his mother, Susan, was murdered.

General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes.