While Ava Jerome Cassadine is having her heart broken by her no-good cheating husband Nikolas Cassadine on General Hospital, her portrayer, Maura West, has celebrated over two decades with her real-life husband, Scott DeFreitas. She recently revealed how they got together back when both were appearing on the CBS soap, As the World Turns.
Maura West On Her Romance
It was during the General Hospital Fantasy Events Zoom with her former co-star Michael Park (ex-Jack Snyder) that it came up during a question one participant, Kayla, had about attending St. Jude events back in the day and if they would go if actress Martha Byrne (ex-Lily Walsh), who organized the annual charity event, would revive it.
“First of all, I would do anything for Martha Byrne,” began West. “Secondly, St. Jude. What’s a better [event]…it was a blast, as you correctly recollected. It was a super, super fun time.” Then the actress let those in attendance know a bit more about her life. “That’s how I got with my husband, by the way…after one of the St. Jude benefits.”
“Really?” asked Park in surprise. Considering all the years the two were in stories together, it was fun to see him learn something new about his good friend.
“Yes,” she reiterated. “I had had…I don’t know if you guys know this, but Martha Byrne is a very famous matchmaker. I’m not the first person that she’s matched successfully,” she said before starting to sing lines from the Fiddler on the Roof song, ‘Matchmaker, Matchmaker’ and then adding, “See, I can do it too, Michael.” For those who don’t know, Park has dazzled Broadway for years in musical theater, including the Tony Award-winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen.
“I had had a couple…few too many…Coors Light, probably, and Martha Byrne was like, ‘Hey, Scotty D., why don’t you give Maura a ride home?’ And that was that.” This led to Michael Park admitting that he “stans the couple, as the kids say.” We’re sure there are many fans who would agree, though Maura West was quick to poke fun at him, saying that she didn’t think anyone says that anymore.
While Byrne may have been on board with their romance, there was one co-star West still needed to seek approval of — and it wasn’t easy — her future husband’s onscreen mom, the late Kathryn Hays. “She was concerned about me,” admitted West. “She was concerned about this young man, my husband, getting together with me! I didn’t know this until a little bit later — what?! You should be concerned about me. It took a little time, and then I got the Kathy Hays seal of approval,” she smiled.
General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Port Charles, check out all the latest that’s been posted on GH spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.
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