The Real Reason Molly And TJ Broke Up On General Hospital

The devastating death of Molly and TJ’s surrogate baby has shaken the couple to its core on General Hospital. After Ric didn’t pull any punches in court while defending Ava, Molly realized that after the heartbreaking loss, she no longer wanted to have kids. Ever. TJ admitted that he was dismayed that she couldn’t confide her grief in him. Then, he ended up walking out the door when she made her declaration. Kristen Vaganos opened up about why that split happened.

The Pain Was Too Much

Molly (Kristen Vaganos) and TJ (Tajh Bellow) have been together since they were teenagers. Although they opted for a domestic partnership instead of a traditional marriage, they seemed like they could weather anything. They even got past the fact that Molly slept with Brando (the late Johnny Wactor) when she thought TJ was ghosting her. But when Kristina took a header out of a third-story Metro Court hotel room, thereby losing the child she was carrying for her sister and brother-in-law, the beginning of the end for them was in sight.

Vaganos explained to Soap Opera Digest that the two characters grieve differently, with Molly immersing herself in her work to escape the unimaginable pain. TJ wanted them to grieve as a couple, but she stated that “to sit in it — to pause and stop and really sit in it with him — is too painful.” She felt that for them to look at each other in the aftermath was just a harsh and painful reminder of what they lost.

The End of the Road

She also felt that Molly was at the end of her rope with no more strength to give to the situation. Sadly, that realization meant that the two were headed for splitsville. “And then on top of that, you add the notion that TJ wants to try again [to have a baby], and Molly just doesn’t have that in her,” she said. 

Vaganos also explained that she and Bellow went to great lengths to ensure they were doing justice to their characters since the relationship began way back in 2012 with different actors playing the parts. But actually, playing out, the scenes were grueling, and she remarked, “We were, like, ugly-crying snot all over the place the whole time! It was just heartbreaking, but it really was a culmination of such a long storyline that we’ve had going on for a year now.” (Learn about Bellow’s insight into TJ’s grief.)