Robert Gossett plays a character on General Hospital who is currently struggling with being misdiagnosed with schizophrenia. Now, the actor is opening up to Maurice Benard about the death of his son and the toll it took on his mental health in the March 17, 2024 episode of State of Mind.
*Trigger warning: this article mentions subject matter related to suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day. There is always help available via text, chat, or talk.
Remembering Gossett’s Late Son
Gossett began by telling Benard stories about his son Luke, remembering his nickname “Lukey,” the time he stood up for a fellow classmate being bullied, and the way he would never wear shoes. “He talked about never wanting to wear shoes because it allows you to stay in the now,” he revealed his son once wrote on a blog he kept, taking Benard aback. “As you walk, it’s not about avoiding the pebbles and rocks under you, but adjusting yourself so you can deal with that pressure.”
Gossett lost his son to suicide in November 2023 at 24 years old. “He was a very creative person,” he recalled. “He was a prolific writer, you should see the stories,” he continued, remembering the way his son once described a school crush as having a “Fanta bottle body” in a story he wrote.
Gossett Goes Deep
Gossett admitted he would often ask himself why his son would take his own life. “We just got into his phone. We thought maybe we’d find an answer,” he told Benard, but confirmed they found nothing.
Gossett also revealed he feels guilt over his son’s death after telling Benard he didn’t sense anything going on with his son. “Mental illness and help – therapy – was never part of my deal. But this was so traumatic and I was so lost, I didn’t know what to do. So, I have now engaged in that.”
Benard’s Take
As a mental health advocate, Benard offered his take on Gossett’s son and what may have caused him to take his own life. He first asked his co-star whether or not his son was bipolar. “When you’re highly intelligent… and highly sensitive,” he began and went on to name off Van Gogh and Churchill. “We can go down the line of people who were mentally ill, let’s say, but bipolar… that kind of thing you’re describing is very much that.”
Gossett confirmed his son did feel everything, to which Benard responded by asking his son’s age when he passed. When Gossett said 24, a lightbulb seemed to go off for Benard. “See, I was 21 when I was put in the mental institution, and that’s about the age of people who are bipolar who have their first episode.”
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