‘General Hospital’ Star’s Cause of Death Revealed: Latest on Leslie Charleson

A month after General Hospital actress Leslie Charleson died at 79, more details are being revealed about her cause of death. GH executive producer Frank Valenti shared on social media on Sunday, Jan. 12 that the four-time Daytime Emmy-nominated actress known for playing Dr. Monica Quartermaine had died. At the time, not much information was shared about the cause until now.

TMZ obtained documents that report Charleson died from “sequelae of blunt head trauma” – long-term effects of a head injury she previously suffered. Additionally, the L.A. County medical examiner listed the actress had a history of asthma, arthritis, atrial fibrillation, and normal pressure hydrocephalus, where “excess cerebrospinal fluid buildup in the brain ventricles,” according to Johns Hopkins. It’s unclear where Charleson’s previous head injury came from or how long ago it happened.

A Kansas City native, Charleson got her big break in television on the NBC soap opera A Flame in the Wind in 1964, later appearing on As the World Turns in 1966 and CBS’ Love Is a Many Splendored Thing from 1967 to 1973. After having small roles in the mid-‘70s, Charleson joined General Hospital in 1977 as Monica, replacing Patsy Rahn. She played the role until 2023 but began recurring in 2010, making fewer appearances due to her health. In 2018, she suffered a fall and injured her leg, and was unable to work for a few months.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague, Leslie Charleson,” Valenti shared at the time of her death. “Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on General Hospital alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew. I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set. On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time.”

Aside from General Hospital, Charleson also appeared in spinoff Port Charles, Friends, Dharma & Greg, Diagnosis Murder, Woman on the Ledge, The Rockford Files, McMillan & Wife, Most Wanted, The Streets of San Francisco, and Medical Story. Her final role was in December 2023 on General Hospital after appearing in 2,079 episodes.