Are you ready for some General Hospital off-screen drama? Actor Ingo Rademacher, who made Jasper “Jax” Jacks a household name, is still fighting a legal battle with ABC. The reason? The network axed him in 2021. Recently, Ingo’s legal team made a new argument that ABC’s decision to re-hire Steve Burton completely dismantled their previous stance. Meanwhile, the network insists this “new evidence” is a non-issue. What’s really going on?
General Hospital: Ingo vs ABC Battle Heats Up
Rademacher rose to fame when he joined General Hospital back in 1996. His charm, wit, and Aussie flair pitched a tent in people’s hearts, and the magic spell broke in 2021. Yep, ABC clarified that his time as Jax was officially over. Subsequently, Ingo fired back with a lawsuit in the same year, claiming the network had wrongfully fired him.
What was the reason for his termination? The star refused to comply with the network’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. However, Ingo claimed he requested a religious exemption, which the network denied. That made him believe that ABC violated his right to privacy. But hold on—there’s more!
Rademacher also believed that his conservative political views and support for Donald Trump influenced their decision. Interestingly, Ingo wasn’t the only GH star who refused the vaccine. Our favorite Steve Burton aka Jason Morgan also took the boot for the same reason. However, he returned to Port Charles in 2024 unlike the Jasper Jacks actor.
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ABC Fires Back, No GH Comeback for Ingo?
In no time, Ingo’s legal team clapped back with a fresh argument. They stated that Burton’s re-hiring “undermines” ABC’s stance that they didn’t fire Ingo due to his political beliefs. However, the network’s team swiftly hit back, calling the entire argument “completely irrelevant and inadmissible.”
In fact, they claimed it “would not raise a triable issue of fact in this case.“ Ouch. Additionally, ABC argues that Steve’s re-hiring happened long after COVID-19 faded and when Disney lifted its vaccine mandate. They are basically saying, “Nice try, Ingo, but this doesn’t change a thing.”
So, what’s next? The judge has yet to rule on the latest claims. Until then, keep reading Soap Opera Daily for sizzling tea on General Hospital celebs. Do you think Ingo has a case or is ABC in the right? Let us know your thoughts.
