Who Is Ava’s Mom, Delia, on GENERAL HOSPITAL?
A mention of the character had some fans wondering who is Ava’s mother on GENERAL HOSPITAL. Well, the character’s name is Delia Ryan, and she actually originated on another ABC soap, RYAN’S HOPE, back in the ‘70s! Originally played by Ilene Kristen in 1975, Delia was also portrayed by Robyn Millan, Randall Edwards, and Robin Mattson over the years. Kristen returned to play the schemer in 1986 and remained with the show until its final episode in 1989, even stepping back into Delia’s shoes when she showed up on GH in 2013. Here’s what you need to know about her:
Delia Reid married Frank Ryan, and hoped that their son, John, would help hold their marriage together. When he asked her for a divorce, she pushed him down the stairs and he nearly died! Frank covered for Delia and they worked on their relationship but after she pushed Frank’s lover, Jill Coleridge, the Ryan family turned against her. After an affair with Dr. Roger Coleridge, Delia divorced Frank and returned to her first love, Patrick Ryan.
After Delia announced her pregnancy, Pat proposed, and though she miscarried, she kept it quiet until after they’d tied the knot. She went to extremes to keep her husband’s attention, and during a confrontation, Pat pushed Delia down the stairs leaving her temporarily blinded. Of course, after regaining her sight, Delia continued to pretend to be blind, which infuriated Pat, who also learned of all her past schemes. Delia went into therapy and annulled her marriage, eventually reuniting with Roger.
Delia and Roger’s marriage fell apart when he suspected her of cheating on him. She opened a restaurant, The Crystal Palace, and began dating Barry Ryan. Learning he’d been cheating on her, Delia ran Barry over and framed Faith Coleridge for the crime! Delia lost her business to mob boss Joe Novak and shut down the restaurant. Later, she married wealthy oilman Matthew Crane, but her affair with Steve Latham put an end to that. In 1986, Delia returned and successfully lured Roger away from his wife, Maggie, so the couple could remarry in 1989.
In October 2013, Sam Morgan and Silas Clay paid a visit to Ryan’s Bar in New York City and forced Delia to admit that she was the biological mother of Ava Jerome, from an early affair with Victor Jerome. In July 2014, Delia accepted Ava’s invitation to come to Port Charles where she was horrified to learn her daughter was being held prisoner by Sonny Corinthos, who wanted to kill her. She agreed to help Ava recover an incriminating recording by breaking into Sonny’s office and stealing it, but was caught red-handed. Sent back to NYC, Delia warned that she knew what Sonny was planning, and promised to make him pay if anything happened to Ava.
In December, Delia was stunned when her granddaughter, Kiki Jerome, visited Ryan’s Bar and also met her boyfriend, Morgan Corinthos. They were looking for a missing baby who could be Morgan’s daughter, and Delia was surprised to learn that Morgan could be the father of Ava’s baby. Delia urged the pair to give Ava a break and then bonded with Betsy Frank, who was looking for her son, Franco Baldwin, who had taken the infant girl.
In March 2015, Delia held a memorial service for Ava at Ryan’s Bar and afterward, was shocked to see her daughter very much alive! She was mad at Silas for letting her think Ava was dead but was overjoyed that she wasn’t. Though she managed to persuade Ava not to take Avery on the run with her and minded the little girl until Kiki and Morgan picked her up. A few months later, Delia returned to Port Charles to help Ava pretend to be Denise DiMuccio by claiming the two women were fraternal twins.
In July 2023, Austin Holt informed Ava that Mason had mentioned a Ryan’s Bar but didn’t know what that meant. Ava realized that Mason was threatening her mother to make sure she went along with his plan. Stay tuned to see what happens next!
