Sofia Mattsson Leaves GENERAL HOSPITAL Temporarily
It’s been nearly eight weeks since GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Sofia Mattsson (Sasha) gave birth to her first child, a son, in real life, but her alter ego was still very much pregnant and seen in Port Charles as recently as Carly’s Sept. 3 bachelorette party. But according to the latest issue of Soap Opera Digest, the GH actress is currently on maternity leave, so viewers can expect to see less of Brando’s babymama in the days ahead.
Back in mid-June, Mattsson surprised her Instagram followers with the announcement that, like her character, she too was expecting her first child with her husband, actor/writer/producer Thomas Payton. Sharing a portrait of her dressed in a bodycon black turtleneck dress as she cradled her baby bump, the actress wrote, “Big things happening! So happy and excited to finally share this (almost ready to pop) bump with everyone! Kept it a secret for a while to not spoil anything for GH viewers, but now that miss Sasha Gilmore’s pregnancy is in full force, I can finally share that I’m so grateful to be sharing this pregnancy journey with her!”
The Paytons welcomed their son just a few weeks after Mattsson’s pregnancy announcement. “Happiest four weeks ever with this little guy!” the new mom shared on August 25, although she didn’t reveal her son’s name. “He joined us on 7/26/21 and stole my heart completely!”
Since GH’s episodes are filmed several weeks in advance, the character of Sasha had been seen on-screen even after her portrayer had given birth in real life. Sasha’s most recent appearance was in early September when she fretted to Carly that she was concerned Brando was working for the mob again — only to be much relieved to discover that his secretive new job turned out to be the bachelorette party stripper!
There’s been no official confirmation from the soap if Mattsson’s last episode has already aired, or how long her maternity leave will last. Might Sasha just stay off-camera until it’s time for her to deliver her baby? Or might Brando’s involvement in the mob cause her to “disappear” for a time? Stay tuned!
