Posted in: ABC, TV | Tagged: ABC, COVID, General Hospital, Ingo Rademacher

General Hospital Actor Sues ABC Over Vaccine Mandate-Related Firing

Published Mon, 13 Dec 2021 17:10:10 -0600

More than a month after General Hospital ex-star Ingo Rademacher aka Jasper "Jax" Jacks parted way with the long-running ABC soap opera over his refusal to abide by health & safety protocols that included being vaccinated for COVID-19, the actor is suing the network for what he says (in a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday) was its refusal to accommodate his "religious objections." Arguing his right to "bodily integrity" and to "informational privacy," Rademacher claims the network's religious discrimination included a "half an hour of cross-examination about his religious beliefs." Though as was evident earlier today, the courts might be a tough road for the actor to travel with the U.S. Supreme Court refusing to step in legally with regards to The State of New York's own vaccination mandate that state health care workers be vaccinated regardless of religious objections. ABC has not yet commented on Rademacher's lawsuit.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Rademacher (aka Jasper "Jax" Jacks) would no longer be a part of the cast (with his last episode airing yesterday) over his public opposition to and failure to comply with COVID-19 vaccination mandates. At the time it was reported by Deadline Hollywood that "another longtime cast member departure is widely rumored (though not confirmed) to be imminent for similar reasons," which would now appear to be Burton. Rademacher's departure also came in the midst of backlash he was receiving over controversial comments regarding transgender people from his castmates and social media when he reposted a tweet via his Instagram account that called U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine a "dude." The Biden-appointee was recently sworn in as the first transgender four-star officer. General Hospital castmates Nancy Lee Grahn and transgender actor Cassandra James publically condemned Rademacher's move, with the actor then posting a video on Instagram apologizing for not crossing out the word "dude" when he re-posted the tweet (but doubling down on his belief that calling "a transgender an empowered woman" wasn't cool with him).