General Hospital’s Steve Burton, who has played the role of Jason Morgan on and off since 1991, is leaving the long-running ABC soap opera after deciding not to get vaccinated. The 51-year-old actor took to social media on Tuesday, November 23 to confirm he had been fired by the series for not complying with the show’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Burton said via Instagram: “Well, I know there’s a lot of rumors and speculation about me and General Hospital, and I wanted you to hear it from me personally. Unfortunately, General Hospital has let me go because of the vaccine mandate.”