Leslie Charleson, the iconic actress known for her long-running portrayal of Monica Quartermaine on ABC’s General Hospital, has passed away at the age of 79.

Her death on January 12 marks the end of a remarkable era for fans and the entertainment world.

Fans of General Hospital, along with her family and colleagues, are now mourning the loss of the beautiful and talented Leslie Charleson, who passed away Sunday morning.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague, Leslie Charleson,” “General Hospital” executive producer Frank Valentini announced on the official Instagram account of General Hospital.

“Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on ‘General Hospital’ alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew. I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set. On behalf of everyone at ‘General Hospital,’ my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time.”The awkward advice

Leslie Charleson, who joined General Hospital in 1977, had been dealing with mobility issues from multiple falls.

The cause of Leslie Charleson’s death has not yet been disclosed, but her most recent fall led to hospitalization just a week before her passing.

Despite her challenges, the hardworking and wonderful actress stayed strong but hadn’t appeared on the show since December 2023.

Leslie Charleson, born February 22, 1945, in Kansas City, Missouri, grew up in a comfortable environment as the daughter of a publishing executive. Her neighbor, the president of ABC, helped make breaking into the industry a little easier. At just 19, she started her career in 1964 on the short-lived ABC daytime soap A Flame in the Wind. Soon after, she landed a role on As the World Turns, where her talent began to shine.

In 1993, she recalled advice given to her by soap veteran Roy Poole, who told her, “Don’t think of the 9 million people who are watching. And don’t worry about your hands.” Leslie chuckled about this, explaining, “All of a sudden, hands became something I had never seen before. I didn’t know what to do with them.”

But this trick helped her settle into her roles and, eventually, her hands were no longer a concern.

Breast cancer story

Charleson’s career continued to flourish. Since joining General Hospital in 1977, Charleson’s portrayal of Dr. Monica Quartermaine saw her character face incredible challenges — she gave up a child for adoption, was held hostage, and even battled breast cancer. Monica truly experienced it all, nut perhaps it was Monica’s breast cancer storyline from 1994 to 2000 that made the strongest impact.

”We had all women — women writers, a woman producer — and they had all been affected by breast cancer, including me. My mother had it,” Charleson said while being interviewed by costar Maurice Benard in a 2022.

”I went to Wellness Hospitals, just to see what it was like, because we wanted to be honest. So much of the soap had been fantasy time, but this we took special effort and concentrated effort to make sure it was done properly.”

Earned four Daytime Emmy nominations

As the the respected matriarch of the renowned Quartermaine family, Leslie earned four Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1980, 1982, 1983, and 1995. She also starred in the 1993 TV movie Woman on the Ledge, alongside Deidre Hall and Colleen Zenk.

Reflecting on her time on General Hospital, she recalled, “That was just an incredible time for ‘General Hospital.’ There was the magic of [producer] Gloria Monty. There was such a sense of excitement.”

Leslie’s career was defined by her dedication, passion, and ability to adapt, earning her a place as a soap opera legend. Best known for her iconic role on General Hospital, Leslie’s talent also shone in its spinoffs, including Port Charles (1997–2001) and General Hospital: Night Shift (2008).

In a 2019 interview with Digital Journal, Charleson shared her thoughts on what has contributed to her long career, saying, ”Interest in the material is what keeps you around and relationships.” She also pointed out a unique aspect of her experience, stating, ”I am the only actor on the show that doesn’t have another soap opera to talk about since I have never done another soap opera, while almost everybody else has.”

My prayers and condolences goes out to Leslie Charleson family and the cast of General Hospital. May she rest in peace!

Hollywood star Mel Gibson, 69, has lost his California home to the devastating Palisades fire.

The actor and director was in Austin, Texas, recording an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience when the wildfire broke out, ultimately destroying the house he had lived in for 15 years.

Criticized Governor Gavin Newsom

According to the BBC, the blaze rapidly spread through Gibson’s neighborhood, engulfing homes in flames. Fortunately, his longtime girlfriend, Rosalind Ross, and their seven-year-old son, Lars Gerard Gibson, were able to evacuate safely before the fire reached their property.

During his conversation with Joe Rogan, Gibson was already aware that his neighborhood was in danger. He mentioned that the area was ”on fire” and expressed concerns about the lack of response from California Governor Gavin Newsom. The Academy Award–winning director criticized Newsom, remarking, ”I think all our tax dollars probably went for Gavin’s hair gel.”89

Upon returning to California, the 69-year-old actor confirmed that his $14.5million Malibu mansion had been completely destroyed. Speaking with Elizabeth Vargas Reports on NewsNation, he recalled his reaction: “I thought, ‘Eh, I wonder if my place is still there.’ When I got home, sure enough, it wasn’t there.”

Bought the property in 2008

Mel Gibson had been attempting to sell his massive estate for years, even slashing the asking price by $3 million.

The expansive mansion was built in 1996 and Gibson bought it back in 2008 for $11.5 million. According to Daily Mail, the five-bedroom property featured a grand, old-world charm, complete with a castle-like turret.

While grateful that his family was unharmed, the actor admitted that the loss was deeply emotional.

”I had a lot of personal things there that, you know, I can’t get back..,” Gibson shared.

”All kinds of stuff, everything from photographs to files to, you know, you know, just personal things that I had from over the years, and clothing, you know, pretty cool stuff, you know, but you know that can all be replaced.”

”These are only things. And the good, the good news is that, you know, those in my family and those I love are all well, and we’re all happy and healthy and out of harm’s way, that’s all I can care about, really.”

Gibson described the devastation in his neighborhood, saying, “I’ve never seen such a complete burn.” He also noted that other celebrities, including his neighbor, actor Ed Harris, may have also lost their homes. Additionally, properties belonging to Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal were reportedly destroyed in the fire.

”Completely toasted”

”It was completely toasted,” the Braveheart star said of his own property.

Mel Gibson also made a dark joke during his conversation with Vargas.

”I went home and I said to myself, ‘Well, at least I haven’t got any of those pesky plumbing problems anymore,’”

He also added that his ”chickens survived, it was amazing.”

California wildfires have continued to impact many residents, including high-profile figures like Gibson. The destruction serves as another stark reminder of the ongoing wildfire crisis in the state. Commenting on the authorities’ response, he told Fox News, ”Apparently, some people were asleep on the job, mainly our leaders.”

”That’s something they have to live with. Kids are traumatized. Someone should answer for it.”

Watch the video below to hear more from Gibson and other celebrities who have experienced similar losses.

Keeping ourselves in shape is important for our body and soul to feel comfortable. For most of us, that means simple things like taking a walk or doing some light daily exercise.

For 33-year-old bodybuilder Nataliya Kuznetsova, however, keeping in shape looks a little different. The professional Russian female bodybuilder is said to hold the world arm lifting, bench press, and deadlift titles – with one look at her, it’s hard to believe otherwise.

Personally, I think everyone reserves the right to look however they want. Individuals should never be teased for their appearances – how one chooses to dress and shape themselves is, of course, entirely up to them.

Here at Newsner, we have previously reported on amazing and fascinating people who are strong enough to do things their own way. They don’t give a heck about society’s preconceived ideas of beauty, preferring to follow their own dreams.

I, for one, think that’s very important. We must never forget that all people are equal, and the cultural differences between us are what makes our world so colorful and lively. In any case, that’s my firm opinion.

Nataliya Kuznetsova, a Russian 29-year-old, holds the world arm lifting, bench press, and deadlift titles – and her entire lifestyle is about improving her muscular and impressive body.

Everything in her life has centered around always becoming stronger in the pursuit of being able to lift more. As a young woman, Nataliya knew what she wanted to do with her life. At 14, she began powerlifting and decided to become a bodybuilder, according to UK site LadBible. When she started her journey, she weighed just 80lbs.

Today, her scale usually shows anywhere between 246–275lbs.

Road to celebrity

There isn’t a lot of information out there concerning Nataliya’s childhood and upbringing. What we do know is that she was born Nataliya Trukhina on the first of July 1991, in Chita, southeast Siberia, Russia.

Growing up, she was very active. She loved training and combat sports in particular. So when she turned 14, Nataliya embarked on a bodybuilding career, going to the gym almost daily.

Under the supervision of coach Alexei Ivanov, a well-known and respected coach in the area, Nataliya was put on a rigorous diet.

The goal for Natalia wasn’t to build a mountain of muscle and compete. Instead, the main target of the gym classes was to get stronger, while attending some mass as a bonus.

But it didn’t take long before people noticed the young girl putting on weight and gaining bigger muscles every day. After a few years, she started signing up for competitions. Nataliya was entirely focused on becoming a bodybuilder, and she did very well in one of her first championships.

As a 17-year-old, she weighed only 150lbs, but was capable of bench-pressing 220lbs. According to Nataliya, this was in the early days of her career while she was still living in Chita. She hadn’t even discovered protein shakes and didn’t know how crucial it was for building muscles. Still, she managed to achieve some amazing results.

Whether it was simply because she discovered protein or not is a matter for others to debate, but to this date, Nataliya has won several championships and set numerous records.

According to The Famous People, the Russian colossus won the 2014 Cup of Eurasia in Vologda, Russia. In 2015, she became the Champion of the Cup Eastern Europe (GPA).

Nicknamed the World’s Most Muscular Woman, Nataliya holds many records in powerlifting, bench press NAP, and deadlifting. Her bench press record is over 374lbs, and her deadlift record is 530lbs. According to herself, Nataliya holds the European bench press and deadlift titles. The Russian gym lover is 5’7″ tall and weighs just over 220lbs during the offseason.

“It’s not about being perfect – it’s about showing up, putting in the effort and getting the work done to get you were to envision yourself to be-Everyday is another opportunity to move forward a little more,” she wrote on her Facebook account.

But Nataliya is more than just a powerful bodybuilder with an eye-catching exterior and biceps measuring 18.5 inches.

In 2013, she graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture. She also participated in a “Manon Lescaut” production at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia.

Today she lives in the Russian capital with her husband, bodybuilder Vladislav Kuznetsov. The couple met in 2009 and tied the knot in 2015. Nataliya often posts sweet tributes to her husband, who supports her in whatever challenges she takes on in her life. The couple have no children at the moment, but Nataliya would like to have one in the future.

”Our love story is quite modern. We met on the Internet, more precisely, on Odnoklassniki(a social network service in Russia). For a while, we only talked as friends,” Nataliya said in 2019.

Over the years, Nataliya has fought hard to be able to live on her passion. In the early years of her career, she was almost always short on money.

It was challenging to find sponsors, and she had to take money out of her own pocket to train and compete. In Russia, it wasn’t easy to get contributions or help – but since Nataliya has received quite a lot of attention and gone viral of late, things are looking brighter.

She currently has several sponsors and works with nutrition brands such as Oxytropin and RPS Nutrition.

Likely none of this would have been possible if she hadn’t been active on social media – pictures of her muscular body have been spread like wildfire over the years. Many have seen her face on the Internet – but probably quite a few know who the female goliath is.

“People definitely recognise me. An athletic body can be seen under clothes. Many people recognise me, ask to take a photo with them. Many people even know my name,” she told LadBible.

Nataliya has previously talked the preconceived opinions of other people. Some people call her ugly and refer to her by hurtful names, but she refers to them as children who cry when they meet someone far stronger than them.

“The classical standards and norms are long gone. Even the modeling industry is already ”very different”. My best advisor is a mirror,” she says.

However, she treasures all the love she gets from her numerous fans around the world.

“Most of my Instagram followers are men. They stand for around 75%, and it’s about the same percentage on other social networks. They write a lot. Compliments to an athlete are no different than compliments to a non-athlete,” she said.

Today, she has a whopping one million followers on Instagram. Nataliya, a unique Amazon woman, as she labels herself, constantly updates her fans with sneak-peaks from her everyday life. And of course, her feed is fully packed with gym tips and exercises.

She claims she was at one point tempted to try growth hormones, but ultimately decided they were not for her. However, she’s admitted to using estrogen blockers and other performance enhancers that are banned by most major sporting bodies.

In early 2017, Nataliya announced that she would leave the spotlight and “retire” from powerlifting, but only one and a half years later, she was back for the next big competition in Moscow. She also revealed that she was pursuing a career in coaching and wanted to help others “achieve their potential.”

What’s your opinion on Nataliya’s life choices? Is she doing the right thing by following her dreams, or is this pure madness?

Feel free to share your opinion, but keep it civil in the comments section!