While there's no doubt that Laura Spencer has gone through hell and back on "General Hospital," her portrayer Genie Francis admits that she's also dealt with many challenges in her personal life. In 2019, the fictional mayor of Port Charles opened up about her mental health and some of the things she had to go through to get where she is today. Apparently, it all began when Francis was just a teenager in the '70s, and "General Hospital" producers wanted to have the character Laura go on a diet so she could weigh less than 120 pounds, according to Soaps. The pressure to look perfect ended up following Francis throughout her adult life.
In an interview with Soap Opera Digest, Francis said that while she never felt the pressure from fans to look different or lose weight, her past experiences took a toll on her mental health. Her self-confidence suffered, and her anxiety increased until she realized that she needed to take control of how she felt about her body and physical health. Francis said, "You know, standing up in front of everybody and telling someone that I'm so great and so perfect and my life is perfect and look how fabulous I am is just a bunch of b.s.! I would rather share with people who I am."
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