Did We Just Discover the *Real* Reason General Hospital’s James Patrick Stuart Can’t Come Back to Port Charles?!

Is this truly it for Valentin? General Hospital had promised back when he left that we hadn’t seen the last of Valentin or James Patrick Stuart and, well, they weren’t wrong. But that may not mean he’s actually coming back full-time. The sometimes villain, sometimes charming rogue has popped up here and there as everyone from Anna to Lulu have searched for Charlotte. But now, it seems, that search is over. And unfortunately, it looks like Valentin may be over as well!

Anna and Jason found Valentin and took Charlotte home with them. Her dad, though, opted to run off and go into hiding, saying there’s no way the WSB would let him live if they ever got their hands on him. You can read Monday’s recap of what happened here.

With that final act, it certainly seems like General Hospital has closed the door on Valentin’s return for the foreseeable future. But why, when he’s such a popular character? Well, James Patrick Stuart’s tweet may have given us a hint!

“One of my life’s greatest mysteries,” he tweeted. “Why don’t I put my keys in the same pocket every time? I would save five or six hours a year.”

“Is that why you haven’t been back to Port Charles,” Candyl Greene cracked in the replies. “Couldn’t find your keys?? You are missed!”

Stuart neither confirmed nor denied that it was the reason, just responded with an “lol.” And his fans, in turn, all echoed the sentiment that he and Valentin were sorely missed!

OK, we’re kidding. Missing car keys aren’t exactly a compelling reason not to return to the show. In actuality, as of the fall, Stuart had relocated up to Oregon, which likely makes a more extended General Hospital run tricky. He even showed off a few of the “prettiest parts” of his “new home state” in the Pacific Northwest to his mom when she visited back in November. Then again, we suppose not being able to find his keys could put a damper on a commute down to the studios in Los Angeles!

Either way, while Valentin is still very much alive, with Charlotte back in Port Charles, it seems like he may truly be gone from our screens for a while. But hey, nothing is forever on daytime! Now where did we put those car keys…