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General Hospital Alum Reaches Out After Devastating Family Tragedy: ‘I Hate the Coward Who Took You From Us’
Thursday, July 28th, 2022
Fans rally around the former ABC soap actress.
Our hearts go out to General Hospital alum Paulina Bugembe (ex-Valerie) and her family following the tragic loss of her 37-year-old brother Christopher. The former ABC soap star posted a photo with her younger brother on Instagram and shared the devastating news of his death.
“I hate the coward who took you from us,” Bugembe stated. “You were loved so, so, so, so very much, Christopher. Rest in Peace my baby brother. I will see you again.”
Fans quickly rallied around the actress by sending their love and support in response to her post.
“Many of you have asked how you can help our family and Chris’ children during this time,” Bugembe stated. “We have set up a GoFundMe for Christopher for anyone who would like to contribute.” The link can be found in the actress’ bio.
FOX6 reported that on Friday, July 22, at 12:25 am, an unknown assailant opened fire on two men, one having been Christopher, near Fond du Lac Avenue and Congress Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Police urge anyone who may have information surrounding the shootings to call the department at 414-935-7360 or the anonymous Crime Stoppers line at 414-224-TIPS.
More: Real-life soap couple seeks fans’ opinion
Again, Soaps.com sends Bugembe, her family and Christopher’s children our deepest condolences.
In the wake of this tragedy, please leave your condolences for the actress as well in the comment section and take a moment to remember others lost this year by looking through the gallery below featuring various soap stars that will be remembered for the mark they left on the industry.
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<p>Soap actress <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/619573/soap-star-dead-joan-copeland-one-life-to-live/" target="_blank">Joan Copeland passed away</a> on January 4, 2022 at the age of 99. She will be remembered for her roles on <em>Love of Life, The Edge of Night, Search for Tomorrow, As the World Turns</em> and <em>One Life to Live</em>, as well as numerous primetime credits.</p>
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<p>Soap star <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/621867/donald-may-soap-star-edge-of-night-texas-dead/" target="_blank">Donald May passed away</a> on January 28, 2022 at the age of 94. He was best known for playing Adam on <em>The Edge of Night</em>.</p>
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<p>Sadly, on February 18, 2022, former <em>General Hospital</em> actress <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/623797/general-hospital-actress-lindsey-pearlman-dead-43/" target="_blank">Lindsey Pearlman was found dead</a>. She had been reported missing two days prior and was later found near Runyon Canyon Park.</p>
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4/31
<p>Former soap actress <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/the-young-and-the-restless/news/624216/young-restless-star-dead-sally-kellerman-constance-bingham/" target="_blank">Sally Kellerman passed way</a> on February 24, 2022 due to complications from dementia. She will be recognized by fans of <em>The Young and the Restless</em> for playing Constance Bingham, a wealthy woman Adam (then by Justin Hartley) conned into thinking was his grandmother.</p>
Image: Sherman Weisburd/TV Guide/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
5/31
<p>Veteran actor <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/624991/soap-star-dead-general-hospital-dark-shadows-mitchell-ryan-died/" target="_blank">Mitchell Ryan passed away</a> on March 4, 2022. With over 100 credit to his resume, he’s best known to soap fans for playing Anthony Tonell on <em>Santa Barbara</em>.</p>
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6/31
<p><em>EastEnders</em> vet June Brown passed away on April 3, 2022. The actress was 95 years old and best known for playing Dot on the British soap. Brown also appeared as Mrs. Parsons on <em>Coronation Street</em>.</p>
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7/31
<p>Actress <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/628005/as-the-world-turns-kim-hughes-kathryn-hays-died-dead/" target="_blank">Kathryn Hays passed away</a> on Friday, April 8, 2022, at the age of 87. She will be remembered by soap fans for playing our beloved Kim Hughes on <em>As the World Turns</em> for 38 years.</p>
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8/31
<p>Actor Robert Morse passed away on April 20, 2022 at the age of 90. He will be remembered in daytime for his roles on <em>The Secret Storm</em> as Jerry Ames and <em>All My Children</em> as Harry the bookie. </p>
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9/31
<p>Former <em>Passions</em> actress <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/630033/soap-star-passions-jossara-jinaro-dead/" target="_blank">Jossara Jinaro passed away</a> on Wednesday, April 27. She was only 48 and will be remembered by daytime fans as Harmony’s Rae.</p>
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10/31
<p>Soap vet <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/630167/soap-star-dead-jerry-verdorn-guiding-light-one-life-to-live-dies/" target="_blank">Jerry verDorn passed away</a> at 72 on May 1, 2022 after a months-long battle with cancer. He will always be remember for playing Clint Buchanan on <em>One Life to Live</em>, as well as Ross Marler on <em>Guiding Light</em>.</p>
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11/31
<p>Charles Siebert, best known for playing Dr. Stanley Riverside II on <em>Trapper John, M.D.</em>, passed away on May 1, 2022 at the age of 84. He was known to the daytime industry for his roles on <em>Search for Tomorrow, As the World Turns</em> and <em>Another World</em>.</p>
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12/31
<p>Bruce MacVittie passed away on May 7, 2022 at the age of 65. The actor was known to daytime fans for his role as Marcus Tull on <em>As the World Turns</em>, as well as Mark on <em>One Life to Live</em>.</p>
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13/31
<p>Marnie Schulenburg, best known for playing Alison Stewart on <em>As the World Turns</em>, <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/631586/soap-star-marnie-schulenburg-alison-as-the-world-turns-dead-37/" target="_blank">passed away on May 17, 2022</a> — just shy of her 38th birthday. The much-loved soap vet fought a courageous battle with metastatic breast cancer.</p>
Image: CBS screenshot
14/31
<p>Soap vet <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/632038/guiding-light-soap-star-dead-lee-lawson-bea-reardon/" target="_blank">Lee Lawson passed away</a> on May 22, 2022 at the age of 81. She will be remembered for playing Bea Reardon on CBS’ <em>Guiding Light</em>.</p>
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15/31
<p>Seasoned actor <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/632320/soap-star-dead-ray-liotta-another-world-joey-perrini/" target="_blank">Ray Liotta passed away</a> on May 26, 2022 at the age of 67. One of his first acting jobs was playing Joey Perrini on <em>Another World</em>.</p>
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16/31
<p><em>Star Trek</em> vet and <em>The Young and the Restless</em> alum <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/the-young-and-the-restless/news/640471/young-restless-soap-star-dead-nichelle-nichols-neil-mother/" target="_blank">Nichelle Nichols passed away on July 30, 2022</a>. The legendary actress who appeared as Neil Winters’ mother Lucinda was 89 years old. </p>
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17/31
<p>Emmy winner <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/641768/is-anne-heche-dead-soap-star/" target="_blank">Anne Heche passed away</a> on August 12, 2022, at the age of 53, following a devastating car accident. Aside from her many television credits, she’ll always be remembered by daytime fans for playing twins Marley Love and Vicky Hudson on <em>Another World</em>.</p>
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18/31
<p>Only a day after Heche’s passing, yet another <em>Another World</em> alum was <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/641870/soap-star-dead-robyn-griggs-one-life-to-live-another-world/" target="_blank">taken from us by cervical cancer</a>. 49-year-old Robyn Griggs had played Maggie Cory on the NBC soap in the early 1990s after making her daytime debut as Carlo Hesser’s niece, Stephanie Hobart, on <em>One Life to Live.</em></p>
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<p>Soap writer <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/642664/soap-writer-michael-malone-dead-one-life-to-live/" target="_blank">Michael Malone passed away on August 19, 2022</a> at 80. He’ll always be remembered as one of soaps’ greatest for the characters he created, including <em>One Life to Live’</em>s Luna Moody, Todd Manning and Billy Douglas, as well as one of his unforgettable plots, the horrifying gang rape of Susan Haskell’s Marty Saybrooke.</p>
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<p>Beloved daytime vet Joe E. Tata, who added the zip to <em>90210</em>, <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/643184/soap-star-dead-beverly-hills-90210-joe-e-tata-general-hospital/" target="_blank">passed away on August 24, 2022</a> at 85. His <em>Beverly Hills</em> character, Pit Peach owner, Nat, was a friend to many and the actor did stints on <em>Days of Our Lives</em> and <em>General Hospital</em>.</p>
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<p>Robert LuPone <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/644765/soap-star-dead-robert-lupone-all-my-children/" target="_blank">passed away on August 27, 2022</a>, at the age of 76 following a three-year battle with pancreatic cancer. The actor is known for his daytime roles on <em>All My Children, Ryan’s Hope, Guiding Light, Search for Tomorrow, Another World</em> and <em>Loving</em>.</p>
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22/31
<p>Well-known horror writer <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/645229/general-hospital-michael-easton-mourns-horror-writer-peter-straub-dead/" target="_blank">Peter Straub passed away on September 4, 2022</a> at the age of 79. He guest-starred on <em>One Life to Live</em> and appeared in scenes with Michael Easton’s John McBain a few times over the years.</p>
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23/31
<p>Soaphopper Robert Gentry passed away on September 17, 2022 at the age of 81. He first hit the daytime scene as Brad Murphy on <em>The Doctors</em>. He is also known for his roles on <em>One Life to Live</em> as Giles Morgan, <em>Days of Our Lives</em> as Dr. Hunt, <em>Guiding Light</em> as Dr. Ed Bauer, <em>Another World</em> as Philip Lyons, <em>Generations</em> as Jordan Hale, <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> as Elliott Parker and <em>All My Children</em> as Ross Chandler. </p>
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24/31
<p>Legendary soap leading lady Ann Flood <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/649439/soap-star-dead-ann-flood-all-my-children-edge-of-night/" target="_blank">passed away on October 7, 2022</a>, at the age of 89. She will always be remembered for playing Nancy Pollock Karr on <em>The Edge of Night</em>.</p>
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25/31
<p>Kevin Conroy, who spent 30 years voicing the role of Batman, passed away on November 10, 2022, after a short-term battle with cancer. As for his daytime roles, the 66-year-old actor played Jerry Grove on <em>Another World</em>, as well as Chase Kendall on <em>Search for Tomorrow</em>, and appeared as Bart Fallmont on <em>Dynasty</em>.</p>
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26/31
<p>Daytime great and <em>Days of Our Lives</em> legend John Aniston, who played Victor Kiriakis for over 50 years, <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/news/651910/days-of-our-lives-john-aniston-dead-died-victor-kiriakis/" target="_blank">passed away at 89</a> on November 11, 2022. His daughter, actress Jennifer Aniston, shared the heartbreaking news of her beloved father’s death.</p>
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<p>Soap vet <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/the-young-and-the-restless/news/652372/soap-star-dead-young-restless-robert-clary-died/" target="_blank">Robert Clary passed away</a> on November 16, 2022 at 96. He had roles on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital</em> and <em>The Young and the Restless</em> and spent six years playing Louis LeBeau on <em>Hogan’s Heroes</em>.</p>
Image: Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic/Getty Images
28/31
<p><em>General Hospital</em> vet Sonya Eddy <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/655548/general-hospital-sonya-eddy-dead-epiphany-johnson-died/" target="_blank">passed away on December 19, 2022</a> at the age of 55. She will always be remembered by daytime fans for playing beloved Port Charles nurse Epiphany Johnson. </p>
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29/31
<p>Beloved actress Diane McBain <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/655776/young-restless-general-hospital-days-of-our-lives-diane-mcbain-dead/" target="_blank">passed away on December 21</a> at 81. She’ll be remembered in daytime for her roles on <em>Days of Our Lives, General Hospital</em> and <em>The Young and the Restless</em> and appeared opposite Elvis Presley in the 1966 movie <em>Spinout</em>.</p>
Image: CBS screenshot
30/31
<p>Actress Rita Walter <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/656244/soap-star-dies-rita-mclaughlin-walter-as-the-world-turns-carol/" target="_blank">passed away at 71</a> on December 25, 2022, as reported by her brother David McLaughlin. The actress played the role of Carol Stallings on <em>As the World Turns</em> on and off from 1972 to 1982.</p>
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