Who was Olivia Jerome on ‘General Hospital?’

Olivia Jerome has been put through the wringer in Port Charles. From fake deaths to stints in prison and asylum, the queen of the Jerome family carved her spot among General Hospital royalty with brief but remarkable story arcs.

The daughter of mob boss Victor Jerome, Olivia’s character dates back to 1988 but is still being mentioned in General Hospital today. As recently as February 2024, the popular female villain returned to the soap opera in an unexpected and shocking way, leaving some fans very displeased.

What happened to Olivia Jerome on General Hospital?

If you’ve been watching General Hospital lately, you might have caught some references to a prisoner named Olivia Jerome. On the episode of Feb. 15, Anna DeVane is informed Olivia was killed during a prison transport from Pentonville Penitentiary. Two masked men ambushed the van, tied up the guards, and took Olivia only to execute her minutes later. Anna, Jordan, and Dante are convinced someone is targeting organized crime leaders after an attempt on Sonny’s life and now Olivia’s sudden murder.

Recent General Hospital fans might not remember the shared history between Olivia and Anna. Those who have been watching the show for years, however, know the former once terrorized Port Charles in a quest for revenge, and Anna was one of her biggest victims.

What is Olivia Jerome’s history on General Hospital?

As mentioned, Olivia was Victor Jerome’s daughter and the sister of Julian Jerome. In true soap fashion, their relationship was a web of alliances, betrayal, murder, and obsession that would take a small book to detail. The two alternated between fierce competition to succeed Victor for control over the family business and partnership whenever it became convenient.

Between them was Duke Lavery, one of Victor’s henchmen, and Julian’s best friend with whom Olivia was in love (more like fixated on). He was also Anna’s husband at the time. After a dizzying amount of twists and turns, Julian and Olivia paired up to try to kill Duke, only to accidentally cause Anna to miscarry their unborn child instead. When Olivia tried to come clean, Julian shot her.

For decades she was thought to be dead, but Olivia was resurrected in 2017 for a second, much more vicious stint in Port Charles. In her quest to somehow bring Duke back to life and make Julian pay for the years he stole from her while she was exiled in China, she hurt and even killed a fair share of General Hospital characters, including Anna who she threatened at gunpoint.

In the end, it was a tragic ending for Olivia again as she was arrested for Morgan Corinthos murder (a hit she ordered and that was meant for brother Julian). She was sentenced to D’Archam Asylum in March 2017 and in her very last scenes, Sonny Corinthos promises her that if she ever escapes, she will pay for Morgan’s death and Olivia is dragged off by prison guards screaming.

Is Olivia Jerome dead for good on General Hospital?

Most fans feel cheated that Olivia was eventually killed off-screen after two bombastic runs in the late 80s and 2017 that impacted the lives of so many main General Hospital characters. An unceremonious ending for the mobster, but it does look like this time it will be final.

The fact that it was off-screen might make it less believable but Anna, who so often crossed paths with Olivia over the years, saw her body and confirmed her identity. Plastic surgery face swaps and other even stranger plots have been known to contradict even the clearest of soap deaths, though, so who knows what the future holds for the queen of the Jerome family? After all, she’s been dead before.

Who played Olivia Jerome on General Hospital?

Olivia was played by beloved actress Tonja Walker. Walker, who’s most famous for playing Alex Olanov on One Life to Live, has expressed her dissatisfaction with the underwhelming conclusion to Olivia’s character arc on General Hospital. The 63-year-old took to X to react to the news that ABC had chosen to kill Olivia off-screen, saying “It doesn’t feel good to be disposed with.” Walker also confessed to having a preference for the version of Olivia from 1988, and that what General Hospital did with the character in 2017 didn’t align with the backstory she had created for her.

“I loved her especially the real her. The one I was before my brother killed me. The last stint was totally not Olivia, she’d gone way past that.”

The actress also accused ABC of firing her for tweeting the hashtag “#Standfortheanthem” in 2017 in reaction to former football star Colin Kaepernick’s protest against racial injustice in the United States by kneeling during the anthem. “They killed my character off-camera. Like a husband who informs a wife of divorce from a cell phone. I loved that company, that job, and needed it. My husband was terminally ill. I wrote #Standfortheanthem on X in ‘17. Story ended next morning. Haven’t been back.#lifelessons.”