It's been rumored for several weeks, but Rebecca Budig (Greenlee Smythe) has now confirmed that she will be exiting All My Children sometime in early 2009. The actress reprised her Emmy-nominated role in January when she signed a one-year deal that brought with it a wave of controversy.
"It's true," Rebecca said in an interview with SOAPnet. "I'll be leaving All My Children."
Fans of Budig still have a few more months to get used to the fact that the actress will be leaving. Though an exact date has not yet been set for Greenlee's exit, the story apparently has.
"I'll be on until early spring. It's a really, really great exit. The story is amazing," Budig adds.
Budig returned to All My Children in January 2008 after a two-year-absence from the show. During her away time, All My Children opted in March 2007 to recast the role of Greenlee with newcomer Sabine Singh. Some fans were upset with the recast, but others grew to eventually accept Singh's portrayal of the role originated by Budig. When the news broke that Budig would be returning to All My Children, ABC aired a series of commercials touting the return of "the real Greenlee." Viewers who had become fans of the so-called "NuGreenlee" felt the promos were a slap in the face, made more insulting by the abrupt decision to fire Singh.
Now a year into her return, Budig opted not to green-light an option that would have allowed her to stay with the show for another year. The toll of having to lead a bicoastal life -- husband Bob Guiney lives in Los Angeles, where he had Budig settled after her 2006 exit from All My Children -- has become too difficult.
