It's been a heartbreaking few months for fans of former General Hospital star Vanessa Marcil (ex-Brenda). Nearly every month, rumors that the actress is planning a return to the show pop up on the Internet. The rumors have been shot down by Marcil almost as quickly as they surface.

In August, fans once again had their hopes raised by an announcement that Marcil had landed a recurring part on the ABC primetime series NYPD Blue. Marcil had signed on to replace actress Rosa Arredondo in the role of Carmen Olivera. Just a few weeks later, it was announced that Marcil's stint on the cop series had been cut to just one episode.

Almost immediately rumors surfaced that Marcil's stint was cut short because she was "difficult" to work with. A spokesperson for Marcil quickly moved to squash that report. According to the spokesperson, Marcil was "not fired" from NYPD Blue, but rather the writers decided not to pursue the character the way they had originally intended.

Now comes word that there was another reason for the character to be dumped - Marcil and fiancé Brian Austin Green are said to be expecting the birth of their first child. The news first appeared on a Marcil fan site last month. The posting went on to say that Marcil had been ordered to bed rest by her doctor.

The following week a fan who met Marcil at a recent charity claimed that Marcil was not pregnant. The unidentified fan, however, did confirm that Marcil was suffering from an undisclosed ailment and was being asked to rest up.

Calls to Marcil's rep seeking and official statement went unanswered.