On Wednesday, January 20, while President Joe Biden was taking the oath of office of the president of the United States, former “Port Charles” and “General Hospital” actress Erin Hershey Presley (ex-Amanda Barrington) was shooting off emails to fellow parents about her daughter’s teacher’s plan to give their class the opportunity to skip in order to watch the 59th presidential inauguration.
According to TMZ, which first reported the news, Hershey Presley stated in an email that she didn’t want her daughter watching the inauguration because she’d never let them “watch a criminal.”
Additional comments from the email chain, obtained by TMZ, include Hershey Presley saying to the teacher and other parents, “Why watch a criminal on television? I’d never do that to my children. But thank you.”
A fellow parent thanked the teacher for their consideration and told Hershey Presley “no matter the person taking office, we are lucky to be able to watch moments like this,” to which Hershey Presley responded, “I don’t think we are lucky at all to watch a flat out joke.”
In an unquoted statement released to TMZ, Hershey Presley told the publication that she stood by what she said in her emails and has no regrets in sending them.
Hershey Presley is married to her former “PC” co-star Brian Presley (ex-Jack Ramsey). They have three children together, a son and two daughters.
In January 2013, Hershey Presley reprised her role of Alison on “GH” after a 13-year absence — she last appeared on the soap in 2000 during scenes for the Nurse’s Ball charity event, which at the time took place on both “GH” and “PC.”
You can watch a clip of Hershey Presley’s return to “GH” alongside on-screen son Jimmy Deshler (ex-Rafe) below.