The Scandal Surrounding Trina's Paternity On General Hospital Explained
Trina Robinson was first introduced to viewers of "General Hospital" in 2017 as one of the young friends of Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy). The character was briefly played by Tiana Le before being recast with Sydney Mikayla until 2022 when the role was taken over by Tabyana Ali. Trina quickly cemented herself as a mainstay on the canvas, being an integral part of the Oscar Nero death storyline and developing meaningful relationships with Cameron Webber (William Lipton) and Ava Jerome (Maura West).
However, as Trina's screen time increased, so did her family's overall presence on the series. In March 2020, "Passions" alum Brooke Kerr joined the soap as Trina's mother, Portia Robinson. Instead of being an entirely new character with no ties to anyone else in Port Charles, it quickly became apparent Portia had a connection to one of Port Charles' favorite men: Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner).
Upon encountering Curtis, Portia was tasked with facing her past, and she didn't live up to the occasion. Instead, already deep in a sea of lies, Portia kept finding herself further submerged in her own mess, drowning in her deception. To catch up on what's happening on "GH" and discover why Portia's currently on the outs with everyone, it's important to revisit her marriage to Marcus Taggert (Réal Andrews) and previous relationship with Curtis. Everything has blown up in Portia's face, and she may never pick up the pieces and gain her family's respect again.
Portia lied to Curtis after they reconnected in Port Charles
Curtis Ashford had one significant question for Portia Robinson after encountering her in Port Charles in 2020. He did the math, saw Portia's daughter fit the correct age, and asked her if there was a chance he was Trina's father. Portia boldly exclaimed that it wasn't a possibility and that her ex-husband Marcus Taggert was Trina's biological father, as everyone believed.
Curtis and Portia's affair had occurred during an emotionally and physically distant time between Portia and Taggert. He was laser-focused on his job in law enforcement and wasn't making time for Portia, which caused her to turn to Curtis. However, once Curtis learned she was married, he called off the relationship, and they didn't see each other again until nearly 20 years later in Port Charles.
Curtis' inquiry about Trina's paternity came at the worst possible time. Taggert was presumed at the time, and Trina vehemently blamed Curtis for her father's demise and would've been a wreck to learn he could possibly be her dad. However, there was no reason to suspect Portia was lying at the time. It wasn't until she and Curtis' ex-wife Jordan Ashford (then Briana Nicole Henry) were faced with possible death that Trina's paternity truly came into question.
A deathbed confession backfired on Portia
During a police investigation, Jordan Ashford and Portia Robinson found themselves locked in a basement with a gas leak together. There was no way out, and running out of oxygen meant certain death. However, Portia made an error in judgment, believing Jordan was unconscious and they were about to perish. She eventually confessed that she was keeping a secret from her daughter about her father, and it wasn't difficult for Jordan to deduce it was about the teen's paternity.
Thankfully, Curtis was able to rescue the two women, and Portia was left praying her new man's ex wouldn't recall the details of her supposed deathbed confession. Portia's hope for the best worked for a while, but eventually, Jordan's hazy memory returned with flashbacks of their night of horrors, and she began putting the pieces together.
Unfortunately for Portia, Jordan looming in the distance as a possible threat to her newfound and secret relationship with Curtis wasn't her only problem. Curtis received a blast from his past that rocked everyone to the core, not only upending everything Curtis thought about his own life but it added new gravity to Portia's paternity secret. Keeping quiet became more complicated when Trina's well-being came into question — and that's the predicament she was put in with the return of Marshall Ashford (Robert Gossett).
Marshall's mental illness made Portia panic
Under normal circumstances, Curtis Ashford's father, Marshall Ashford, returning after decades would have been great news. However, his confession about why he stayed away from his family stirred panic in Portia Robinson. It turned out Marshall dropped out of his children's lives because he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and he was worried about the impact it could have on them. Given Portia's career as a doctor, she knew the possibility of the disease being passed on to future generations.
If Trina were indeed Curtis' biological daughter, she would be in danger of possibly developing the mental illness with no previous warning. Portia pushed Marshall to get genetic testing done, which she claimed was out of concern for Curtis, though she wanted to know how many genetic markers he had for the disease. The results were inconclusive, leaving the ambiguity of Trina's paternity a lingering problem. In theory, Jordan could have kept quiet about her suspicions after remembering Portia's confession. Still, she wasn't going to sit idly by and watch the other woman continue to lie to the man she was planning on walking down the aisle with.
Jordan pushed for the truth to come out
Not only did Jordan Ashford remember Portia Robinson talking about Trina's paternity, but she began actively campaigning for Portia to divulge the truth to Curtis. It was a complicated dynamic for Portia to navigate because if Curtis reacted negatively, Jordan could benefit from the rift between them. Jordan hadn't wanted to divorce Curtis, and even though their marriage was over, Portia's secret could serve as the opening she needed to be reunited with her former flame. However, despite Jordan's insistence, Portia held off on telling Curtis about his potential fatherhood.
However, Jordan has confided in someone who wasn't known for holding her tongue. Telling Curtis' brash and outspoken aunt Stella Henry (Vernee Watson) was the beginning of the end for Portia's happy family. Though things began unraveling once Stella became privy to the information, Portia was too concerned with preparing for her upcoming wedding to Curtis to realize the impending danger.
Stella had been set to officiate the ceremony, but she backed out at the last minute, shifting duties to beloved Port Charles mayor Laura Collins (Genie Francis). Stella decided to skip the wedding, raising many eyebrows. Trina, in particular, couldn't fathom why she wouldn't be there for her nephew's big day and was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Everything was revealed at Curtis and Portia's wedding
Portia Robinson and Curtis Ashford's Valentine's Day wedding was everything they could have dreamed of, but by the end of the night, it turned into a nightmare. Trina Robinson thought Stella Henry skipping out on the wedding was a peculiar choice, so she took it upon herself to leave the reception to find out the real reason she didn't show. Stella was stunned to see Trina and Spencer Cassadine (Nicholas Chavez) at her door, but she reluctantly let them in.
It didn't take long for the kids to figure out that she had lied about being ill, which prompted a series of questions about why she didn't attend. All Stella told them was she had learned something that made her unable to participate in good faith and told Trina to ask her mother about it. Trina arrived back at the reception in a foul mood, and Portia's heart sank. Once she learned Trina wanted to see Stella, it became obvious what was about to come out, so she asked Trina to speak in a private room away from the rest of the guests.
After Trina confronted Portia, the truth was finally revealed. It was a moment two decades in the making. Portia confessed that there was a strong possibility Curtis was Trina's biological father, and the dad she thought was hers all of her life might not be. Trina was devastated by the news, as were Curtis and Taggert, and none of their relationships have been the same since. Only a paternity test will be able to answer the question once and for all.