Former Beloved GH Star Antonio Sabàto Jr. Closes The Door On Longtime Relationship
Once upon a time Antonio, Sabàto Jr. was a fan-favorite (albeit relatively short-lived) cast member on ABC's long-running soap opera "General Hospital." He played Jagger Cates on the show from 1992 to 1995, briefly reprising his role on the spinoff, "General Hospital: Night Shift," in 2008. In typical soap fashion, despite his relatively brief stint, Sabàto's character had at least two love interests — Cari Shayne's Karen Wexler and Vanessa Marcil's Brenda Barrett. In real life, however, it seems Sabàto is newly single. In one fell swoop news broke that he'd not only been engaged to his partner of nearly a decade, but also that she had since decided to call things off.
On July 30, TMZ revealed Sabàto and longtime girlfriend Katia Fernandez had gone their separate ways after she ended their engagement, which the couple had not yet publicly announced. (Interestingly enough, though, The Boca Raton Observer referred to Fernandez as Sabàto's fiancée in a 2020 interview with the actor.) TMZ's sources implied Fernandez felt the relationship had simply run its course as the breakup wasn't prompted by a dramatic event or revelation. What's more, Sabàto and Fernandez are reportedly keeping things amicable as they each transition into single life.
There are conflicting reports on when the two actually got together, but TMZ estimates they began dating around 2016.
Antonio Sabàto Jr. seems to be focusing on his career post-breakup
If Antonio Sabàto Jr. is reeling from his breakup with former fiancée Katia Fernandez, he certainly isn't letting it show on social media. In fact, both the day TMZ broke the news about the breakup and the day after, Sabàto simply carried on making promotional posts on Instagram for his next film, "4:26," which ironically seems to feature marriage as a prominent theme.
Of course, to many, Sabàto will always be Jagger Cates from "General Hospital." However, the show has changed quite a bit since his initial departure nearly 30 years ago. In fact, even when Jagger (the character) returned to the fold in 2024, Sabàto did not, with Adam J. Harrington taking over the role. That said, Sabàto has kept relatively busy in the years following his stint on ABC's flagship soap opera. He enjoyed roles on "Melrose Place" and "Charmed" for a time shortly after the fact. More recently, he competed on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2014.