Sasha's History With Substance Use On General Hospital
The following article discusses drugs and drug use.
Sasha Gilmore has been played by actor Sofia Mattsson on "General Hospital" since the character's inception in 2018, per IMDb. The character was first introduced when private investigator Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) was helping Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) search for her biological daughter, according to Soaps in Depth. Though Sasha claims she wasn't adopted, a DNA test soon proves the two women are parent and child. While in Port Charles, Sasha forms a close bond with Nina and begins dating Michael Corinthos (Chad Duell), which entices her to put down roots in town.
Eventually, Sasha reveals to Michael that she had been hired by Valentine Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) to pose as Nina's daughter and that she had only agreed because she desperately needed cash to pay for her grandmother's medical bills. Sasha admitted she was feeling immense guilt now that she had no family left and had come to love Nina as a mother. Lulu Falconeri (Emme Rylan) inadvertently discovered the truth and revealed it to everyone at Nina and Valentin's wedding, destroying the relationship between the lovers and "mother and daughter," via Soaps. Over time, Nina and Sasha were able to mend fences, and Sasha continued to thrive in her relationship with Michael and her new position as co-owner-slash-model for the cosmetics company, Deception. However, such a glamorous lifestyle comes with its own pitfalls, as Sasha soon discovered.
Sasha's drug use started as a way to cope with stress
By May 2020, Sasha's happiness had come to a screeching halt. Her perfect relationship with Michael Corinthos was upended when his son Wiley's mother Nelle Benson (Chloe Lanier) tried to get custody of the little boy, according to Geeks. Michael's attorney told him he needed to get married to an upstanding citizen — which Sasha was not — in order to bolster his chances of winning the custody battle. Sasha, Michael, and their friend Harrison Chase (Josh Swickard) all agreed that Chase's girlfriend Willow Tait (Katelyn McMullen) was the perfect person to marry Michael, but she refused. Sasha and Chase put their heads together and agreed to make it look like they cheated on Michael and Willow in order to push them together, via Soaps. Their plan worked, and Michael and Willow were soon married and awarded custody of Wiley. However, Sasha and Chase were devastated to lose the people they loved, despite their good intentions.
At the same time when Sasha was getting publicly shamed by everyone she knew for cheating on Michael, her company Deception was about to launch and she was under immense pressure to be the perfect model and businesswoman. In a dressing room before a photoshoot, Sasha was in the midst of a panic attack when a makeup artist offered her some cocaine to help her get through the day, per Celebrating the Soaps. Thus began Sasha's drug use, which would unfortunately lead her down a dangerous path.
Sasha got mixed up with dangerous criminal Cyrus Renault
Over the months following Sasha Gilmore's first drug use, her stress continued to mount due to her broken heart and high-intensity job. She continued to use, and her supplier was revealed to be Port Charles drug kingpin Cyrus Renault (Jeff Kober), per Soap Dirt. Sasha pretended to entertain the older man's interest in exchange for drugs, resulting in even more public judgment. Her time with Cyrus proved to be dangerous when she experienced an overdose-induced heart attack at his apartment, and he told his goon to "get rid of her," via Soap Opera Spy. Luckily for Sasha, the goon happened to be Brando Corbin (Johnny Wactor), who was working undercover for Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) to get dirt on Cyrus. Rather than let her die, Brando brought Sasha to the hospital where she was able to recover.
Michael, Chase, and Willow all rallied around Sasha during her health crisis, and the truth of Sasha and Chase's deception was revealed. Upon waking, Sasha was ashamed and alarmed to learn of the extent of her injuries, but is happy to be back in her friend's good graces. She claimed she was done using drugs, and she and Michael briefly reunited — as did Chase and Willow — before they all realized that Michael and Willow belong together. Sasha turned to Brando to soothe her sorrows, since he had been extremely kind to her, and they had a one-night stand that resulted in a pregnancy, according to Soaps in Depth.
Sasha spiraled after the death of her baby
When Sasha and Brando discovered she was pregnant, he quickly quit his job with Cyrus Renault — who was sent to prison not long afterward — and they began to date. The happy couple continued to grow closer as the arrival of their little one neared. Brando took on several odd jobs (even stripping!) to provide for their child since Sasha had banned him from the mob, much to his mother Gladys Corbin's (Bonnie Burroughs) dismay.
However, tragedy soon struck when Sasha went into labor while trapped in a back room at the Jerome art gallery and later had to have an emergency C-section. Sasha and Brando's son Liam had been deprived of oxygen for too long and was declared brain-dead. Tragically, the new parents were forced to say goodbye to their baby, according to Soaps in Depth.
Sasha was devastated by the death of her son and tried to cope with the pain by throwing herself into work. However, on a trip to Niagara Falls with Brando, Sasha once again turned to drugs to ease her suffering. After taking some mysterious pills, Sasha convinced Brando that they should elope, and the two were hastily married, per TV Season Spoilers. The couple returned to Port Charles and attempted to get back to regular life, but both were still grieving Liam — and Sasha pulled away from Brando every time he tried to discuss it.
Sasha's drug use led to even more trouble
Sasha Corbin was able to hide her continued drug use until a paparazzo named Felty (Brian Norris) snapped a photo of the "Face of Deception" with mysterious pills in her possession, via Soaps Spoilers. She had done an interview on national television discussing her drug use following her heart attack, and Sasha was desperate to keep the relapse quiet from the public. In an effort to help her, her mother-in-law Gladys Corbin stole the memory card out of the photographer's camera, and the two took off. While trying to outrun the photographer, Sasha inadvertently hit Willow Tait's mother Harmony Miller (Inga Cadranel) with her car, killing her, per Soaps in Depth. Thankfully, Sasha was cleared of all wrongdoing when it was discovered that Harmony had run out into the middle of the road while fleeing from the police.
Later, Felty made a deal with Sasha to get his memory card back in exchange for access to more drugs, and she agreed, via Soap Opera Spy. Luckily, Gladys was able to intercept Felty, convince him to delete the photos he had of Sasha, and then moved in with Sasha and Brando. That way, Gladys could keep a closer eye on Sasha and help her stay clean — although both women continued to keep the truth from Brando.
Sasha continues to deal with the consequences of her drug use
Despite Gladys Corbin's best attempts to help her daughter-in-law, Sasha continued to use drugs to help her cope with stress and anxiety, particularly after she discovers her friend Willow Tait is pregnant, via Daytime Confidential. In July 2022, Sasha was filming an infomercial for Deception when she was asked to model a baby carrier. The host put a doll in the carrier while she was wearing it, causing Sasha to have a break with reality on live television and begin talking to the doll as if it was her son Liam. Her husband Brando rushed her to the hospital where she finally admitted to her substance abuse disorder and was placed on a psychiatric hold, according to SoapHub.
Following her release, Sasha refused to go to rehab despite her loved ones' best attempts to convince her, though she agreed to outpatient therapy, via Soap Central. Unfortunately, Sasha skipped her first appointment, which resulted in an argument with Brando. She has yet to receive the proper treatment to treat her substance abuse disorder.
To make matters worse, Sasha recently discovered that slimy reporter Smoltz (David Lautman) was working with Sienna (Cynthia Zitter), the makeup artist who had offered her drugs, to try to get Sasha to relapse and admit to her addiction on tape so they could sell the story, via Soaps. When Sasha confronted the pair, Smoltz taunted her by bringing up Liam. In a rage, Sasha then trashed Smoltz's car and was promptly arrested. Unfortunately for "GH," many fans are disappointed that all of Sasha's storylines seem to revolve around her suffering. Hopefully, the character has finally hit rock bottom and can begin to put her life back together.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).