Erika Slezak accepts the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in May 2005
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The great Erika Slezak — a record-holding six-time Daytime Emmy winner for her run as One Life to Live‘s Viki (and sometimes Niki et al) — has inked a short-term deal to appear on ABC‘s General Hospital.

The jaw-dropping news was delivered via Slezak’s longtime fan club president, Walter Miller.

“Erika has just informed me she has signed a short-term contract with ABC’s General Hospital,” Miller posted to ErikaSlezak.com on Thursday. “At this time, Erika does not know which character she will be playing or when her scenes will air, but [she] is excited to be working again with executive producer Frank Valentini and the cast of GH!”

Valentini was the boss at OLTL from 2003 until its very end.

“I am thrilled to confirm that my dear friend and former One Life to Live colleague, Erika Slezak, will appear on General Hospital this fall,” Valentini confirmed via X. “Stay tuned as we prepare to introduce another daytime legend to Port Charles.”

The daughter of Tony Award-winning Austrian actor Walter Slezak (but no relation to TVLine alumni Michael), Slezak famously first auditioned for All My Children and the role of nurse Mary Kennicott back in 1971 — albeit unsuccessfully. Instead, and fortuitously, she was offered the role of OLTL‘s Victoria “Viki” Lord Riley. She made her OLTL debut in 1971, and stuck with it until 2013 — including as part of the show’s short-lived, dying breath on Prospect Park’s The Online Network.

Slezak earned her first Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 1983, grabbed gold for the first time the following year, and then claimed Emmys again in 1986, 1992, 1995 and 1996. (Yes, she holds the record for most wins in the Outstanding Lead Actress category.)

Houston Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his illegal hit to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the ensuing brawl between the teams in a lengthy statement on social media.  

Al-Shaair’s statement comes as his three-game suspension as a result of the incident has ended and he is slated to return to the field for the Texans on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

On December 1, an Al-Shaair hit to the head of a sliding and defenseless Lawrence caused chaos in Jacksonville. The defensive back needed to be restrained by several coaches and Lawrence has not played since taking the barbaric contact.

‘While so many jumped at the first opportunity to hop on the false narrative – that l’m a dirty player or bad person – the messages from all who stood by me were the only things keeping me mentally afloat during a time of isolation,’ Al-Shaair said on social media.

‘I’ve learned so much from this entire experience. Seeing myself on video – letting my emotions get the best of me to the point where I completely lost it – was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment for me.’

‘I’ve had to earn everything in my life. I never want to allow anyone to get me to a point where I jeopardize everything that I’ve worked all my life to obtain. That was not the way I want to represent myself or my family and I will continue to learn and grow from that moment.’

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Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence

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The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence

Al-Shaair said during his three-game ban, he met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league executives for the first time, taking issue with how he was characterized in the official announcement of his suspension.

The defender said he thought his character and integrity were ‘unjustifiably smeared’ in the release but the meeting with Goodell and others was ‘productive’ and gave him hope it would not happen again.

‘In that conversation – man-to-man – I owned and acknowledged that my actions following my ejection were careless and, in that moment, I didn’t think about the responsibility I have been blessed with to represent the shield,’ Al-Shaair continued.

‘I also stated that the letter, and specifically the language used in the letter, was equally as careless and conveyed that the context of the words used were not a reflection of my character, nor my career, as I have not been warned multiple times for my play on the field.’

Al-Shaair’s hit on Lawrence was not the only controversial incident he was involved in this season.

During the Texans’ game against the Bears in September, he punched Roschon Johnson, who wasn’t even in the game at the time of another sideline confrontation.

Al-Shaair ended his statement by saying his view is that everyone in the league office and on the field are on the same team to represent the NFL in the best nature possible, something he failed to do earlier this month.

‘Lastly, I’ll say that this world is full of negative people who can’t wait to tear you down, but if you move with love and compassion, the seeds of good you planted in others’ lives can grow into the very tree that shades you with comfort and compassion when you need it most,’ Al-Shaair concluded.

‘I am a man of God, I am a leader, a warrior and a lover. I am also a hell of a football player and I’m grateful to be back doing what I love.’