Ingo Rademacher Files New Motion in Court Battle Against ABC Which Includes ‘General Hospital’s’ Decision to Rehire Steve Burton

Things just got a bit uglier in the ongoing court drama between ABC and former General Hospital star, Ingo Rademacher (ex-Jasper Jacks). Previously, the network claimed that Ingo’s decision not to get the mandated Covid-19 vaccine during the pandemic was based on health concerns and reasons and not on any held religious belief.

Ingo maintained the mandate was a violation of his right to privacy under the law. Because he was let go by the network after 25 years as Jax, Ingo was seeking damages. Then, back in June of 2023, the court sided with ABC and dismissed Rademacher’s claims.

Rademacher has since appealed, and in a new motion brought to light by court documents obtained by In Touch, Ingo is asking the the court to have ABC fix a paperwork issue that he needs done to continue with his appeal. However, he also asked that the court reopen the summary judgment proceedings so it can consider new evidence that “provides compelling support for his political discrimination claim: namely, evidence that ABC rehired Steve Burton, even after he was fired for not complying with the Covid-19 mandate.”

Burton was rehired by GH at the end of 2023 and began his on-screen return in March of 2024, far after the Covid-19 pandemic was changing the way productions were shot to protect the health of its cast and crew, at that time.

In the new motion, Ingo’s lawyer argued, “ABC’s rehiring of Mr. Burton, which occurred while this case was on appeal confirms that ABC got rid of Ingo because it did not like his political views. It confirms that ABC did not merely lay Ingo off, with the intent of bringing him back later, as it did with (Steve) It re-cast his role. It replaced him, or is in the process of replacing him, with another actor.”

Additional claims are that GH and ABC had intended to terminate Ingo’s contract with the soap by the summer of 2021, which was,“before Disney issued the mandatory vaccination policy.”

Furthermore, Ingo’s lawyer is adding to the motion, “That Steve also refused to get the COVID-19 shot. But unlike Ingo, ABC did not have any political animus toward (Steve). It did not talk about “recasting” his character during 2021.” The network argued Steve’s rehiring, “is completely irrelevant and raises no triable issue of fact in this case.”

Recently, the court denied Rademacher’s request to reopen discovery at a recent hearing. However his appeal is ongoing.