On “The Tamron Hall Show,” the eponymous host was excited to welcome guest Maurice Benard, marveling that “General Hospital” has been on the air for 60 years. After praising him for being open about his bipolar disorder, Hall asked when he’d last seen his daughter, Heather. Benard’s emotions bubbled up to the surface when the host surprised him by inviting Heather to come out onto the stage — which she did in her full Air Force uniform, as he’d never seen her in it.
Father and daughter embraced, then Benard sat down, fighting back tears. He was happy to see Heather in her uniform, and joked, “I am so proud of her, and, uh, I can’t talk, so can I leave?” before Heather established that they hadn’t seen each other since October. Benard went on to share with Hall how he and his wife Paula’s adoption of Heather had changed their lives. He explained, “When we adopted her, we were talking in the room, and at one point [Heather] said [to Paula], ‘Can I call you mom?’ and I was gone [crying]. Worse than I am now.”
After the interview, Benard posted a video of himself backstage on Instagram with the caption, “Just did Tamron Hall, and talk about a huge surprise.” In the video, he mentioned his surprise and tears, adding, “[It’s] World Bipolar Day. It’s Vincent Van Gogh’s birthday. Check it out. And watch me cry like a baby.”
Post source: The List
