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Maurice Benard’s Real-Life Family: A Look at His Children
We all Know Maurice Benard as the mob boss Sonny Corinthos from General Hospital. He first joined the show back in 1993 and the rest is history. The fans absolutely adore him; he is one of the icons of the soap industry, who isn’t just killing it on TV but is also actively diving into the world of mental health with his podcast, “State of Mind.”
When he’s not playing the tough guy on screen, he’s just a regular dad at home with his four awesome kids and his wife, Paula Benard, who he has been married to since 1990. He’s got Cailey Sofia, Cassidy Rose, Heather Rose, and Joshua James running around, keeping him on his toes. And let me tell you, being a mob boss on screen doesn’t hold a candle to being a dad off-screen.
Now, Maurice is all about his family. Like, seriously, being a dad is his jam. And you know what? He’s picked up some pretty solid life lessons from playing Sonny. Like, family always comes first, no matter what. Sonny taught him that loyalty and protecting your loved ones is key. In an interview with Soaps back in 2020, he said, “It’s okay to be a family man, and a good thing to be loyal and protective of your family. Also, it’s not good to be so wound up.”
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For Maurice, his kids are his pride. Cailey, his eldest daughter, born in 1994, is a graduate from the University of San Diego. And the lucky dad even got to officiate her wedding to her husband Carlos in 2020. He took to his Instagram to show his one of the happiest days, and wrote, “Never in my life did I think I would marry anyone, especially not one of my daughters. Marrying Cailey and Carlos was an honor and a privilege, not to mention very very sweet.”
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Then comes his second daughter, Cassidy, who is now 24 years old and is basically the spitting image of her mom, Paula. Maurice can’t stop raving about how sweet she is, and honestly, who can blame him? On a birthday post, he wrote, “Cassidy has a sweet nature, I truly don’t believe she doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. She is the epitome of beautiful inside and out. I love my baby girl more than she knows. I actually marvel and admire her sweet soul.” Oh, and did we mention that Cassidy’s boyfriend actually helps edit Maurice’s podcast, State of Mind?
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Benard’s third daughter, Heather, is actually adopted, and his and Puala’s journey to it is the sweetest. Heather, who happens to be Paula’s half-sister, became part of the Benard family back in 2008, when she was just 15. And let me tell you, their reunion on “The Tamron Hall Show” in 2023 was nothing but super emotional. Heather comes on stage in her Air Force uniform, leaving her dad Maurice fighting back tears. He even choked up, saying, “I am so proud of her, and, uh, I can’t talk, so can I leave?”
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Now, let’s talk about Maurice and Paula’s youngest kid, Joshua. This young dude is catching the eyes of “General Hospital” fans for all the right reasons, because just like his old man, Joshua’s making waves on the show as an actor. He stepped into the role of Adam Wright in 2022, when he was only 17, and let’s just say, talent runs in the family.
During the January 7, 2024, episode of “State of Mind,” Joshua spilled the beans that his dad has been giving out acting advice and teaching him to think on his feet. Besides acting, Joshua is also into music. Maurice showed off his proud dad moment on Instagram in December 2023, when he posted saying, “You know you’re a lucky father when you have a son who is talented, smart, doesn’t drink, do drugs, social media, just wants to improve his life and who he is!!!”
For Benard it’s obvious he loves his family the most and keeps them as his utmost priority. Back in 2014, in an Instagram post with his wife and kids, he said, “I love my family. I don’t know what I’d do without their support. I think every father is a lucky man.” He has an amazing family and the kids are definitely lucky to have a father like him.