The Real-Life Romance Of General Hospital's Michael Saucedo And Rebecca Herbst
When Rebecca Herbst joined "General Hospital" in 1997, she was just 20 years old. She originated the role of Elizabeth Webber and told Soap Opera Digest in August 2017 she never imagined she would spend more than two decades in the role. She also may not have anticipated meeting her husband on the set, but that's exactly what happened. After connecting thanks to "General Hospital," Herbst and her husband, Michael Saucedo, have gone on to raise three children together and celebrate more than 20 years of marriage.
When Herbst first arrived to audition for "General Hospital," it was the role of Sarah Webber she hoped to land. She did not get that role, as it originally went to Jennifer Sky. However, the show contacted her just weeks later to see if she would take on the role of Sarah's sister, Elizabeth. Until Herbst had auditioned, the part of Elizabeth had not even existed. Soon after Liz arrived in Port Charles, a romance developed with the legacy character of Lucky Spencer. Ultimately, however, it was Saucedo who caught her attention in real life. Saucedo joined "General Hospital" in 1999, playing Juan Santiago. Juan was the son of Sonny Corinthos' first wife, Lily Rivera, and her former fiance, Miguel Morez. Liz and Juan were never an item, as he was involved with her best friend, Emily Quartermaine, for a while. Despite that, Herbst and Saucedo became close off-screen.
Rebecca Herbst and Michael Saucedo wed in 2001
Rebecca Herbst and Michael Saucedo got married on June 1, 2001. They were already expecting their first child together then, and the "General Hospital" stars welcomed Ethan Riley in October 2001. The couple's second child, Ella Bailey, joined the family in April 2004, and another son, Emerson Truett, arrived in August 2010. During a date night prior to Emerson's arrival, Herbst told People, "The kids went with us when I had the ultrasound done, so we were all told [the baby's gender] at the same time!" The "General Hospital" star added that Ethan was excited to have a little brother, but Ella was less enthusiastic. "Ella will be [thrilled]... eventually," she quipped.
When Saucedo shared the news of their third child's arrival, noted Soap Central, he explained, "After much deliberation baby's name is Emerson Truett Saucedo. We weren't going 'E' [for the first name] but at the last hour it just clicked." The former "General Hospital" star added, "Becky is doing great." While neither Herbst nor Saucedo post to social media frequently with their children being older, he used to tweet kid-related tidbits fairly frequently. "Almost showtime," he tweeted in July 2016 as his daughter Ella prepared a performance that involved a keyboard and guitar. On Emerson's birthday in 2017, Saucedo posted a photo on Twitter and explained, "My birthday boy chowing down at #IHOP ... @RebeccaLHerbst and I tried to convince him to do another year at 6 but he said no."
Rebecca Herbst and Michael Saucedo's partnership has remained strong
In August 2017, Rebecca Herbst reflected on meeting Michael Saucedo via "General Hospital." She told Soap Opera Digest, "I don't know quite how to express the gratitude and love I have for 'GH' and to think back and go, 'Had I not taken this job, maybe I wouldn't have met Michael.'" She added, "I can't even imagine my life without him or my children, so I definitely know that I made the right decision!"
During an August 2022 podcast episode of "Dishing With Digest," Herbst recalled it took a year of working with Saucedo before a romance began. Before the two started dating, Herbst recalled, she had noticed Saucedo as kind, respectful, sweet, and mature. Once the two soap opera stars began having kids, the couple explained during a 2004 episode of "Soap Talk" that Saucedo stayed home to care for them while also studying online to be a lawyer.
Saucedo joked about being at the bottom of the totem pole at home, coming after the kids and pets. Luckily, Herbst didn't seem to object to his description of life at home during that season of their lives together. The couple's relationship has seemingly remained solid after all their years of marriage. For Mother's Day 2017, Herbst tweeted some family photos and noted, "To the man who loves us every single day. Thank you for giving me such an incredible weekend."