'The Young and the Restless' actor Christian LeBlanc discusses the struggle of being gay with ‘General Hospital vet Maurice Benard

Christian LeBlanc has been portraying Attorney Michael Baldwin on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS since 1991. He went through a period where he was not being given any scenes on the CBS soap but lately, to the delight of his fans he has been front and center. The actor was born in Fort Brag, North Carolina but grew up in New Orleans. His parents were a Creole mother and a Cajun father and the popular soap star is the second of 8 children.

Maurice Benard portrays mob boss Sonny Corinthos on GENERAL HOSPITAL and was born Mauricio Jose Morales in Martinez, California,. His parents Martha, and Humberto Morales are of Nicaraguan and Salvadorian descent. Bernard who is bipolar hosts a Vlog talk show STATE OF MIND that deal with mental illness. Christian LeBlanc was a recent guest on the show and the two men examined some serious subjects. Benard has been open with his fans about his mental health journey that began over 30 years ago.

The two beloved daytime stars talked about their own personal issues in the entertainment industry, mental health, and other subjects. LeBlanc shared that his brother died at age 25 from Aids and was made to feel that his diagnosis was because of a moral failing. He added: "Make no mistake about it the government killed my brother." This statement probably alludes to the manner in which President Ronald Reagan handled the Aids crisis and was harshly criticized for not addressing the pandemic when it first began in 1981.

Aids was first labeled gay men's pneumonia and later a Haitian disease. When people outside of those groups began being diagnosed with HIV things took a turn. President Reagan finally addressed the issue during a press conference in 1985 and in several speeches in 1987. It was revealed that he did so because he had been pressured by his wife First Lady Nancy and his son Ron Reagan Jr. Some Americans believe that had the president dealt with this health crisis earlier then many lives might have been spared.

Benard and LeBlac have a fun and informative session where the GENERAL HOSPITAL star opens up about his own personal struggles and taking Lithium for 30 years and now having Lexipro added. The soap vet from THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS talks about the many interventions he has been a part of with those he cares about. One of the most disheartening portions of the interview was when Christian LeBlanc spoke about a troubling aspect of being gay. You can listen to the interview by clicking on the following link.

LeBlanc admitted to Benard that he has been married for 28 years but will not hold his husband's hand in public because of bias towards homosexuals. Meanwhile, Maurice Benard and his wife Paula have been married for 30 years and can freely be seen together in public holding hands without scrutiny. There are numerous images across the Internet of Maurice and Paula but if there are any of LeBlanc and his husband they have not been identified.

For decades the Y&R actor did not address whether he was gay, straight, dating, or married with children. Bio's and articles simply assumed he was single but now thanks to the interview with Benard, fans have a bit more insight into why the soap vet kept his romantic life and marriage private.A number of those who watch THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS are responding to the interview by saying they had no idea that Leblanc was gay.

On the CBS soap, Christian LeBlanc's character Michael Baldwin has been married to his wife Lauren (Tracey Bregman) since December of 2005. They have had their ups and downs but remain one of the most beloved couples on daytime television. Y&R fans have been thrilled to see more of this duo in Genoa City. LeBlanc deciding to go completely gray during the pandemic was a big hit with fans who love his natural look.

On GENERAL HOSPITAL Sonny Corinthos has been married at least 4 times to his wife Carly, (Laura Wright) and right now Bernard is portraying Mike. This is wjo Sonny believes himself to be after getting amnesia. Be sure to keep up with these two men each weekday afternoon on their respective soaps. Y&R airs at 12:30 PM EST and GH can be seen at 2:00 on ABC.