Genie Francis has slammed the General Hospital rape scene she filmed as Laura.

While speaking at the ABC Television Critics Association press conference, the General Hospital star – who played Laura on the show – addressed a scene which aired in 1979.

The scene depicted Laura being raped by her husband-to-be Luke, played by Anthony Geary.

“You know, as a young kid, at 17, I was told to play rape, and I played it,” Genie commented of filming the scene, via Entertainment Weekly.

She added “I didn’t even know what it was. But, at 17, you follow the rules, and you do as you are told, and you aim to please.”

The Daytime Emmy Award winner continued that time has changed her view of the scene’s subject matter.

“At 60, I don’t feel the need to defend that anymore,” she said. “I think that the story was inappropriate, I don’t condone it, and it’s been a burden that I’ve had to carry to try to justify that story, and so I’m not doing that anymore. When a woman says ‘No,’ she should be listened to, and if you replay that scene, you don’t have Laura just saying ‘No,’ you have her screaming ‘No.’”

Genie joined General Hospital as Laura in 1977 and exited in 1984. She returned to the series from 1993 to 2002, and guest-starred in episodes from 2006 to 2013.

The actress’s last appearance on the show was in 2015, to send off Luke’s character.

– Cover Media