The Young And The Restless Star Courtney Hope Opens Up About Her Breakup With General Hospital Star Chad Duell

Actress Courtney Hope plays Sally Spectra on "The Young and the Restless," and Chad Duell plays Michael Corinthos on "General Hospital." Both characters are cutthroat, formidable businesspeople who would probably get along famously if they met. Duell and Hope met in real life and did get along famously — so well that they got married. 

According to Showbiz Cheat Sheet, the couple got engaged in early 2021 after dating for five years, were married that October, and then broke up several weeks later. Fans started to suspect the couple was over when they removed pictures of each other from social media, and it was eventually announced that Duell and Hope had split amicably.

Soap Opera network reported on the couple's spectacular wedding, which had a steampunk theme. Hope's dress was all red, while Duell's suit was red with a little black thrown in. The various decorations were Victorian and gothic style, and the guests wore black. Several fellow soap stars attended the lavish event, including Scott Clifton, Laura Wright, Hunter King, and even "GH" executive producer Frank Valentini. As Daily Mail reported, this was Duell's second marriage, the first of which lasted only for three months. 

Duell previously opened up about his split with Hope on co-star Maurice Benard's YouTube series "State of Mind," and she has now addressed it publicly herself, for the first time.

After a year of trying to recuperate from her breakup with Chad Duell, Courtney Hope posted her thoughts on Instagram. She quoted Albus Dumbledore — a wizened character and teacher from the "Harry Potter" franchise — in which he explains to Harry how phoenixes are mythical creatures that get consumed by fire only to rise from the ashes. He states, "They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers" (via Goodreads). Hope likened herself to a phoenix, being reborn after a painful breakup.

She shared several pictures from their wedding day in her post, including shots of her getting ready, showing off her dress, and embracing Duell. Along with the photos, she included a lengthy, written monologue about how what had seemed to be a dream come true was not, writing, "Little did I know it was the beginning of the end."

Without using specific names, Hope spoke about how she's had to pick herself up and dust herself off since her marriage ended – a marriage that Duell claims wasn't legally binding. She explained that the process was "painful. It was infuriating. It was powerful. It was enlightening. It was cathartic. It was grounding, and it was my greatest teacher."

Hope concluded that the experience was ultimately a good one and should be honored, ending with, "though it may not be like ... what I imagined, I'm at peace with it, and I'm thankful for where I'm headed next."