Maurice Benard is celebrating 36 years of marriage to his wife, Paula, with heartfelt tributes across social media.
The 63-year-old General Hospital star, who has played Sonny Corinthos on the soap for more than three decades, marked the anniversary on Tuesday, August 11, noting that he and Paula have actually been together for more than 40 years, having married in 1990.
On Facebook, Benard shared a photo of himself kissing Paula’s cheek, writing, “I met my wife [when] she was 16 years old. 40 years later I consider myself the luckiest man alive. Happy anniversary, sweetheart,” followed by a string of heart emojis.
On Instagram, he went further, posting a tribute set to Joe Cocker’s You Are So Beautiful alongside a throwback photo of the couple.
“What can I say about the woman who put up with me for 40 years? Basically saved me from ruins, has given me four incredible children, and four incredible grandkids.”
He continued, “She is strong, but kind, my wife carries so much love within her, she always thinks of everyone else before herself. I met her when she was 16 did I ever think we would be together 40 years later? I can tell you this I’m lucky I met her. It was truly a match made in heaven.”
He closed the post with an all-caps message: “HAPPY ANNIVERSARY SWEETHEART.”
Benard’s description of Paula “saving him” carries particular weight given his history speaking openly about mental health.
He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 22 and first went public with the diagnosis in 2000, later becoming involved with the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
He’s discussed his struggles with depression in past interviews and detailed his journey in his memoir, Nothing General About It.
Despite Benard’s decades in the spotlight, Paula has largely kept a low profile over the years.
The couple share three biological children, daughters Cailey and Cassidy and son Joshua, and adopted Paula’s younger sister, Heather, in 2008.
