Maurice Benard: Chauntal Lewis Reveals Domestic Violence Trauma

When Chauntal Lewis (Nurse Chanel Williams) first sat down with General Hospital (GH) star Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) in 2022, viewers saw her putting the pieces back together after a life-altering car accident. Well, the latest episode on State of Mind revealed a lot more about that traumatic time. Read on for more details.

A DV Secret

What nobody knew, what the recurring ABC actress  hid so well, was a real nightmare went down behind the walls of her home. In her emotional return, Chauntal revealed she’d been trapped in a two-and-a-half-year “proper domestic violence relationship.”

The episode’s saddest moment came early on, when Chauntal described a fire alarm going off while on a set. Maurice listened carefully, because it turned out she used makeup to hide black eyes.

“I almost died this morning,” she said, as she recalled the day. After all, nobody else even knew about it. Then, she described living in constant “fight or flight” state. Plus, she mentioned that as a battered woman, it seemed so strange to hide in plain sight in front of the cameras.

Self-Discovery

Naturally, as many folks just can’t understand why women stay with abusers, Maurice Benard took her deeper into that aspect. Candidly, Chauntal Lewis talked about an incident back home that involved a glass table. Notably, it was very violent, so Chauntal checked into a Utah treatment facility.

There she heard a diagnosis that finally made some sense about her “love addiction”and “codependency.” Explaining more, she returned to when she met the abusive man in her life.

It happened just a short time after her dad passed away. Mourning him and feeling the loss of someone who left her, she couldn’t stop chanting silently, “Don’t leave me, don’t leave me.” And she kept on with that throughout their “honeymoon,” but then “bad s**t” happened.

Mental & Physical Pain

Well, her time in the facility made her realize something. In fact, she talked about “60 days” as an inpatient, and “75 days as an outpatient.” While most of the other folks struggled with substance abuse, she realized her drug was the abusive relationship.

As GH fans who follow Maurice Benard know, he sometimes talks about how the mental pain transforms into physical pain. And for Chauntal, it was no different. In fact, she spoke about how her missing hand, which happened in the accident, sometimes triggers “anxiety” with awful phantom pains.

“It’s next level,” she explained, adding, “I get crazy phantom pains… my fingers get crossed [in the phantom hand]… it’s brutal.”

Maurice Relates

The real-life Sonny Corinthos related to that, and he responded by saying that his anxiety, remains a “constant battle.” However, he learned to live with it. After all, running away from it only helps nothing.

When Maurice asked what she would do differently if she had two hands for just one day, Chauntal’s answer seemed a bit surprising. She replied, “Absolutely nothing.” And the reason for that? Well, she moved past that and rather focuses on internal healing.

Part of that involves advocating against domestic violence so others can learn how to escape. Taking up that topic, General Hospital veteran Maurice Benard advised listeners, “If you’re a young girl out there who’s physically getting beat by someone you believe you love… all you need to do is get help.”

Viewers React

GH fans seemed both shocked and pleased by what Chauntal Lewis revealed on the podcast. One of them commented, “I just cried. Violence towards women is never ok, as I am a true advocate for women’s rights.”

Here are a few more responses from the discussion:

• I love this lady. She shows strength in her vulnerability. I am moved and helped in some things in my life. Thank you so much dear Chauntal.
• I have problems with my anxiety sometimes. Just watching this has brought tears to my eyes..You are a very courageous young woman.
• What a brave woman to come on and talk about all her traumas that way to help other people. I’m so happy she is doing well and in a happy and healthy relationship now. She definitely deserves that. Thank you for sharing this and doing this episode, it will definitely help others.
• I am very proud of you Chauntal for getting out of an abusive relationship! … I was in an emotional & mentally abusive relationship myself. Abuse is not to be tolerated in any shape or form.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your General Hospital cast news and updates.