General Hospital star’s wife Vanessa in ‘self-exploratory phase’ before split after 22 years

General Hospital star Cameron Mathison shocked his fans on Wednesday with the announcement that he and his wife Vanessa Arevalo had split after being married for 22 years.

But now a newly released interview that Mathison gave just days before sharing the news is giving a peek into Vanessa’s mindset leading up to their divorce announcement.

The 54-year-old actor — who has played Drew Cain on General Hospital since 2021 — shared that Vanessa, 57, had recently been in a ‘self-exploratory phase’ during an interview with Us Weekly on July 24.

‘It’s like a new chapter for everybody in our life. We’re just trying to figure it all out,’ he said while promoting his Game Show Network series Beat The Bridge. ‘But she’s really on a self-exploratory kind of phase right now, doing a lot of really cool stuff for her.’

Cameron noted that Vanessa had been using this new self-exploration to learn how to play bass, and he said she was ‘back to her modeling days and she’s traveling and doing things, and I’m really encouraging that.’

General Hospital star Cameron Mathison, 54, and his wife Vanessa, 57, announced their split on Wednesday, but an interview from a weekly earlier gives a picture into her mindset; pictured in March 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona

While speaking to Us Weekly on July 24, Cameron said his wife was in a ‘self-exploratory phase’; Vanessa (L) is seen during a three-episode guest spot on General Hospital 

‘And yeah, we’re just trying to figure it all out,’ he added.

The soap star said the two were focused on ‘really cherishing each other,’ and they were trying to be ‘other-centric’ by focusing on their partner’s needs.

‘It feels so good to care about them and their interests and what their likes are and their dislikes are, and to be involved and ask and listen,’ he explained. ‘It’s beautiful and helpful for them in the relationship, and it feels good for us.’

He said that doting on others could be a ‘beautiful way to live,’ but he also warned that it was easy to lose that focus when his work and other responsibilities that kept him busy got in the way.

‘It can be in your spouse and it can be with your children, it can be with your colleagues at work, it can be with your friends, it can be with strangers, just to really care about others,’ he continued as he explained his newfound philosophy. ‘That’s how I try to live. And I feel like when that happens in a relationship, I think it’s the best possible case scenario.’

Cameron and Vanessa announced their impending divorce in a statement posted to Instagram.

‘After 22 years of marriage, we have made the difficult decision to part ways,’ they wrote. ‘We enter this new chapter with deep love, kindness, and respect for each other. We hold gratitude in our hearts for the wonderful years we shared together.

‘Our children have been and will continue to be our highest priority, and we will forever share in our devotion and love for them.

Cameron said Vanessa had focused on new hobbies — like learning the bass and ‘modeling’ and ‘traveling’ — and they were focusing on prioritizing the needs of the other partner; seen in March 2022 

They announced their split and impending divorce on Wednesday after 22 years of marriage; pictured in 2016 in Hollywood 

‘We remain friends, and both wish the best for one another. We sincerely appreciate your respect for our family’s privacy during this transition.” 

The pair share two children: son Lucas, 21, and daughter Leila, 18.

They married on July 27, 2002, after former All My Children star Cameron had proposed in Vail, Colorado.

The couple first met met in 1998 when they were models working in New York City, and they sparked up a romance the following year.

Cameron previously played Ryan Lavery on All My Children from 1998–2011.

In 2022, Vanessa guest starred on General Hospital as an executive coach named Mia in three episodes.

She told ET at the time: ‘This was an absolute dream come true.’

Cameron added: ‘We were both nervous. I was nervous. I can tell Vanessa was nervous… then I started getting even more nervous.’

Discussing their romance, he said: ‘We’ve been married 20 years coming up this summer, and it hasn’t all been smooth, for sure. We went through rocky times the first five years. 

‘Getting through those times, and getting to call Vanessa my best friend and fully enjoy every moment together, it’s been better than I could have ever imagined marriage being for me.’ 

‘After 22 years of marriage, we have made the difficult decision to part ways,’ they said in an Instagram statement; pictured in 2005

Cameron has played Drew Cain on General since 2021, and Vanessa was a guest on the soap in 2022

Cameron previously played Ryan Lavery on All My Children from 1998–2011

The split comes five years after Cameron revealed he was battling kidney cancer. Mathison announced his diagnosis with renal cell carcinoma on September 9 2019 and underwent surgery to remove the tumor the same month

The split comes five years after Cameron revealed he was battling kidney cancer.  

Mathison announced his diagnosis with renal cell carcinoma on September 9, 2019, and he underwent surgery to remove the tumor the same month. 

He was later declared deemed free of cancer.

Renal cell carcinoma is a rare condition, but it is the most common form of the disease to strike adults.