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General Hospital star Maurice Benard cries in emotional reunion with daughter he hasn't seen in months

Everyone was crying on the set of Tamron Hall when the Emmy-winning talk-show host reunited General Hospital star Maurice Benard with his daughter.

After they chatted about his life and career on Thursday's episode, Hall surprised Benard with a discussion about his family — including his daughter, Heather Andresen, his wife's half-sister whom he legally adopted when she was 15 years old.

"This is her. You haven't seen her in..." Hall said to Benard as she flashed a photo of Andresen on the screen behind them before the actor cut her off and said, "Oh, don't do that."

He began to tell a story about Andresen before Hall stopped him.

Tamron Hall Show
Tamron Hall Show

ABC News (2) Maurice Benard and Tamron Hall on 'Tamron Hall'

"You haven't seen her in a long time. You've never seen her in uniform," she said, referencing Andresen's work with the Air Force, which had kept her away from Benard since October 2022.

She continued, "You're not the only one who made a special trip today. She wanted to be here —because I know it was rough getting on that plane and coming here — your daughter, Airman First Class Heather Andresen."

Benard and his daughter cried as they embraced, with Benard admitting that "these surprises kill" him. "I am so proud of her. I can't talk, so can I leave?" he joked.

"You were adopted by your half-sister, Maurice's beautiful wife, and that changed the trajectory of your lives," Hall replied.

Then she, too, cried at what Benard said next.

"The most beautiful thing that I shouldn't say, because I'm not going to be able to talk…" he said through tears. "When we adopted her, we were talking in the room, and Paula, my wife, and her were talking about how happy we were, and at one point [Andresen] said, 'Can I call you mom?'"

Tamron Hall airs weekdays in syndication. Check your local listings for its schedule. Watch Benard cry during his reunion with Andresen above.

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