General Hospital: Ric and Eilzabeth’s Twisted Romantic History Explained

Things are on an upswing for Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) on General Hospital right now, but there’s a reason it took a lot of time and effort for him to win back her heart. Actually, more than a few reasons! In case you need a refresher on the ups and downs of this particular pairing, let us revisit some highlights — or lowlights, as it were — of Liz and Ric’s relationship on GH.

Baby Mine

Ric and Liz fell in love and married in May 2003, but his ex, Faith Rosco (Cynthia Preston) was determined to split them up. They were delighted to learn they were going to have a baby, but after Faith pushed Liz down the stairs, causing a miscarriage, Ric wrongly blamed his brother, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard), for the accident. To get revenge, Ric kidnapped Sonny’s pregnant wife, Carly (then-Tamara Braun), and stashed her in a panic room below the house where he was living with Liz. Ric also slipped his wife birth control to keep her from getting pregnant so that they could raise Carly’s baby together after it was born. Liz uncovered the truth when she stumbled upon the panic room, but suffered a pulmonary embolism due to the drugs Ric had been slipping her, and when she awoke confused, Ric convinced her that seeing Carly was just a bad dream. Eventually, Liz’s memories returned. Horrified by the scope of Ric’s monstrous plan, Liz divorced her husband.

Obsession

By 2004, Ric had managed to prove to Liz he was no longer obsessed with getting revenge on Sonny. But when they got back together, Liz learned she was pregnant with Zander Smith (Chad Brannon)’s child from a recent one-night stand. The couple remarried and planned to raise the baby as their own, though they did let Zander know so he could approve of the arrangement. But when Ric tried to prosecute Sonny for killing an alleged assassin in his home, Liz accused him of not having gotten over his anger towards his brother, and Ric confirmed that she was correct. Fed up, Liz once again told him they were through.

Witness Tampering

In 2007, Liz was married to Lucky Spencer (then-Greg Vaughan), but Ric still managed to damage his relationship with her even further. The attorney was determined to put Sonny’s right-hand man, Jason Morgan (Steve Burton), in prison for killing Lorenzo Alcazar, and called Liz up to testify during the trial. Ric then badgered her into confessing under oath that she’d had sex with Jason and deliberately cast doubt on the true paternity of her youngest son, Jake (who was indeed sired by Jason). After, Liz confronted Ric after, spitting, “I can finally see you for who you really are. A spiteful little man who’s still mad at his brother.” Ric tried to apologize and told her, “You were my one chance at a good life and I ruined it. I admit that. But I loved you and kept on loving you.” Liz was unmoved.

Hello, I Must Be Going

Rick left Port Charles in 2009 but returned in 2014 and reconnected with Liz, hoping to win back her trust. Then Julian Jerome (William deVry) lied that Ric was the head of the Jerome crime family, which led to his arrest. Liz believed in Ric’s innocence and stood by him, but after the frame job was revealed, Ric was forced to fake his death and go into witness protection until the real boss could be found.

Liz was heartbroken by Ric’s “demise,” and overjoyed when he returned at Christmastime to reveal he was alive. They rang in the new year together. However, by then, Liz was falling for a former patient with amnesia going by the name of “Jake Doe” (Billy Miller); little did Liz know that he was actually Jason’s (Steve Burton) twin brother, Drew. A jealous Ric wanted to nip Liz and “Jake’s” connection in the bud, so he hired Hayden Barnes (Rebecca Budig) to show up claiming to be “Jake’s” wife. As Ric hoped, Liz nobly stepped aside and went back into Ric’s waiting arms. Ric planned to pop the question at the 2015 Nurses Ball, but Carly (Laura Wright) exposed the truth about Ric’s machinations. Liz threw the ring back in his face and declared they were over for good. Ric eventually slinked out of town again.

Last Chance?

In 2024, Ric returned to town and once again tried to make things right with Liz, who eventually thawed towards her ex even as she made it clear that she wanted to keep their relationship platonic. But it wasn’t until Valentine’s Day 2026, when the pair shared a kiss during their date, that they reconnected romantically. Things seem to be going well for them again, but can Ric keep from blowing it once more? Share your opinions and predictions in the comments below!