Shawn Butler and Jordan Ashford

Sean Blakemore and Vinessa Antoine as Shawn Butler and Jordan Ashford

**Shawn Butler** and **Comr. Jordan Ashford** are a fictional couple on the soap opera *General Hospital.*

## Casting

Actor Sean Blakemore, known for his small roles on soap operas such as *Days of our Lives* and *The Young and the Restless*, originated the role of Shawn Butler on January 24, 2011, on a recurring basis. In May 2015, it was announced that Blakemore would wrap up his four year-run on the show and exit the series on May 27, 2015. He returned on November 19, 2015 and April 4, 2016.

The role was most notably portrayed by actress Vinessa Antoine from March 2014 to September 2018. It was announced, on August 10, 2018, that actress **Briana Nicole Henry** would be Antoine's replacement and she made her first appearance on September 13, 2018.

## Background

Shawn Butler, Jordan Ashford and Thomas Ashford. all grew up together and were close friends. As they grew older and matured Shawn developed feelings for Jordan, but didn't act on them, because at the time, Jordan and Tommy had begun to date. Jordan and Tommy went on to marry and the trio remained close friends.

Tommy and Shawn enlisted in the army together. Shawn's feelings for Jordan emerged again and he discovered that she had feelings for him too. The two began having an affair, which resulted in the birth of their son, T.J. Tommy found out about the affair when he found a DNA test for T.J., confirming Shawn and Jordan's affair. Jordan lied about the outcome of the DNA test to protect her marriage. She told Shawn that Tommy was T.J.'s father and she would keep up this lie for 18 years.

Tommy and Shawn were deployed overseas when Tommy decided to confront Shawn about the affair. The two began to struggle. Tommy pulled a gun, but before he could kill Shawn, Shawn killed him first. Shawn was devastated and discharged from the army for what they called a "friendly fire" incident. Shawn began to suffer from PTSD over the events that happened with Tommy's death.

In 2014, Jordan comes to Port Charles and she and Shawn reconnect romantically. The reconnect is rough in the beginning, but eventually their relationship becomes solid and when they tell T.J., he comes to accept them being together. On May 22, 2015, Jordan finally admits to Shawn that he, not Tommy, is in fact TJ's father.

Shawn and Jordan went to the 2014 and 2015 Nurses' Ball together.

## Storylines

T.J. comes to Port Charles in 2012 as a troubled teen who is angry with Shawn for killing the man he believes is his father. Jordan gave him the option of living with Shawn or military school, because she could no longer handle him herself. However, it was later revealed that she had to send him away due to her undercover work with the DEA.

Shawn becomes T.J.'s guardian and begins to look out for him. T.J. remains angry with Shawn for a long time, and their relationship is strained, but eventually T.J. comes to accept Shawn's remorse and apologies. He bonds with Shawn and the two become close. T.J. begins to accept Shawn in his life as a paternal figure.

In March 2014, Jordan arrives in town to reconnect with T.J. Both T.J. and Shawn react a bit hostilely to her arrival, both feeling that she abandoned T.J. Shawn and Jordan are immediately thrust into opposite sides due to her undercover work. Jordan has to pose as a member of the Jerome crime family in order to bring down their drug ring. This put her on opposite sides with Shawn, who was working for the Corinthos crime family.

Shawn strongly objects to her association with the Jeromes and confronts Jordan about her involvement with them. Jordan threatens to tell T.J. the truth about what really happened to his father in order to get Shawn off her back. Nevertheless, Shawn continues to show his discomfort at Jordan's being involved with the Jeromes. Despite her volatile relationship with Shawn, she attends the 2014 Nurses' Ball with him.

As Jordan's undercover work continues to hit roadblocks, she begins to tire of it and desperately wants to get out and tell her son the truth so he no longer believes her to be a drug dealer. However, Anna Devane convinces her to continue their efforts to bring the Jeromes down. In order to find out who Julian Jerome's real boss is, Jordan starts a flirtation with Mickey Diamond.

Mickey and Jordan's date at the MetroCourt is interrupted by Shawn, who is clearly unhappy and jealous at seeing the two of them together. Mickey sets up another date for them back at his hotel room. Jordan arrives at the room early to search it for any clues. Shawn finds her in the room and questions her on what she is planning to do with Mickey. The two start to argue, which ends in a kiss. Jordan managed to get Shawn out of the room just as Mickey arrived. Then she took down Mickey.

Months later the attraction between Shawn and Jordan heightens and they can no longer resist the pull to each other. Jordan begins sleeping with Shawn, but they decide to keep their relationship a secret for TJ's sake and because they both "work" for rival mob organizations. Jordan and Shawn continue to face conflict with each other professionally due to their respective work with the Corinthos and Jerome organizations.

Jordan betrays the Jeromes by helping Shawn free Ric Lansing from Carlos Rivera. In order to keep Julian from killing her, she joins the Corinthos crime family, ensuring that acting boss, Duke Lavery would protect her from Julian. At the same time, Shawn and Jordan make their relationship public. They tell T.J. the truth about their relationship and their affair several years ago. When T.J. learns how their affair factored into Tommy's death, he is angry with them both. However, eventually with his girlfriend Molly's help, he comes to forgive them and accept their relationship.

When Duke begins to suspect Jordan of being an undercover agent, Shawn defends her against the accusations. Shawn even begins to suspect it himself but writes his doubts off as paranoia. Duke gives Jordan a series of test to prove herself and when she fails one he puts a hit on her. Jordan gets the better of the hitman and kills him in self defense. On that same night, Duke is killed by Carlos Rivera. Sonny Corinthos sends Shawn to retaliate against the man who they believe killed Duke, Jake Doe.

Jordan is sent by Commissioner Kyle Sloane to stop the hit, thus blowing her cover. Shawn realizes that Jordan is a FED and feels betrayed. Jordan is forced to put Shawn in lock up. She goes to Scott Baldwin and forges a deal with him. Shawn would go free as long as he testifies that Sonny ordered the hit on Jake. Jordan comes to visit Shawn in lock up and tells him about the deal. He outright refuses until she shocks him with the news that T.J. is really his biological son.