Kirsten Storms says she is not sure she can return to General Hospital after months of legal, medical, and privacy-related turmoil.
The actress, who has played Maxie Jones on the ABC soap since 2005, addressed her status in a long Instagram update posted Sunday.
Soap Opera Network reported that Storms wrote, “Given what’s been going on, I can’t say I will feel comfortable heading back to Los Angeles and returning to work.”
Her post also responded to coverage of an alleged break-in, alleged phone and WiFi hacking, and a temporary restraining order obtained by ex-husband Brandon Barash, with whom she shares a daughter.
Storms Said She Does Not Feel Ready to Return to Los Angeles
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Storms said her daughter remains her first priority as she weighs what comes next for her life and work.
“This has been an eye opening experience about the downside of my profession,” she wrote, according to TMZ.
The comments left her future on General Hospital unclear. Soap Opera Network noted that Storms returned to the show earlier this year, but her name has been missing from the contract section of the end credits since late March.
She Disputed the Timeline Around the Alleged Break-In
Storms said reports had misrepresented when she contacted police about an alleged break-in at her Tennessee apartment.
Soap Opera Network reported that she pushed back on the idea that she raised the break-in claim only after Barash filed against her in court. Storms said damage to her apartment door had been documented months earlier and that she had already been communicating with building staff and Franklin Police.
The outlet also reported that a Franklin Police spokesperson previously confirmed an active investigation related to Storms’ case.
Her Break From General Hospital Began Before the Court Fight Became Public
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Storms stepped away from General Hospital in 2025 after moving to Tennessee with her daughter.
People reported in December that Storms had updated fans on a brain aneurysm diagnosis and teased a possible return to the soap.
She did return on-screen as Maxie in February, according to Soap Opera Network. Her latest statement changes the question from when she might be back to whether she feels safe and comfortable returning to Los Angeles at all.
The Legal Dispute With Brandon Barash Remains Sensitive
Barash and Storms were married from 2013 to 2016 and share a daughter.
People reported that a judge previously approved Barash’s emergency restraining order request. In his petition, Barash alleged that Storms had experienced delusions and hallucinations and raised concerns about their daughter’s care.
Storms responded publicly in her Instagram post, saying she wanted to correct parts of the coverage while also describing alleged privacy violations at her apartment.
Neither Storms nor Barash issued statements through representatives in People’s latest report.
Storms Has Shared Several Health Updates in Recent Years
Storms underwent brain surgery in 2021 to remove a large cyst.
People reported that she later learned during a follow-up scan that she had a brain aneurysm. In December, Storms said a neurosurgeon told her she was in a “gray zone,” where immediate surgery was not required but continued monitoring remained part of the plan.
Storms has not announced a return date for General Hospital.