Steve Burton’s custody dispute with ex-wife Sheree Gustin has grown more personal, with the General Hospital actor now claiming their daughter was told that his new wife and stepdaughters are “not family.”
In court documents obtained by TMZ, Burton alleges that Gustin deleted messages sent by Michelle Lundstrom’s daughters and told Brooklyn that Burton and Lundstrom were “brainwashing” her. He also claims the tension has changed the way his daughter cDFree / Shutterstock.mmunicates with him.
The accusations are Burton’s claims in an ongoing family court dispute and have not been established as fact. Gustin has previously rejected his broader allegations of parental alienation, saying she supports Brooklyn having a relationship with her father while disputing his description of their custody problems.
The latest filing follows months of arguments over parenting time, interstate travel and where each parent intends to live. Burton is now asking the court to prohibit interference with his communications with Brooklyn and to allow her to use a cell phone while she is with Gustin.
Burton Says the Dispute Now Involves His New Wife and Stepdaughters
😬 Exclusive: “General Hospital” Steve Burton claims ex-wife alienates him from their daughter.
Details: https://t.co/Iz6wdKIbbD pic.twitter.com/hfCSb3Ydug
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 11, 2026
Burton’s newest allegations focus heavily on Lundstrom, whom he married in May 2025, and the relationship between Brooklyn and Lundstrom’s daughters. According to TMZ’s account of the filing, Burton says Gustin told Brooklyn that Lundstrom and the girls were “not family” and deleted messages the stepsisters had sent her.
He further alleges that Gustin accused him and Lundstrom of “brainwashing” Brooklyn. Burton claims his daughter consequently began whispering during calls with him and deleting some of her own messages because she feared how her mother might react.
The allegations expand on complaints Burton made earlier this summer. Court documents reviewed by PEOPLE showed that he had accused Gustin of refusing to recognize Lundstrom’s role as his wife or Lundstrom’s daughters as Brooklyn’s stepsisters, despite what he described as a close relationship between the girls.
Burton also complained at the time that Gustin would not allow Lundstrom to pick Brooklyn up from school on his behalf and accused his ex-wife of putting unnecessary obstacles in the way of his court ordered parenting time.
Gustin Has Denied Trying to Alienate Their Daughter From Burton
Gustin has disputed Burton’s broader contention that she is trying to undermine his relationship with Brooklyn. In an earlier court response, she said the parents had already established a custody schedule and maintained that she was willing for their daughter to spend time with Burton.
Her disagreement centered partly on how much traveling Brooklyn should be required to do after Burton moved from California to Tennessee. Gustin said she did not want their daughter spending extended periods traveling between states and argued that Burton could return to California when he wanted additional time with her.
By August, Gustin was asking the court for permission to relocate to Tennessee herself. According to TMZ, she described herself as Brooklyn’s primary caregiver and said Burton had traveled extensively even before his move out of California.
Gustin also pushed back against his alienation allegations, telling the court that their communication was poor and that Burton’s messages contained accusations that did not match her version of events. She argued that if Brooklyn remained in California while she moved to Tennessee, their daughter could spend time in Lundstrom’s care rather than with her mother.
Their Moving Plans Have Reversed During the Custody Fight
The parents’ living arrangements have shifted substantially since the dispute began. Gustin said Burton moved to Tennessee in February 2026 after a custody schedule was put in place, while Burton later indicated that he intended to return to California.
His latest filing says that return is now permanent. Burton told the court that he relocated back to California after signing a three year deal with General Hospital in June following a brief break from the soap.
Gustin, meanwhile, has been seeking approval to move in the opposite direction to Tennessee. That has left the parents arguing over an interstate arrangement that is effectively the reverse of the one at the center of their earlier filings.
Burton is now asking the judge for an order that would prevent Gustin from interfering with his communications with Brooklyn and allow the child access to a cell phone while in her mother’s care. TMZ’s September 12 report did not include a new response from Gustin addressing the “not family,” deleted-message or “brainwashing” allegations in Burton’s latest filing.