{"id":245042,"date":"2026-06-08T19:32:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T19:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/08\/kirsten-storms-history-on-general-hospital-explained-playing-maxie-going-on-hiatus-and-more\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T19:32:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T19:32:16","slug":"kirsten-storms-history-on-general-hospital-explained-playing-maxie-going-on-hiatus-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/08\/kirsten-storms-history-on-general-hospital-explained-playing-maxie-going-on-hiatus-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Kirsten Storms\u2019 History on \u2018General Hospital\u2019 Explained: Playing Maxie, Going on Hiatus and More"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Kirsten Storms<\/strong> rose to fame as Disney Channel\u2019s Zenon<\/a> in the \u201890s, but her time on General Hospital <\/em><\/a>has cemented her as a soap star.<\/p>\n

Storms began playing Maxie Jones on the beloved soap opera in May 2005. Her casting followed a series of child actors and Robyn Richards<\/strong>, who portrayed the character from 1993 to 2004.<\/p>\n

In the two decades since, Storms has become a fan-favorite for her portrayal of Frisco Jones (Jack Wagner<\/strong><\/a>) and Felicia Cummings\u2019 (Kristina Wagner<\/strong>) daughter. Her time on screen, however, hasn\u2019t been without its ups and downs \u2014 much of which was affected by off-camera struggles.<\/p>\n

Storms has taken several hiatuses from General Hospital<\/em> for various health reasons. In July 2025, she announced a prolonged break while relocating from California to Tennessee<\/a>. Three months later, she revealed she was undergoing brain surgery for an aneurysm following a similar procedure in 2021.<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Stars You Forgot Were on \u2018General Hospital\u2019: John Stamos and More<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tGeneral Hospital has had numerous different cast members during its 60-year run, including some familiar faces. John Stamos got his start on the soap opera with his role as Blackie Parish from 1982 to 1984. Even though he starred on the show for only two years, Stamos has discussed the tremendous impact General Hospital had [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Storms took another hiatus from the show in late 2025 before coming back briefly in spring 2026.<\/p>\n

Scroll down to see Storms history on General Hospital<\/em> from day 1:<\/p>\n

May 2005 <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"Kirsten<\/div>

\n Kirsten Storms and Jason Cook.<\/span> Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Storms made her General Hospital<\/em> debut as Maxie. She became a series regular in January 2006.<\/p>\n

September 2011 <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"Kirsten<\/div>
NBC\/Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Storms was battling endometriosis, she took a break from the show and was replaced by Jen Lilley<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

September 2012 <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"Kirsten<\/div>

\n Heather Olson, Aaron Van Wagner, Jay Kenneth Johnson, Nadia Bjorlin, Jason Cook, Kirsten Storms, Kyle Lowder and Farah Fath.<\/span> Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After returning to the soap, Storms confessed she was surprised that Lilley had replaced her in her absence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would be lying if I didn\u2019t say that I was taken aback a bit by it,\u201d she told Soap Opera Digest<\/em> following her return. \u201cI would prefer that someone play Maxie and be playing Maxie well to keep the character relevant and in the soap world still because it doesn\u2019t take much for a character to die off and for somebody else to come in and be in a front-burner story line.\u201d<\/p>\n

Storms added: \u201cI was very excited just to know that she was still going to be in Port Charles and doing lots of things.\u201d<\/p>\n

January 2014 <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"Kirsten<\/div>
Jon Kopaloff\/FilmMagic<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century<\/em><\/a> star took maternity leave from General Hospital<\/em> after welcoming her daughter, Harper, with then-husband Brandon Barash<\/strong>. Storms returned to the set in April 2014. (Storms and Barash, who is also part of the General Hospital<\/em> family, called it quits in 2016<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

May 2016<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Storms announced via Twitter that she was taking a leave of absence due to skin issues. She was temporarily replaced by Molly Burnett<\/strong>, who filmed for two months as Maxie. Storms returned to set in July of that year and fans saw her back on screen that August.<\/p>\n

March 2017<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"Kirsten<\/div>
Courtesy of General Hospital\/X<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The actress\u2019 rep confirms to ABC Soaps In Depth<\/em> that Storms was taking time off for personal reasons. In May 2017, Storms addressed her absence via Instagram, writing, \u201cI try to keep my personal life private, however, I recently mentioned on my twitter that I suffer from SEVERE depression.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the post, shared by Soap Opera Digest<\/em><\/a>, Storms explained, \u201cIf you or someone you know has dealt with it then you know it can be a difficult time in life. I\u2019m doing much better of late and look forward to returning to work soon.\u201d She was back filming by June.<\/p>\n

June 2018<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When Storms was sidelined with the flu, Burnett once again stepped in.<\/p>\n

June 2021<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"Kirsten<\/div>
Disney\/Christine Bartolucci<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Storms revealed via Instagram that she underwent brain surgery<\/a> and had to wear a neck brace to support the \u201clower portion of my brain.\u201d She shared it was not cancer but said, \u201cI had a very large cyst that had split into two, and the doctor said it was, like, so full the pressure was very noticeable when they opened up my skull. [It] sounds so weird.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a result of surgery, Storms said she would be \u201con the mend for the next several weeks\u201d but would eventually return to work. During her recovery, Maxie was written out of the show, taking an extended trip to Texas.<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>General Hospital’s Brooklyn Rae Silzer Breaks Silence After Being Recast<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tAfter growing up on General Hospital, Brooklyn Rae Silzer said goodbye to her longtime fans and TV alter ego, Emma Drake, earlier this week after her role was recast. Silzer, 18, broke her silence about her bittersweet departure on Monday, December 23. \u201cA little note to my @GeneralHospital family and fans who have loved me [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

December 2023 <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Nicole Paggi<\/strong> took over the role of Maxie for one episode<\/a> when Storms was otherwise unavailable. Paggi also played the character on a January 2024 episode.<\/p>\n

May 2025 <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"Kirsten<\/div>

\n Greg Vaughan and Kirsten Storms.<\/span> Scott Garfield\/ABC\/Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After two decades on the series, Storms got real about Maxie\u2019s romance with Lucky Spencer (Greg Vaughan<\/strong><\/a>) after knowing the actor since she was 14 or 15. \u201cBack then, he was a grown-up. So, that was a very interesting experience,\u201d Storms told Swoon<\/em><\/a> in an interview, calling the on-screen connection \u201cweird.\u201d<\/p>\n

Storms and Vaughan\u2019s 10-year age gap threw the actress for a loop, even though their story lines began years prior. \u201cOf course, I always thought Greg was a gorgeous guy, but that was a little strange for me,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd the story line was rough because of all the things Maxie was doing just to get him. So, that was a crazy time, and questionable choices were made.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Zenon<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>\u2018Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century\u2019 Cast: Where Are They Now?<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tZenon: Girl of the 21st Century zoom-zoom-zoomed into our hearts in 1999, and we\u2019ve been saying \u201ccetus-lupeedus\u201d ever since. The movie follows the story of teen Zenon Karr, played by Kirsten Storms, who lives on the space station in 2049. After getting into some trouble with the space station\u2019s commander, Zenon is sent down to [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

After Maxie\u2019s tumultuous relationship with Lucky, she romanced several other men, including Johnny, who was played by Storms\u2019 now-ex husband Barash. Storms, however, wouldn\u2019t change their on-screen romance for anything because it led to an off-screen relationship.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember being super excited to have a make out scene with him. We were good buddies. Even still, our banter is unlike anything else in my life, and we always had that,\u201d Storms recalled to Swoon<\/em> of working with Barash. \u201cIf someone had told me then that I was going to have the most amazing, kind and beautiful girl [daughter, Harper] with him, I would have been like, \u2018Shut up. No way that\u2019s happening. Brandon? Really?\u2019 I never would have guessed, and if I\u2019m thankful for anything that came out of GH<\/em>, obviously, it\u2019s that I got Harper.\u201d<\/p>\n

July 2025 <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\"Kirsten<\/div>

\n Jane Elliot and Kirsten Storms.<\/span> Disney\/Christine Bartolucci<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Storms surprised fans when she announced via Instagram<\/a> that she was relocating from Los Angeles to Nashville with her and Borash\u2019s daughter, Harper.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a conversation with him about my reasons for wanting to move and my desire to not leave the show,\u201d Storms said, explaining that producer Frank Valentini<\/strong> knew about the move in March 2025. \u201cWhen you approach a job like this, they can always be like, \u2018Forget it, I will let you out of your contract if you\u2019re going to leave the state.\u2019 GH<\/em> did not do that, which was kind of amazing because I also asked for some time off.\u201d<\/p>\n

The actress noted that she already had her \u201cfinal taping day for the year\u201d and fans would continue to see her story play out starting in August 2025. (Maxie will briefly be played by Paggi<\/a> from July to August 2025.)<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very excited to be making Tennessee my home! I can\u2019t wait to return to GH<\/em>, once Harper and I are settled in our new town,\u201d Storms added, hinting that her time as Maxie is not done.<\/p>\n

She teased, \u201cIt\u2019s possible I will be back in December, maybe November. I promise you the story line they have going on until my return to Port Charles is kind of incredible. You guys are gonna freak out actually.\u201d<\/p>\n

October 2025<\/h2>\n

Amid her hiatus from General Hospital<\/em>, Storms revealed that she required another brain surgery for an aneurysm that was discovered earlier in the year. The actress shared via Instagram<\/a> in October 2025 that her neurosurgeon had been monitoring a cyst that he \u201cleft on my brain when he removed the one that was causing me problems\u201d in 2021.<\/p>\n

When the aneurysm was found on the right side of Storms\u2019 brain, she had a procedure to try to get it \u201ccoiled\u201d that same weekend. However, Storms revealed that the aneurysm was a \u201cslightly complex situation\u201d and they couldn\u2019t complete the procedure as planned.<\/p>\n

Endovascular coiling is used to \u201cblock blood flow into an aneurysm,\u201d according to Johns Hopkins, which describes an aneurysm as a \u201cweakened area in the wall of an artery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Storms\u2019 October announcement stated that the coiling procedure would be rescheduled for \u201csometime in the next two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

December 2025<\/h2>\n
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\"Kirsten<\/div>
Courtesy of Kirsten Storms\/Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After telling her fans in October 2025 that she was expecting to undergo another surgery, Storms gave an update on her procedure plan after seeing a new doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy last appointment was with a new Neurosurgeon in St Louis. He told me that I am in the \u2018gray zone\u2019 for the aneurysm procedure. It\u2019s not super small, but it\u2019s not at the mandatory surgery size,\u201d she explained via Instagram<\/a> in December 2025. \u201cBasically, I can keep monitoring it \u2014 or have the coiling done, BUT he told me I wasn\u2019t in immediate\/\u2018OMG! it\u2019s going to burst tomorrow!\u2019 kind of danger. Obvi, great news.\u201d<\/p>\n

The actress noted that she\u2019s not \u201ceager to hop right on the operating table\u201d after her 2021 craniotomy, but wasn\u2019t sure how \u201ccomfortable\u201d she was with the \u201cwait and see if it gets worse\u201d idea either.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, as I sit in this \u2018gray zone,\u2019 pondering my plan, I want you guys to know that I really do appreciate the messages and stories offered of your own experiences. I needed those,\u201d Storms continued.<\/p>\n

She then teased her future on General Hospital<\/em>, writing, \u201cAnd maaaaybe you will be seeing me back in Port Charles soon. \u2728\ud83c\udf85\ud83c\udffc\u2728.\u201d<\/p>\n

February 2026<\/h2>\n
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\"Kirsten<\/div>
Disney\/Bahareh Ritter<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Storms made her long-awaited return to General Hospital<\/em> on the February 12 episode<\/a>. After her character, Maxi, was in a coma for the actress\u2019 medical hiatus, she woke up suddenly as her family prepared to leave her bedside for the day.<\/p>\n

During the pivotal scene, Maxie\u2019s son, James (Gary James Fuller<\/strong>), was upset because his family decided they would go to the bookstore after their hospital instead of the ice rink that he had suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cJames Malcolm West, you are not going skating without a helmet,\u201d Maxie declared as she woke from her slumber. As her family turned to see her awake, they were surprised to see Maxie was also standing in the doorway of her hospital room.<\/p>\n

Storms has since appeared in several episodes of the soap this year between February and the end of March.<\/p>\n

June 2026<\/h2>\n

Amid Storms\u2019 health highs and lows, she shared in June 2026 that she has also been dealing with legal issues stemming from custody<\/a> of her and ex-husband Barash\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure some of you guys have read the stories online regarding a situation involving something my ex-husband is currently trying to claim,\u201d Storms wrote via Instagram<\/a> in June 2026. \u201cBecause I did see one story online stating I reported the apartment break-in AFTER he filed something against me in court, I really need to address this entire issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Storms went on to claim that her Tennessee home was broken into in November 2025, one month before Barash filed for custody of their daughter, Harper. (The apartment door was also tampered with in August 2025 and Storms reported in April 2026 that her phone was allegedly hacked as well.)<\/p>\n

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\"Kirsten<\/div>
Disney\/Cory Osborne<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The actress explained, \u201cIt puts my safety in a dangerous position for anyone to try and shift focus away from the fact that there was a person regularly entering my residence while I was out of town for medical appts [sic] in St Louis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Storms noted she waited to publicly speak about her apartment break-in until she moved out and was safely in another space. She shared her story via social media in April 2026<\/a>, shortly before Barash was granted a restraining order against Storms after he claimed he was concerned for her mental health.<\/p>\n

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