Kirsten Storms Speaks Out About ‘General Hospital’ Hiatus & Big Life Change
The Doctor Is In
For exclusive news and updates, subscribe to our General Hospital Newsletter:
Kirsten Storms has revealed that she’s taking an extended hiatus from General Hospital.
The longtime GH star, who plays Maxie Jones, took to Instagram to give fans a life update. “In March, I asked Frank Valentini — our amazing executive producer — I had a conversation with him about my reasons for wanting to move and my desire to not leave the show,” she explained in a Monday, July 7, video.
Storms noted that “when you approach a job like this, they can always be like, ‘Forget it. We’ll let you out of your contract if you’re gonna leave the state.’” Storms said GH acted the opposite, even though she also asked for some time off.
“The week before last week, I had my final taping day for the year. It’s possible I will be back in December, maybe November,” Storms added. “I promise you, the storyline they have going on until my return to Port Charles is kind of incredibly — you guys are gonna freak out, actually. I can’t wait to see the comments online about that.”
View this post on Instagram
Storms concluded her video update by thanking “GH, the ABC network executives, [and] the writers for agreeing to let me take this time.” She added, “I know Frank and the producers there know my reasons, and I am so grateful that they understand and are supportive.”
In the post’s caption, Storms wrote that she’s “very excited to be making Tennessee my home” and that she will be back on GH once she and her daughter, Harper Rose Barash, settle into their new town. “I plan on documenting as much of this new journey on my social media as I can,” she continued. “ It’s always been a dream of mine to move to a place like this, it’s hard to believe it’s really happening.”
This news comes less than a week after Nicole Paggi stepped in temporarily to replace the actress as Maxie on an episode of the ABC soap. Paggi will appear again as Maxie on the show’s July 30 and August 13 episodes. Storms, for her part, will return during the week of August 18.
Paggi previously filled in for Storms back in December 2023 as Storms dealt with a scheduling conflict. Though Storms has portrayed Maxie since 2005, other actresses, such as Jen Lilley and Molly Burnett, have substituted for the former Disney Channel star over the years.
General Hospital, Weekdays, ABC
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services