‘General Hospital’ Star Reveals Upcoming Brain Surgery
Kirsten Storms is taking a temporary break from General Hospital.
The 41-year-old actress shared on Instagram that she will soon undergo surgery to treat an aneurysm. Storms explained that doctors discovered the aneurysm in January during a routine follow-up scan related to the cyst she had removed from her brain in 2021. She said her neurosurgeon will perform the procedure later this month.
Storms posted, “I wanted to post this because even though my brain seems to be sorta lowkey rebelling against me, it does allow me to understand that we’ve all got times when things aren’t great. If we can, we will do our best to do what is best for ourselves and loved ones. Since I knew what an aneurysm was, the scan in January majorly freaked me out. A few days after I was discharged from the hospital, someone created a blog post that said I was in the hospital that weekend because I tried to “unalive” myself. I couldn’t understand why a person would makeup something that terrible, when they had no idea why I was really there. There are a few really bad apples out there. We all know that…but there are people in my life who I am truly thankful to know. One of those individuals just made a sh*t load of sweaters with me. They are glorious. 😍@EmmeRylan @kirstenandemme #CrochetingIsGoodForTheBrain #KickinIt”
The longtime General Hospital actress first announced in July that she would be stepping back from her role as Maxie, which she has played since 2005, to relocate from Los Angeles to Nashville with her daughter, Harper. After her move and hospital discharge, speculation about her absence began to circulate.
Storms had informed fans earlier that summer through an Instagram video that she had discussed her plans with the show’s executive producer, Frank Valentini, months earlier. She explained that she wanted to relocate but didn’t intend to leave the series entirely. Rather than ending her contract, the show supported her decision and granted her some time off.
However, Maxie Jones’ absence may be only temporary.
“It’s possible I will be back in December, maybe November,” Storms added per Instagram.
“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.”
Kirsten Storms, born April 8, 1984, in Orlando, Florida, is an American actress best known for her longtime role as Maxie Jones on General Hospital. She first gained fame as a Disney Channel star, playing the title role in Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century and appearing in Johnny Tsunami and Kim Possible. Before joining General Hospital, she starred as Belle Black on Days of Our Lives. Over the years, Storms has earned multiple Daytime Emmy nominations for her work.