Kirsten Storms Addresses Mental Health Claims and General Hospital Exit

Kirsten Storms has come forward to respond to claims made by her ex-husband Brandon Barash, offering her account of recent events that led to her stepping back from her long-running role on General Hospital.

In April, Barash, 46, secured an emergency restraining order against the actress, 42, citing concerns about her mental health. The two met while working on General Hospital, married in 2013, and share a daughter, Harper, born in 2014. They divorced in 2016.

The situation intensified after Barash remarried in 2025 and relocated to Nashville. Storms followed to help their now 12-year-old daughter transition to a new city, taking time away from her soap opera role due to the move and various health concerns.

Barash had claimed that in May 2025, Storms contacted him expressing that she was "experiencing delusions and hallucinations" and felt unfit for parenting responsibilities during her scheduled time with their daughter. She was subsequently hospitalized and placed on a psychiatric hold, though Barash alleged she resumed normal behavior after her release.

On June 7, Storms posted a lengthy statement on Instagram addressing the allegations and clarifying the timeline of events. She disputed characterizations of her situation, pointing to documentation and evidence that contradicted claims about when certain incidents occurred.

Storms detailed an apartment break-in she experienced, explaining that the incident was reported to building management and local police in Franklin, Tennessee, in early August—months before any legal filings from Barash. She shared photos documenting damage to her apartment door lock and noted she had been in communication with building staff about investigating the breach.

The actress emphasized the severity of the violation, noting that the intruder had accessed both her living space and personal technology while she was away attending medical appointments in St. Louis.

"Moving to Tennessee, as a single mom who lives alone 50% of the time, with a newly discovered brain aneurysm—well, I don't think I need to explain how upsetting this entire situation has been for me," Storms wrote, referencing a brain aneurysm diagnosis she had shared publicly in December 2025.

Regarding her professional future, Storms announced she would be taking an extended break from General Hospital. "Given what's been going on, I can't say I will feel comfortable heading back to Los Angeles and returning to work," she stated, describing the experience as eye-opening regarding challenges in her profession.

Storms concluded her statement by reaffirming her priorities, writing that her daughter remains her life's focus and will always come first.