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‘General Hospital’s’ Kirsten Storms Reveals Health Update, Scheduled to Undergo Brain Surgery

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: EmmeandKirsten IG Kickin It Sweater line

Kirsten Storms (Maxie, General Hospital) has opened up further about her decision to leave Los Angeles and take a break from General Hospital to head to Nashville to be with her daughter, Harper Rose Barash.

In a series of postings on her Instagram with best friend, Emme Rylan (ex-Lulu, GH), they announced they have started their own crocheting business, Kristen and Emme, where they sell crocheted sweaters that they’ve designed together. The first is a line called “Kickin It.”

In the various posts modeling their new sweater line, came a moment where Kirsten gave major praise to Emme being by her side, during additional news on her current health status. Storms revealed that she is set to undergo brain surgery in the coming weeks. As fans know, back in 2021, Storms underwent a craniotomy to drain and remove noncancerous cysts on her brain.

Photo: JPI

Explaining the enormity and the entirety of her decision for her break from GH and the move across the country, Storms wrote, “In January (2025), I had a new scan done of my brain. After my surgery in 2021, my *amazing* neurosurgeon (who ‘humors’ the jokes I make during my appointments — which is okay because he’s very smart) has been monitoring the cyst that he left on my brain, when he removed one that was causing me problems. The January scan happened because I had symptoms that the doctors thought could’ve been brain-related. OK — when I say that I was shocked when the doctors told me they found an aneurysm on the right side of my brain… welp, I basically launched into a standup comedy routine.”

Photo: JPI

The beloved fan favorite continued, “I had a procedure done that weekend, where the doctor thread a camera from my leg up to my brain,”(It’s a routine procedure,  but the path inside your body that they lead the camera through is *insane*… THE CAMERA GOES THROUGH YOUR ARMPIT, guys. Your. Armpit.) Anyway, because of the *slightly* complex situation with the aneurysm (nothing bad, just not typical), it wasn’t coiled that weekend. I checked in with my super smart surgeon, completed my next few months at work, started my hiatus, and left California. Did you guys know that Emme was by my side every single day during my 2021 craniotomy and hospital recovery? I remember waking up in the ICU right after my procedure, and the first thing she said was ‘How are you?? DO YOU STILL LOVE YARN?’ My neurosurgeon did give a chuckle to that joke. Anyway, Neurology stuff makes me feel a bit of nervousness, so now—here I am with Emme, in St Louis. And we are crocheting the most beautiful sweaters, while my coiling procedure is being scheduled for sometime in the next 2 weeks.”

On GH, the character of Maxie wound up in a coma, and was sent to a longterm coma facility in Boston, after rubbing a tester of tainted face cream from Deception on an episode of Home and Heart. Maxie has no idea that man saying and who “seemingly” is her late husband, Nathan West (Ryan Paevey) is alive and well in Port Charles.

Photo: KristeandEmmeIG

As she continued her post, Kirsten added, “Emotional support, when going through times in life that cause worry, is crucial, Aneurysms (obviously) can be caused by stress. Brain cysts? I believe that is possible too…. and since the January scan showed a new, but very small, squatter (aka cyst) on my brain stem — it was clear I needed to change some things in my life asap. For my own personal reasons, no longer living in Los Angeles was very important to me. The biggest reason for the move was Harper, but a lot of it was for my physical and mental health. And my overall happiness.”

Next, Kirsten introduced her followers to how crocheting can be beneficial for your state of mind: “Did you know (if you’re still reading this egregiously long post) that even though crocheting isn’t ‘technically’ a cognitive behavioral therapy exercise, it hits all of the requirements CBT exercises do? It’s meditative, your hands and brain are focusing on the same task, therefore it distracts you from feelings of stress or anxiety, and completing a project feels rewarding. This sweater collaboration with my best friend, who is as obsessed with yarn as I am and constantly shows me that she always has my back… it kinda feels like we were meant to do this.”

Photo: JPI

In the end, Kirsten explained that someone made up a blog post saying that she was in the hospital to end her life, which is further from the truth, and that she knows who her friends truly are:  “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 make up 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.”

It was back in Julythis year, that Storms took to her Instagram to explain her current hiatus from the role of Maxie, and how when she asked GH executive producer, Frank Valentini, back in March for the time off, and how he was nothing but supportive, sharing, “Now, when you approach a job like this, they can always be like, ‘Forget it. I will let you out of your contract if you’re going to leave the state.’ GH did not do that — which was kind of amazing because I also asked for some time off.”

What did you think of Kirsten being so open about her health crisis and plans for the surgery? The importance of her friendship with Emme Rylan? Let us know via the comment section below.

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Sending prayers for Kirsten’s full and speedy recovery and rapid return to GH.

Heal soon, rest. But please come back to GH when you can. Miss that pretty face.

I think it’s fantastic, my best friend has cancer, she had radiation for 6weeks, I was by her side through it all, I know how much she appreciated me being there, you definitely need friends going through this battle ❤️❤️❤️I hope she will be back on General Hospital soon, I definitely miss her❤️

Praying for complete healing! God is so good just rely on him. Hee will guide your doctors hands.

Prayers for u hon be well and take care of U ! U are missed in GH

Omgosh I hope she is ok

Kirsten, sounds like you’re doing everything right. You’re follow up on your medical issues and taking care of yourself and your daughter. I hope you heal quickly from your next surgical procedure. We need you back on GH so you could come out of your coma. All the best wishes for good health and happiness!

With all she’s going through, it was quite thoughtful of Kirsten to take time to update fans about her situation.

Here’s hoping she has a speedy recovery from the procedure, is healthy, and ready to return to GH in the not-too-distant future.

I want Emme Rylan back as Lulu. Emme is one of the actors I switched to GH to watch. I know that kind of friendship is rare and extremely important to your health and wellbeing. As is faith in Jesus. I will be praying for you

I have always like her on GH . I will be praying for her . Life is hard . And I fully understand how it can rob your living it . I am prove how it can still who we are inside . But she is a fighter as I am.

I think she is an amazing actress and a very brave woman and her health is more important than the her Job she should be with family and friends and I think she found a true friend in Emme Rylan wishing you the best and keeping you in my prayers

Oh my. She seems like such a sweet person. As does Emme. And how positive and uplifting they are throughout this. What a special friendship. Learning about their crochet business collaboration makes me smile. Keeping Kirsten in my prayers for a successful surgery and recovery. Prayers for all of her loved ones too as they go through this with her. Looking forward to the return of our beloved Maxie back on our screens soon. What a quirky, delightful, witty character Maxie is. Kirsten is a gem.

Prayers for a speedy recovery. I think that general hospital needs to do a temporary recast of Maxie. Shows do that all the time for people who have babies or have surgery and Maxie is really needed now with the Nathan story.

There’s no payoff for a “reunion” with a temporary recast Maxie and someone who may (or may not) be impersonating Nathan. GH realized this and wrote the Maxie in a coma storyline to accommodate Kirsten’s request.

I think it’s good they didn’t do a temporary recast. I mean, it’s good for Kirsten to know her employer will wait for her. She can focus on her health and not have to worry or wonder if a temporary recast might become a permanent replacement. Good on Frank for accommodating her.

If she’s still under contract a temp recast would not affect job security. Maxie is most definitely needed. I hope Frank keeps to his word.

Prayer said for Kirsten, for a fast and full recovery.
Wishing the sweet duo a Big success in the sweater business.

Good Luck Kristen and a Speedy Recovery

I wish her well. I heard she had health issues/crisis before and she has to take care of it. She has a child. Family and health have to come first. To her, thank you Kirsten for sharing. Best friends are crucial and others at your job should have your back. Take care of you. It has to be up to you to chose your life decisions-not us fans. I will pray you come through all of your challenges. I really will. Thank you for your talents and your updates. Take care of yourself.

First, she doesn’t have to tell us anything. Her personal life is hers. As someone who has had brain surgery, it is scary and it takes time to recover from it. I wish her all the best. She is missed but she needs to take care of herself and her family first. If she reads these, I wish her all the best and cant wait until she is back on GH but no rush. Do what you need. Fans will be waiting and true fans will not abandon her. As for the person who said nasty things, I will pray for that person even though they seem like a lost cause.

Thank you for being so upfront about your health. As a fan of you and GH, I appreciate your honesty. I will put you in my prayers for strength to get through this. You already have the courage and wonderful family and friends to get you through. Hang in there, you’re doing great. ♥️♥️

I’m sending can’t wait for you to come back

Sending lots of prayers, it has to be scary for you and your family. See you when you get better Girl. You really are missed

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Is ‘Jarly’ the Best Relationship in Soaps? Should Jason Go Work for the Quartermaines?

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Carly and Jason

General Hospital’s Carly (Laura Wright) and Jason’s (Steve Burton) bond will never been broken, and they reaffirmed that on the Friday, August 14 episode of the ABC soap opera.

For the first time since making his decision to leave the mob and work for Sonny (Maurice Benard), Jason sits down with Carly in her kitchen and breaks the news to her. She is shocked.

Jason explains that his time in Jakarta imprisoned by the WSB gave him time to think, and that he came to the realization his priorities are mixed up and he needs to put his son, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) first. When Carly asked how Sonny took the news, a tearful Jason explains that Sonny understood. Carly defends Jason’s decision as the right one.

Photo: ABC

The two share a heartfelt moment from across the kitchen table when Carly takes Jason’s hand and acknowledged how difficult it must be for him, considering his loyalty to Sonny all these years. That prompted Jason to apologize to Carly for the all times that his loyalty to Sonny had to come first over his loyalty to her. Carly says she married Sonny five different times and had his children. She understands it’s difficult to walk away and about loyalty, through her tears.

LIFE AFTER SONNY

When Carly asks Jason what is he going to do now, Jason tells his bff he hasn’t figured that out yet. Carly can’t believe she’s going to say this, but the Quartermaines could use his help. She believes Jason has a perspective that could help Ned (Wally Kurth) and Michael (Rory Gibson) at ELQ and Tracy (Jane Elliot) would love to have Jason at the company. Jason says he has to think about, and that it can’t interfere in his relationship with his son.

At the end of the discussion, Jason and Carly love lives are brought up. Let’s not forget, they previously married each other in September of 2021. This is when Sonny was presumed dead, only to show up before the final paperwork was signed, which nullified the best friend’s marriage to each other, and they suddenly went back to being friends.

NO QUESTIONS ON THEIR CURRENT LOVE LIVES

Now in 2026, Carly wonders if Jason told Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) he has left the mob, to which he informs her he hasn’t told her yet, while Carly tells Jason she will keep her relationship with Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) out of their friendship.

They both know the other is not too happy with their current romantic partners. But, whether Jason and Britt can actually get back on sound footing, and pick up where they left off before Jason was taken by the WSB, is still left to be seen.

In the end, any scenes that showcase the ongoing bond between Jason and Carly in the hands of Steve Burton and Laura Wright, is always moving and played to perfection by these two long-running staples of the General Hospital brand.

So this all begs a few questions: Should Jason go work for the Quartermaines? Do you think it would be interesting to see him in business, or do you think he would hate it and be bored? Do you think of all the friendships on the current landscape of soap operas still on the air that Carly and Jason’s is one of the best? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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‘General Hospital’s’ Maurice Benard Talks: New ‘Sonny’ Storyline, His Contract, and Three Characters He Would Want to See Back in Port Charles

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Three-time Daytime Emmy-winner Maurice Benard teased what’s on deck for General Hospital’s Sonny Corinthos, his future with the soap opera, and just who he would love to see make a return, during an in-depth conversation with ESPN Radio New York host, Ty Butler.

Benard appeared this week on Butler’s You Tube channel, and it’s clear that Butler and his real-life family are deep fans of General Hospital, so he had some pointed questions for Maurice from what’s happening currently in Port Charles to look backs at Sonny’s past.

Now that Sonny has decided to get out of the mob, Benard teased what’s coming up for the apparent “former” mobster, “When (the writers) told me I was out of the mob it didn’t throw me. I was like, ‘let’s see what I can do here.’ There were a lot of people during the hey day of the gangster period (on GH), who did not like it. (They would say) ‘It’s too much Sonny, it’s too much violence.'”

Maurice Benard

Photo: ABC

WITH SONNY OUT OF THE MOB, WHAT’S NEXT?

However, the long-running GH mainstay added, “I don’t care what I’m doing as long as Sonny maintains power, and that power doesn’t mean killing people, or being a gangster. You can be powerful in business. You can be powerful over here, and I think they’re doing that. I do know the story (coming up) and I can’t say (much more), but it’s really amazing. When I heard about it, I said, “Oh, wow!”‘

This week, Maurice marks his 33rd anniversary in the role of Sonny. It’s a role he began back on-screen on August 13, 1993. But how many years might the popular star have left in the tank to remain in Port Charles? Maurice explained his position on that, “My contract is up February or March (2027). So up until then, I’ll just tell you guys that the upcoming story, I’m very happy with it.”

He added, “I’m not going to retire soon, but I’m at a certain point where I can retire if I wanted. But, I don’t want to as long as I’m happy at GH, and I’ve been happy at GH for a while now. So, they’re going have to kick me out. They’re going to have to say, “Nah, we’ve had enough. Get the hell out.”‘

Photo: JPI

HOW WOULD THE END COME FOR SONNY CORINTHOS IF MAURICE BENARD EVER EXITED GENERAL HOSPITAL?

During their conversation, Butler asked, if the time would come that Maurice were to make an exit from General Hospital, how would he like it to go down. The longtime GH star had an answer that if he were to leave, he should go out on a big cliffhanger. “Something happens to one of his children and it’s his fault. Sonny can’t take it,” explains Maurice on his Port Charles alter-ego. “He goes home, he takes a shot of whiskey. (Then), Sonny goes upstairs and all you hear is BOOM. And it goes to black. Now, if it were a movie, it would work. But let me tell you something … it’s a soap opera. You don’t know if Sonny did it! You don’t know if somebody else did it, set it all up to make him look like he did. You don’t know. So there’s a big story there, right?”

BLASTS FROM THE PAST

When asked by the ESPN radio host,  what cast member would he like to see return to the show?  Benard named three characters, and they are: Brenda (Vanessa Marcil), Luke (the late Anthony Geary, obviously that was stated as Benard misses him dearly) and Morgan (last played by Bryan Craig).

You can check out the full conversation with Maurice below on the The Ty Butler Show.

Now, let us know, what do you think is the new storyline that is about to kick-off, other than we know Sonny is getting out of the mob, and wants to get Sidwell’s assets and keep them away from Drew? Glad to hear Maurice does not plan on leaving General Hospital anytime soon? And, do you agree with Maurice … would you like to see the characters of Brenda and Morgan come back to the Port Charles canvas? Let us know via the comment section.

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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Michael Gets Willow Right Where He Wants Her, Curtis is Found Guilty and Sentenced to Prison

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Michael and Willow

The Thursday, August 13 episode of General Hospital gave us just what Michael (Rory Gibson) was going to do to Willow (Katelyn MacMullen), now that he had the goods on her that she shot Drew, the verdict in the Curtis (Donnell Turner) vs. Isaiah (Sawandi Wilson) case, and left us with Trina (Tabyana Ali) alone with her stalker nearby. Let’s take a look at how it all went down!

When Willow arrived at the Quartermaines to pick up Wiley and Amelia, she was stopped in her tracks when Michael confronted her armed with the truth that she shot Drew (Cameron Mathison) twice in the back. She denies it. However, Michael pulls out of an envelope signed affidavits from Kai (Jens Austin Astrup) and Trina, explaining they were at Drew’s house that night and have proof.

Michael explains her ring tone went off on her phone while she was getting ready to shoot Drew, and it was a match for Wiley’s. Kai and Trina heard the same ringtone at the courthouse when she stood trial for attempted murder. Willow threw the fact that she can’t be tried again in a court of law because of double jeopardy. However, Michael stopped her ranting and says double jeopardy doesn’t apply in family court.

Willow

Courtesy/ABC

HOW MICHAEL GOT THE UPPER HAND ON WILLOW

Now, Michael is ready to expose her crime. Suddenly, Willow grabs the rolling pin on the counter to strike Michael, but he is able to block her. Michael tells Willow she either accepts the arrangement he is about to tell her, or she will never see her children again. Willow tries to counter that Jacinda drugged her and she can prove it. However, Michael lets it be known that Jacinda is long gone with no forwarding address.

Next, Michael tells Willow she can remain a part of their children’s lives and he will keep their current custody arrangement as long as she moves back into the gatehouse. Willow hates the gatehouse, but knows she has no other option, so she says she will pack up her things at Nina’s and move in.

Donnell Turner

Courtesy/ABC

GUILTY!

At the courthouse, the jury has reached a verdict in the case of Curtis vs. Isaiah. When the jury comes back before the court, the jury foreperson shares, “We find the defendant, Curtis Ashford, guilty of second-degree assault and battery.” In lieu of the verdict, the judge sentences Curtis to ten years in prison at Pentonville with the possibility of parole in two years.

Curtis’ attorney Martin Grey (Michael E. Knight) tells his client he has gotten him 48 hours before he had to report to prison, and planned to file an appeal with the courts on the verdict. Curtis then says heartfelt goodbyes with Trina and Jordan (Tanisha Harper), before heading over to Portia’s (Brook Kerr) to see his newborn son, Desmond knowing he will not see him for quite a long time.

WHO’S THE STALKER?

Trina and Kai are at now at Bobbie’s. They talk about her father going to prison, and Trina is channeling her feelings into her songwriting. Kai decides to let Trina be by herself so she can focus and he won’t be a distraction. However, after Kai makes his exit, someone is looking through the windows at Bobbie’s and targeting Trina. But who? We fade to black.

So, what did you think about Michael having the goods on Willow and knowing she shot Drew? Were you happy about how he used the information to gain the upper hand to get her to move back into the Quartermaines gatehouse? Were you hoping for a different outcome? Are we just a short time away from Michael and Willow being back together as a couple after everything that has happened? Then, what did you think of the verdict in Curtis’ case? Glad he going away to prison for what he did? Do you care, or do not really care? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

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