Why is Kirsten Storms temporarily taking a break from General Hospital? Everything you need to know as the actress shares an update on her exit

Kirsten Storms, who has portrayed Maxie Jones on General Hospital since 2005, is away for a temporary absence from the long-running ABC daytime drama. Maxie has had some prominent storylines in recent years, from the entire Deception Cosmetics umbrella to the current custody issue over her children. Fans began to take notice when actress Nicole Paggi played the role.

Storms announced on Instagram on July 7 that she is taking a temporary break from the show to move with her daughter, Harper, to Tennessee. She has been planning this since March (at the very least) and had to take off from filming to get settled into her new place.

It is not a formal exit, but it should be a long absence for several months, and there is a chance of her returning later in 2025.

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Why is Kirsten Storms currently absent from General Hospital?

Storms described the relocation as a long-time personal goal and confirmed she has no intention of leaving the show permanently.

''I’m very excited to be making Tennessee my home! I can’t wait to return to ‘GH,’ once Harper and I are settled in our new town. I plan on documenting as much of this new journey on my social media as I can.”

In a video shared on Instagram, Storms said she spoke with General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini about her plans back in March. She had told him that she would like to stay on at the show even though she was moving out of state. In Storms' words, the production team worked with her and gave her the autonomy to go on hiatus instead of cutting ties.

''First. I meant to post this video a few weeks ago, and time just got away from me, but 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.”

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When will Kirsten Storms return to General Hospital?

Storms also confirmed that she taped her last day of the year just before taking her break. Storms did not have a specific return date but said she could be back filming as early as November or December.

''It’s possible I will be back in December, maybe November. I promise you the storyline they have going on until my return to Port Charles is kind of incredible.''

In closing her message, Storms covered recent social media rumors of her exit. She explained that any posts not directly from her social media should be taken with suspicion.

"If you don’t read about it or watch a video on it from my page, take it with a grain of salt."

Despite her temporary absence, Storms encouraged fans to stay engaged with the ongoing storyline. She stated that the writing team has developed a strong arc for Maxie in her absence and expressed enthusiasm about how viewers will react.

Storms expressed her gratitude to the ABC and General Hospital production teams for accepting her request for leave. She mentioned the unusual leniency from the producers of the show, saying,

"I really want to thank ‘GH,’ the ABC network executives, the writers for agreeing to let me take this time."

Storms' exit is not a permanent one, and her return is still in the books once her move is finalized. Meanwhile, viewers can look forward to consistency in Maxie's story, with Nicole Paggi holding down the fort temporarily during the transition.

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Catch the latest episode of General Hospital streaming on ABC.