General Hospital alum Kirsten Storms has made a public statement about her daughter amid an ongoing custody battle with her ex-husband Brandon Barash.
“Please remember that we are people who are divorced and have a child,” Storms, 42, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, July 19th. “I appreciate the supportive comments, but now that my daughter is at the age where she googles her name while riding the bus to school, I ask that the speculation on this topic please stop.”
The actress, who split from her former co-star Barash, 46, in 2016, made headlines in April after her ex filed a restraining order against her, according to legal documents she obtained Us at the time. The documents revealed that Barash also filed for custody of her daughter Harper Rose, 12, in December 2025. (Prior to filing, the former couple had co-parented their child and moved from California to Tennessee in 2025.)
Storms’ Instagram post also addressed the profound impact Harper has had on her life. “I had Harper and my perspective on everything in life changed. I swear I won’t bring up my medical situation any further (I’m kidding and it gets embarrassing), but until I started to understand how precious time is and how what we prioritize becomes EVERYTHING we have, there was never a thought that my life would ever change,” she continued, referencing the brain cyst of 2021, the brain aneurysm of 2025 and the subsequent treatments she has endured over the years.
Kirsten Storms and Brandon Barash met on the set of General Hospital and eventually developed a real-life romance. Storms began playing Maxie Jones on and off starting in 2005, while Barash brought Johnny Zacchara to life from 2007 to 2013. The couple kept their off-screen romance secret until it was revealed in August 2013 that they were secretly (…)
The actress also took the opportunity to comment on her current relationship with Barash. “I would like to briefly acknowledge that there is an ongoing situation with Brandon that will be resolved (hopefully soon),” Storms wrote. “I would appreciate (and encourage) if people…don’t worry about me or think there’s something bigger going on other than two ex-spouses dealing with a ‘difference’ that’s being resolved.”
Storms and Barash tied the knot in 2013 after falling in love while working together General Hospital – Storms played Maxie Jones while Barash played Johnny Zacchara.
General Hospital star Kirsten Storms’ ex-husband Brandon Barash was granted a restraining order because he was concerned about her mental health. According to TMZ, Barash, 46, recently filed for a restraining order. The application was approved after Barash claimed his ex-wife was engaging in offensive behavior and he feared for the welfare of their 12-year-old daughter. In his (…)
After welcoming their daughter the following year, Barash said Soap Opera Digest in April 2016 that the couple’s marriage was over. “We’re breaking up because of the stereotypical irreconcilable differences, but we’re breaking up amicably,” the actor said at the time. “We have every intention of remaining a family, raising our child together and maintaining a friendship to raise him in a healthy environment.”
In Barash’s most recent filing, he requested a modification to his and Storms’ original agreement due to several issues that had arisen since they moved overseas.
