Kirsten Storms made her long-anticipated return as Maxie Jones on General Hospital on Thursday, February 12, six months after stepping away from the soap.
Last July, Storms announced that she would be temporarily leaving the show to relocate to Nashville with her 12-year-old daughter, Harper Rose, whom she shares with ex-husband Brandon Barash (Johnny Zacchara, GH; Stefan DiMera, Days of Our Lives), who also moved there.
“I’m very excited to be making Tennessee my home!” Storms enthused online. “I can’t wait to return to GH, once [daughter] 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. It’s always been a dream of mine to move to a place like this, it’s hard to believe it’s really happening.”
A few months later, Storms revealed that there was more behind her decision. In October, the actress, who had a craniotomy in 2021 to remove noncancerous brain cysts, disclosed on Instagram that she had been diagnosed with an aneurysm on the right side of her brain.
“Emotional support, when going through times in life that cause worry, is crucial,” Storms shared. “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.”
By late December, Storms offered a reassuring update. After consulting with a neurosurgeon in St. Louis, she explained that immediate surgery was not required. “He told me that I am in the ‘gray zone’ for the aneurysm procedure,” she detailed. “It’s not super small, but it’s not at the mandatory surgery size. Basically, I can keep monitoring it – or have the coiling done, BUT he told me I wasn’t in immediate/’OMG! it’s going to burst tomorrow!’ kind of dangerous. Obvi, great news.”
Then, on January 21, Storms confirmed she was officially back at work. Posting from the GH set, she wrote, “Boom. 2026 already…that was fast. Back at work! Seriously missing my BugBug though. California doesn’t feel right without her here.”
ABC
Her on-screen return was nothing short of dramatic. The February 12 show opened in Maxie’s hospital room, where she was still in a coma. Her mother, Felicia Jones (Kristina Wagner), and kids, James West (Gary James Fuller) and Georgie Spinelli (Lily Fisher), tended to a comatose Maxie in her hospital room. The room was decorated for Valentine’s Day, and James proudly presented Maxie with a handmade Valentine — a skateboard, inspired by his favorite hobby — though he grew upset when Georgie pointed out their mother couldn’t see it. Felicia gently kept the peace between the siblings.
Elsewhere in Port Charles, Harrison Chase (Josh Swickard) shared a sweet tea party with Bailey Lou Jones (Riley and Miley Plonski), Maxie’s daughter with the late Peter August (Wes Ramsey), before heading to work. Brook Lynn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton) looked on warmly as Chase bonded with Bailey Lou, prompting him to say that he couldn’t wait for them to have a child of their own.
Meanwhile, Nathan West (Ryan Paevey) fretted over the Valentine’s Day treats he was tasked to buy for James’ class and sought help from Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins). After a trip to the store, they assembled goodie bags for James’ classmates. When they were through, Nathan confessed that he was conflicted about where things stood between them. The moment ended with the two gazing into each other’s eyes.
ABC
Back at the hospital, James spent time alone talking to Maxie, filling her in on his important updates, including the fact that he’d only been to the ER once since she last saw him, “and it wasn’t even that bad.” He also revealed that a classmate named Madison asked James to be her Valentine, but he said no because Maxie was his Valentine. “I love you the best,” he told his mom.
Outside the room, Georgie opened up to her grandmother about how deeply she missed her mother. The children switched places, and Georgie begged Maxie to come back to them. Felicia went in next. She took Maxie’s hand, noting that she was confident Maxie would wake up. “I have seen you do impossible things your entire life,” she said through tears. “So, I know you can do this, too.”
As Felicia and her grandchildren prepared to leave, James wanted to go skating, but Georgia preferred a trip to the bookstore. The siblings’ debate was suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice. “James Malcom West. You are not going skating without a helmet.” The trio turned to see Maxie standing in the doorway, fully awake.
ABC
What comes next promises to be just as emotional. Tune in for Maxie’s reunions with her family, her shocking discovery that Nathan is alive, along with his sister, Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) — and some potentially explosive fallout if Maxie learns just how close Nathan and Lulu have become.
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