Rumors have been circulating that Kirsten Storms has once again left General Hospital, but has she really parted ways with her Port Charles alter ego, Maxie Jones? Thankfully, the actress says no and that it was just a super short sickness that perhaps sparked the untrue gossip.
"To address the internet rumors, no I'm not leaving GH," she wrote on Twitter. "I had to take two sick days due to the flu and that is all."
Storms also took the opportunity to share the good news that she has a new contract with the ABC series, meaning there will be plenty of Maxie-time for fans to savor in the months and years ahead.
"I also recently re-signed with the show and I'm very happy to be continuing with Maxie's journey," she revealed. "Thanks [GH executive producer] Frank Valentini for being so great while I was sick."
To address the internet rumors, no I'm not leaving GH. I had to take 2 sick days due to the flu and that is all. 😊 I also recently re-signed with the show and I'm very happy to be continuing with Maxie's journey. Thanks @valentinifrank for being so great while I was sick. ❤️
— Kirsten Storms (@teenystweeting) May 18, 2018
In her thirteen years of playing GH's Maxie, Storms has had to take several breaks from the soap opera. The first was in 2011, when she stepped away to deal with endometriosis. The second was in 2014, when she took a maternity break to give birth to her daughter, Harper Rose, whom she shares with former GH star Brandon Barash (ex-Johnny Zacchara). The third was in 2016, when she was temporarily replaced by Days of our Lives star Molly Burnett (ex-Melanie Jonas) while she dealt with skin issues. And the fourth was in 2017, when she took a break to deal with severe depression.
All of the rumors of Storms's exit started when a tabloid site known for making up stories based on half-truths used an old Soaps In Depth article to claim that Storms was out. The In Depth article that was cited? It was more than two years old.
UPDATE: Shortly after Storms addressed her short-term absence from GH, a report from Soap Opera Digest revealed that former Days of our Lives actress Molly Burnett (ex-Melanie Jonas) will once again be stepping into the role of Maxie. Viewers will see her take over for Storms in the Friday, June 1, and Monday, June 4, episodes of the ABC soap opera.
Burnett has thus far not opened up about temporarily taking over for Storms for the second time in her career, but she did respond to the actress' tweet about having to take a break from work due to the flu. Burnett's public get-well wish read: "Love you lil momma! I hope you're feeling better!!! The flu is the worst."
Love you lil momma! I hope you're feeling better!!! ?? the flu is the worst ?? https://t.co/1HvRDcEtqh
— Molly Burnett (@mollydollyy) May 18, 2018
Are you relieved to hear Storms is staying put at GH? What do you think about her re-signing with the ABC soap? What kind of storylines would you like to see for Maxie in the months ahead? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
