General Hospital spoilers say fans are upset about Maxie Jones’ (Kirsten Storms) absence, arguing that it’s hurting the show and its storylines; some think a recast seems urgently needed.
To understand the situation, it helps to look back. Kirsten Storms, who’s played Maxie since 2005, has been facing significant personal challenges for several months. Because of her situation, she hasn’t been able to return to Los Angeles and film at the GH set. She did say she most likely won’t be back.
Storms responded directly to the question fans have been wondering about—her future with General Hospital. With viewers eagerly hoping for her return, Storms addressed the situation:
“I can’t say I will be comfortable heading back to Los Angeles and returning to work given what’s been going on,” Storms wrote.
She added, “This has been an eye-opening experience about the downside of my profession.” Storms concluded, “My daughter is my entire life; she is (and always will be) my first priority.”
Kirsten Storms’ Absence Turned Stories Upside Down
Storms made a brief appearance earlier in 2026 when Maxie woke up from her coma, but she hasn’t been on screen since March. Maxie and Damian Spinelli (Bradford Anderson) were written off as being on vacation with their daughters, so they missed the dramatic reveal involving Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey).
Cassius had been impersonating his twin brother, Nathan West (also Ryan Paevey), for months, and the truth finally came out in July. James West (Gary James Fuller) was hit hard, first learning his father was leaving, then discovering he had actually passed away.
In the July 16 episode, Cody Bell (Josh Kelly) had the tough job of telling James that his dad wasn’t really his dad, but his uncle Cassius. Now James resents Cody, and Cody is left heartbroken by his nephew’s reaction.
Many fans think it was unfair to saddle Cody with such an important moment. The news should have come from Maxie and Spinelli, or perhaps Felicia Scorpio (Kristina Wagner) or Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati).
General Hospital Fans Feel Ripped Off
Despite all this, viewers are still eager to see Maxie’s reaction to the truth that “Nathan” wasn’t actually Nathan.
She and Nathan had a powerful love story in the past, and her response could explain why she so quickly chose Spinelli over Nathan. Clearly, something felt off for Maxie.
The question remains: Did the soap mishandle this storyline by not bringing in a Maxie recast? While it’s understandable they don’t want to replace Storms for good, especially given her circumstances, Maxie has had temporary recasts before.
Why not bring back one of the previous actresses? Jen Lilley (ex-Theresa Donovan from Days of Our Lives) filled in for Storms in 2011. Molly Burnett (ex-Melanie Jonas, also from DOOL) played Maxie from 2016 to 2018. Nicole Paggi has stepped in on a temporary basis in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Surely one of these actresses or someone new could have stepped in during the Cassius reveal to give Maxie’s perspective. General Hospital spoilers suggest the show missed a major opportunity here, so the big questions now are: what’s next for Maxie, and will fans ever get to see her reaction to the Cassius-Nathan twist?
Which actress would you choose to fill Kirsten Storms’ shoes as Maxie Jones? Come back to the Daily News Corner for more GH updates and news.
Kristen are dealing with concerning health issues. So Maxie returned will have to wait