Judge Grants Kirsten Storms Restraining Order After Ex Cites Mental-Health Crisis and Child-Safety Concerns
A Tennessee judge granted an emergency restraining order against General Hospital actress Kirsten Storms after ex-husband Brandon Barash filed that he fears a mental-health crisis and risks to their 12-year-old daughter, resulting in supervised visitation and a pending court review.
- Emergency order granted: A judge approved an emergency restraining order in late April 2026 after Barash detailed episodes he says amount to a mental-health crisis (Fox News).
- Filing timeline: The order was initially filed in December 2025 and seeks protection for the couple’s 12-year-old daughter (TMZ).
- Visitation and review: Storms retains supervised visitation, and a judge is scheduled to review the order later this week (TV Insider; SoapHub).
What Barash’s filing says
In the court documents obtained by media outlets, Brandon Barash, 46, provides a timeline and several incidents he says justify emergency action. He wrote that Storms, 42, contacted him in May 2025 reporting delusions and hallucinations and saying she did not think she should have their daughter for parenting time. Barash states that his current wife, Isabella Devoto, helped have Storms hospitalized and placed on a psychiatric hold that month; the filing alleges Storms did not acknowledge that hospitalization after release (Fox News; Us Weekly).
Barash’s filing also cites a friend’s account that Storms experienced repeated meltdowns, heard voices, was easily triggered, and may have been abusing Adderall and other substances. The documents allege extended housing instability from September 2024 through June 2025, with Storms moving among couches, hotels and friends’ homes because she believed people were following her and her child. Barash mentions eviction actions, threats to repossess a vehicle, and an unpaid $5,000 loan (TMZ; Fox Baltimore).
Barash’s filing expresses his “great concern” for their child’s safety and requests the court consider a mental-health evaluation for Storms.
Storms’ social posts and related events
Some of Storms’ social media posts appear to support elements of the filings, though she frames those posts as describing outside threats rather than illness. In early April 2026 she shared Ring camera footage she said showed someone entering her apartment in the Legacy Cool Spring building in Franklin, Tennessee, and asked that the building cooperate with Franklin police so she could identify who entered. She also posted concerns about attempted access to her phone and iCloud accounts (Fox News; TV Insider).
On April 24, 2026, Storms posted that she had been evicted after reporting the alleged break-in and receiving no response from the leasing office. Reports say she called police earlier that month over alleged hacking of her phone (Fox News; TMZ).
Health background and career notes
Kirsten Storms has previously disclosed serious health issues that affected her career and personal life. In 2025 she revealed she had experienced a brain aneurysm and said the finding “majorly freaked” her out. That scare contributed to a hiatus from General Hospital, where she has portrayed Maxie since 2005, and to her relocation from Los Angeles to Nashville with her daughter; she later returned to the role after a six-month break (TV Insider; Fox News).
Legal status and next steps
The emergency restraining order granted after Barash’s request remains in effect and stipulates supervised visitation for Storms. A judge is due to review the order later this week; the review could lead to longer-term custody changes or court-ordered mental-health evaluations. Barash’s filing explicitly asks the court to order a mental-health evaluation and underscores his stated concerns for their child’s safety (SoapHub; Soap Opera Digest).
As of reporting, neither Storms nor Barash had issued public statements through representatives responding to the media coverage. Coverage relies on court documents and Storms’ social posts; outlets reporting on the filings include Fox News, TMZ, Us Weekly, TV Insider, Soap Opera Digest, and SoapHub.
Implications for San Diego, California
Local legal, health and community stakeholders in San Diego may note several takeaways from the Tennessee case:
- Child safety and cross-state custody: Emergency family-safety claims can rapidly trigger orders when children’s welfare is raised; custody matters may move across state lines and courts can impose supervised visitation or ordered evaluations (TV Insider).
- Mental-health services and access: The filings reference psychiatric holds and hospitalizations, highlighting the role of law enforcement and hospitals in crisis response and the need for timely pathways to care.
- Substance-use concerns: Allegations of stimulant misuse in filings underscore how courts and treatment providers may coordinate custody decisions with mandated treatment when substance use is documented.
- Media attention and privacy: High-profile cases draw local attention; San Diego advocacy groups urge privacy and professional assistance for families facing similar issues.
- Home security and tenant rights: Storms’ posts about break-ins and alleged hacking highlight local concerns about home security, digital privacy, and tenant-leasing disputes.
Court review and next steps
The judge’s scheduled review later this week will determine whether the emergency restrictions remain, whether longer-term custody orders are necessary, and whether the court will order a formal mental-health evaluation. The matter is active and subject to further filings and hearings (Soap Opera Digest; Fox News).
Reporting notes and source documents
Most reporting derives from court filings and Storms’ social posts. Original stories and reporting cited in this article include:
