Brandon Barash Granted Emergency Restraining Order Against Kirsten Storms Amid Alleged Mental Health Crisis, Judge Orders Supervised Visitation
Brandon Barash obtained an emergency restraining order against ex-wife Kirsten Storms in late April 2026, alleging a mental health crisis and citing concerns for their 12‑year‑old daughter; a judge ordered supervised visitation and set a review this week.
Key takeaways
- Emergency order timeline: Barash filed in December 2025; a judge granted the emergency restraining order in late April 2026 and scheduled a review this week (Fox News, TMZ).
- Allegations in filings: Barash’s documents describe delusions, hallucinations, paranoia and housing instability affecting parenting from Sept. 2024 through mid‑2025 (Fox News, Soaphub).
- Court orders and requests: The judge ordered supervised visitation; Barash requested a mental health evaluation in his filing (US Magazine, Soap Opera Digest).
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What the court filings say
Court documents cited by Fox News, TMZ, US Magazine and other outlets lay out Barash’s account of incidents beginning well before the April 2026 hearing. Barash — who shares a 12‑year‑old daughter with Storms — told the court that Storms had episodes of delusion and hallucination, once stating she “didn’t think she should have the child for her parenting time”, according to the filings (Fox News, Soaphub).
Hospitalization and witness accounts: The filings state Barash’s current wife, Isabella Devoto, helped have Storms hospitalized and placed on a psychiatric hold in May 2025; the documents say Storms did not acknowledge the hospitalization after release (Fox News, Soaphub).
Additional claims include statements from a friend who told Barash that Storms experienced repeated meltdowns, was “being triggered,” heard voices, and may have been abusing Adderall and other substances. The paperwork also alleges Storms couch‑surfed between Sept. 2024 and June 2025 because she believed people were following her and her daughter (Fox News, TMZ).
Legal actions and requests
Requests to the court: Barash asked for a court-ordered mental health evaluation and sought supervised visitation to protect their child while concerns are addressed. A judge granted the emergency order and set a hearing to review whether the restrictions should continue (US Magazine, Soap Opera Digest).
Financial and property claims: The filings reference a $5,000 loan Barash says he made to Storms to prevent a vehicle repossession and contends it was not repaid. The paperwork also includes allegations of eviction, alleged break‑ins and tampering with personal belongings and vehicles (Fox News, US Magazine).
Storms’ public posts and reported health history
Storms has posted about alleged break‑ins, device hacking and an eviction after reporting a break‑in at her Tennessee apartment. In April 2026 she posted security footage of what she described as an apparent break‑in at the Legacy Cool Spring building in Franklin, Tennessee, writing she hoped the property would cooperate with police so she could “have peace of mind about who was entering my apartment while I was out of town.” She also said she was dealing with “ongoing problems with attempted access to my cell phone and iCloud accounts” (Fox News).
Storms said she was evicted after reporting the alleged break‑in:
“After I reported the break-in to the police and continued to attempt to speak with someone from the leasing office, regarding said break-in, without a response….the building left an eviction notice on my apt door.”
Earlier posts referenced suspected hacking and account access problems; in February 2026 she wrote that the situation with her home network and accounts was “really freaking me out,” later calling police over suspected phone hacking and deleted emails (TMZ, Soaphub).
Health history: Storms disclosed discovery of an aneurysm and subsequent brain surgery in 2025. She described afterward that “my brain seems to be sorta lowkey rebelling against me,” a comment reported in coverage of her brief hiatus from General Hospital (US Magazine).
Background: the couple and custody context
Storms, 42, has portrayed Maxie on General Hospital since 2005. Barash, 46, is known for roles on General Hospital and Days of Our Lives. The two were married from 2013 to 2016 and share a daughter, now 12. Storms announced a hiatus in mid‑2025 and moved from Los Angeles to Nashville with her child, citing health struggles as a factor (US Magazine).
Multiple outlets note representatives for both Storms and Barash did not immediately respond to requests for comment (Fox News).
Implications for Redding, California
Although adjudicated in Tennessee, this case raises several local policy and community considerations for Redding and Northern California officials and families:
- Child safety and custody: The central concern is the welfare of a 12‑year‑old. Redding parents and courts face similar intersections of mental health and custody, highlighting the need for clear standards and timely evaluations (US Magazine).
- Mental health resources: Barash’s request for evaluation underscores gaps in rapid access to psychiatric care. Redding could benefit from increased county behavioral health capacity and crisis response teams to assist families in urgent situations (Fox News).
- Substance use and treatment availability: Allegations of stimulant misuse point to the need for expanded treatment and outpatient supports that emphasize accountability, recovery and parental fitness assessments (TMZ).
- Law enforcement and tenant safety: Reported break‑ins followed by eviction notices raise questions about landlord responsiveness and tenant protections; Redding officials might review protocols for police-property manager cooperation to protect vulnerable residents (Fox News).
- Privacy and cybersecurity: Posts about phone and iCloud access issues highlight digital privacy concerns. Community cybersecurity education for families and schools could help protect devices and accounts (TMZ).
- Public stigma and community support: High‑profile cases shape local views on mental health. Local faith groups, nonprofits and neighborhood networks can offer confidential, values-aligned support that encourages care while respecting community priorities (Soaphub).
- Legal precedent and parental rights: Use of supervised visitation and emergency orders may influence future Redding custody disputes; local attorneys and judges will watch how mental health findings and cross‑jurisdictional issues are handled.
Source documents and reporting
This article draws from court filings and reporting by the following entertainment outlets and document sources:
Reporting note
Readers should note that some claims originate from one party’s court filing and have not been independently verified by law enforcement or medical records. Representatives for Kirsten Storms and Brandon Barash did not immediately respond to requests for comment (Fox News).
