General Hospital Star Steve Burton and Sheree Gustin: What Really Happened
The Steve Burton–Sheree Gustin saga isn’t over: though their 2023 divorce looked final, the exes are back in the headlines as the custody fight over their youngest, Brooklyn, reignited in May 2026.
If you thought the Steve Burton–Sheree Gustin saga wrapped when the divorce papers were signed in 2023, nope. The 'General Hospital' alum and his ex are back in court drama mode over custody of their youngest, Brooklyn — and the latest round includes cross-country moves, a revised parenting plan, and text messages that read like a frustrated dad at his limit.
Where it flared up (again) in 2026
In May 2026, Burton went back to court saying Gustin is not following their updated custody agreement from January and is manipulating the situation around Brooklyn. He pointed to messages he sent after she allegedly ignored the new setup:
"You signed an order two months ago and now you’re going against it. and then you try to put it on me and Brooklyn. We will not be in California. And please stop telling Brooklyn her life is here. It’s gonna be in both places .. and you can choose to be supportive for Brooklyn."
That comes on top of a longer-running dispute that already got one ruling in 2025.
The quick timeline
- March 1, 2022: Their legal separation date, per court filings.
- May 2022: Burton tells fans he and Gustin are separated and clarifies that the baby she’s expecting is not his.
- July 2022: He files for divorce in Orange County, citing irreconcilable differences.
- December 2023: Divorce finalized; they agree to share joint legal and physical custody of their minor kids. (They also have two adult children, Makena and Jack.)
- February 2023: Gustin welcomes daughter Izabella with partner Jason Amador; another daughter, Addy, follows later.
- February 2025: Gustin marries Amador.
- May 2025: Burton marries Michelle Lundstrom.
- August 2025: A judge sets a custody schedule: Burton gets alternating weekends and one weekday with Brooklyn; Gustin has custody otherwise.
- January 2026: The parents amend the custody agreement.
- May 2026: Burton says Gustin isn’t following that January update and is manipulating the custody situation.
How the split started
Back in May 2022, Burton broke the news himself on Instagram: he and Gustin were separated, and the baby she was expecting was not his. He filed for divorce that July, locking in March 1, 2022 as the official separation date.
The divorce deal (the nuts-and-bolts stuff)
Finalized in December 2023, the settlement gave them joint legal and physical custody of any minor children. Burton agreed to pay Gustin $12,500 per month in child support through April 2024, dropping to $10,000 per month after that. Both sides waived spousal support, but Burton still owed a one-time $50,000 payout to Gustin, to be paid in $2,500 monthly installments. He kept three investment properties in Tennessee. If you like tracking the money and real estate in these cases, that’s the full scoreboard.
New partners, new tension
Gustin moved on with Jason Amador — they share daughters Izabella and Addy and got married in February 2025. Burton married Michelle Lundstrom in May 2025.
In his May 2025 filing, Burton claimed Gustin started blocking access to Brooklyn once Michelle was in the picture, even refusing to use Michelle’s name and referring to her only as "the girl." He also laid out how, in his view, they ended up here: Gustin had an affair, got pregnant by someone else, and moved that partner into her home right after the separation without looping him in beforehand. Gustin pushed back in her own filing, accusing Burton of harassment. His attorney called her claims flat-out false and said Burton’s priority is Brooklyn’s best interests — which, in lawyer-speak, means keeping consistent contact with both parents.
The cross-country shuffle (and why this got messy)
According to Burton, after the divorce Gustin convinced him to relocate to Tennessee. Then she moved back to California. He followed to stay close to Brooklyn — and says that once he got there, she wouldn’t work with him on a regular co-parenting schedule. That back-and-forth is what sent them into court the first time, leading to the August 2025 schedule (alternating weekends plus one weekday for him). They tweaked that deal in January 2026, and now he says she’s not honoring the new version.
Where it stands right now
There is a standing court order from August 2025 and a January 2026 amendment that is supposed to guide custody. Burton’s latest filings argue Gustin is ignoring the updated plan and trying to tilt Brooklyn’s life back to California only. Gustin has previously accused him of harassment; he denies it through counsel. The short version: the judge already stepped in once, the parents changed the rules in January, and now they’re back in a fight over following those rules. More hearings feel inevitable.