'General Hospital' Star Kirsten Storms Shares Scary Photo After Explosive Coffee Incident

The 'General Hospital' star sparked concern among fans after she shared a photo of what some assumed was a black eye following a freak coffee accident.

General Hospital star Kirsten Storms is counting her blessings after a freak accident at home. The actress, known for her role as Maxie Jones on the long-running ABC soap opera, recently told fans a funny, "but not funny," story about the time she was left with a "black eye" when a coffee cannister exploded in her face.

In a Friday, Aug. 9 Instagram post, Storms, 40, shared a black-and-white photo that captured the aftermath of the freak coffee accident, showing her face covered with what appeared to be black powder. Taking to the caption, the actress revealed the story behind the snapshot, writing, "one of those 'funny story, but not funny when I need coffee' moments..."

"I've opened several canisters of @illy_coffee tins and never have the grounds exploded out of that cute metal container. ::sigh:: There is a first time for everything," Storms wrote. "I can say with certainty that I prefer my coffee brewed in hot water (or over ice)...straight from the container doesn't taste that good.

The actress did admit that she is at least partially to blame for the mishap, concluding the post by noting, "In their defense, there is a warning on the lid. It's written in several languages."

In the comments, many fans expressed their relief at learning Storms' face in the picture was the result of coffee and not a nasty bruise, as many had initially assumed. One person wrote, "Ok so that's coffee, right??? Not a bruise???" Another person commented, "Glad it wasn't a medical emergency." Meanwhile, fellow General Hospital star and All My Children alum Finola Hughes joked, "I thought it was a GH storyline!! I'm thinking 'who would dare to give Maxie a black eye?'"

Storms is best known for her portrayal of Maxie Jones on General Hospital. The soap premiered on ABC in 1963 and has been airing ever since, not only making it the longest-running entertainment program in ABC TV history, but also the longest-running serial produced in Hollywood. Storms joined the show as Maxie, the daughter of Frisco Jones and Felicia Cummings who has been raised most of her life by Mac Scorpio, in 2005, taking over for Robyn Richards. The character was again recast in 2011, with Jen Lilley playing the part until Storms returned the following year. Storms has remained on the show ever since.

Prior to joining GH, the actress had a years-long role on NBC's (now Peacock's) Days of Our Lives, portraying Belle Black across hundreds of episodes from 1999 until 2004. Her other credits include her role as Zenon Kar in the Zenon trilogy, Emily in Johnny Tsunami, and Bonnie Rockwaller in Kim Possible, among many others, per her IMDb profile.