Steve Burton says his ex-wife shut down his request to bring their daughter to the Daytime Emmys this year, despite his own nomination at the ceremony. The General Hospital star claims in new court documents that Sheree Gustin denied the request outright, reigniting a custody fight that has stretched across months of disputes over their daughter Brooklyn.
According to TMZ, which obtained the court filing, Burton complained that Gustin refused to swap custody days so Brooklyn could attend the awards with him on Saturday. TMZ describes Brooklyn as Burton’s 12-year-old daughter, though a separate report from People puts her age at 11 — the two outlets have not reconciled the discrepancy.
Per the alleged text messages included in the filing, Burton proposed a simple fix: “I would pick her up Friday morning and take her back Saturday.” Gustin’s reply, as quoted by the outlet, was blunt — she told him that arrangement did not work for her.
Gustin Allegedly Cites Concerns Over Hollywood Exposure
The texts quoted by TMZ suggest the standoff went beyond scheduling. Gustin allegedly told Burton she did not want their daughter anywhere near the entertainment industry at all, writing, “I don’t want Brooklyn anywhere near Hollywood or that scene. You plaster her on social media and People magazine enough. Absolutely not.”
Burton, for his part, argued that Gustin had previously been comfortable with the demands of his acting career and that her own business has relied on social media posts that often included Brooklyn, according to the TMZ report. The dueling claims paint a picture of two parents disagreeing not just over one weekend, but over how public their daughter’s life should be.
A Broader Fight Over Where Brooklyn Should Live
The Emmys dispute is just the latest flashpoint in a larger custody battle. TMZ reports that Burton and Gustin have been at odds for months over issues concerning Brooklyn, including a disagreement over whether she should live in California or Tennessee. The former couple was married for 23 years before splitting in 2022, per the same outlet.
An earlier TMZ report from earlier this week — covering an earlier stage of the same Emmys dispute — described Burton asking a judge to grant him more parenting time after Gustin allegedly refused to budge on scheduling flexibility. That same account noted Burton was pushing the court to step in on his behalf.
Other reporting has tied the conflict to additional scheduling clashes. According to News3LV, Burton has also accused Gustin of manipulation after a six-week junior lifeguard program allegedly interfered with his previously established time with Brooklyn. Meanwhile, In Touch Weekly reports that Gustin has opposed Burton’s separate request for a full 50/50 parenting arrangement, underscoring just how contentious the broader custody fight has become.
As of the latest filing, there’s no indication the two sides have resolved either the Emmys dispute or the larger question of where Brooklyn will ultimately live. Burton remains a fixture on General Hospital, where he has starred for decades, but for now the fight over his daughter’s schedule — and her exposure to the spotlight he works in — appears far from settled.
