The actor's now ex-wife was impregnated by another man while they were still married.
Steve Burton has departed Days of Our Lives once again. On Wednesday, the 53-year-old actor revealed on the Daily Drama YouTube page that he has exited the soap opera.
"Wow! Well, I just shot my final scenes here on Days of Our Lives, and I just want to say, thank you so much to the cast, to the crew, to Days," he said. "It's been amazing. I can't believe it's been a year already! So, thank you so much to the fans… I'm always so full of gratitude. So thank you. Stay tuned."
Burton first starred on Days of Our Lives as Harris Michaels in 1988. He left the show after only a year, and went on to appear on The Young and the Restless as Dylan McAvoy and General Hospital as Jason Morgan.
He was fired from GH in 2021 after he refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
"Unfortunately, General Hospital has let me go because of the vaccine mandate. I did apply for my medical and religious exemptions, and both of those were denied, which, you know, hurts," Burton said on Instagram at the time. "But this is also about personal freedom for me. I don't think anyone should lose their livelihood over this."
"I'll always be grateful for my time at General Hospital. I love it there, I grew up there. I grew up with some of you. So I'll always be grateful," he added. "I believe when one door closes multiple doors open. That's always been my perspective, so I am excited to see what the future brings."
The year after his GH exit, Burton reprised his Days of Our Lives role on its spinoff, Beyond Salem, before eventually returning to the soap opera itself.
Amid all of his professional changes, Burton made headlines for some personal news too. In May 2022, Burton revealed on Instagram that he was separated from his wife, Sheree Gustin, claiming, "She recently announced that she’s expecting her fourth child. The child is not mine."
Two months later, Burton filed for divorce from the fitness coach. In court documents obtained by ET, Burton cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for their split, and listed March 1 as their date of separation. He asked for joint custody of their kids and requested that neither party get spousal support.
Multiple outlets reported that the couple finalized their split in December 2023. According to Us Weekly, who obtained the court documents, the exes agreed to share joint legal and physical custody of Jack, 17, and Brooklyn, 9. They also share 20-year-old Mackena. Burton will pay his ex $12,500 per month in child support until April 2024, after which he will pay $10,000 per month, the outlet reported.
Per the outlet, while the duo agreed to no spousal support for either party, Burton will pay Gustin $2,500 per month until his payments reach $50,000. The pair, the outlet reported, agreed to split their personal belongings, while Burton maintained possession of their three Tennessee properties.
RELATED CONTENT:
