Things between Steve Burton and his wife, Sheree Gustin, weren't going well in the months leading up to their split.
The situation came to light after Sheree shared a photo on Instagram revealing she is pregnant. Fans began congratulating the actor on his and his wife's fourth child. A short time later, Steve shared a statement revealing that while Sheree is pregnant, it wasn't with his child. He shared the two had parted ways, though they continue to co-parent their kids, 18-year-old Makena, 16-year-old Jack, and 7-year-old Brooklyn.
Now, sources close to the couple are saying their troubles are nothing new. They also share that Sheree wasn't aware he was going to publicly announce the information about her pregnancy and their breakup.
Sources indicate Sheree was in the dark about Steve's statement until it was out there. His fans took to her Instagram account to attack her and slam her for hurting the actor, leading her to delete her account.
A source close to the couple says their marriage was getting stale when Steve changed things in a major way by walking away from his role on General Hospital. The actor left the show after 30 years because of its COVID-19 vaccination protocol.
"Their lives were changed when he went through some upheaval and anger over what he considered his freedoms being in jeopardy," the source told People.
"He had to leave a show that he loved, which caused chaos in his life," the source noted.
Sheree found herself feeling "unhappy" and unfulfilled. Ultimately, she started looking for "something more" outside their relationship.
"Their lives have been in the coasting stage for a while," the source noted.
"After a long marriage, it's not that unusual."
Neither Steve nor Sheree has further commented on the split. The hope for fans of the couple is that they can continue to be amicable for their kids. But many also feel we haven't heard the last of this messy and unexpected split.
