Steve Burton, the 'General Hospital' actor, has filed new court documents asking a judge to grant him additional parenting time with his 12-year-old daughter, according to TMZ.com. The filing claims that his ex-wife, Sheree Gustin, is refusing to adjust their custody schedule so that the child can attend the Daytime Emmys with him on October 30, the date of the ceremony at which he is nominated.
The actor's request centers on what he describes as a reasonable need for scheduling flexibility. According to the documents obtained by TMZ.com, Burton asserts that Gustin will not agree to swap custody days to accommodate the awards event, and he characterizes her position as part of a broader pattern of resistance to cooperative co-parenting.
The Emmy dispute unfolds against a backdrop of a more substantial disagreement over where the child should live. As TMZ.com previously reported, Gustin has sought to move their daughter from California to Tennessee. Burton has said that Gustin remained in Tennessee after he chose to return to California, and that his decision to buy a new house and resume work on 'General Hospital' was made in reliance on her assurances that she would continue to reside in Orange County, California.
Gustin has countered that Burton's cross-country move and subsequent return should not translate into additional time with their daughter, arguing that the back-and-forth demonstrates a pattern of instability. She has also claimed that Burton is frequently occupied with professional commitments.
In addition, Gustin has rejected Burton's assertion that she harbors animosity toward his current wife, Michelle. According to TMZ.com, she contends that Burton is attempting to frame her reluctance to share custody arrangements involving Michelle as irrational, a characterization she says fundamentally misrepresents her position.
The couple's legal history dates to 2022, when Burton filed for divorce after 23 years of marriage. The split followed Gustin's announcement that she was pregnant. Burton stated publicly at the time that he and Gustin were separated and that the child was not his.
The Daytime Emmys are scheduled for October 30, a Friday, placing the ceremony one week after the filing. It remains unclear whether the court will rule on Burton's request before that date. The case continues to draw attention as a high-profile example of the complexities that can arise when divorced parents disagree over relocation and scheduling, particularly when a child's activities intersect with a parent's professional obligations.