In the world of daytime television, few bonds have resonated with such quiet intensity as the one between Kirsten Storms and Drake Hogestyn. Fans knew them as Belle and John Black—father and daughter on Days of Our Lives—but behind the scenes, their connection was far more layered, personal, and deeply human. Now, months after Hogestyn’s passing, Storms is finally ready to speak. And what she reveals isn’t just a tribute—it’s a raw and intimate look at the real man behind one of soap’s most iconic characters.
When Kirsten Storms first stepped onto the Days set in 1999, she was only 14 years old. Known to younger audiences from Disney Channel’s Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, she was about to step into a whirlwind of adult emotions, high-stakes drama, and relentless production schedules. But it wasn’t just her character that was being tested—it was the girl behind the role who needed grounding.
That grounding came, unexpectedly and immediately, in the form of Drake Hogestyn. “He just was my favorite person there,” Storms confessed, her voice thick with emotion. “Always in a good mood. Always prepared. He gave 100 percent—every single day.”
It wasn’t just about work ethic. It was about safety. Belonging. Drake, along with Deidre Hall, became more than co-stars. They became mentors, protectors, and, in the truest sense, family.
Storms recalled how Deidre Hall was tough—but never unfair. “She wouldn’t take any excuses,” Kirsten remembered. “And I loved that. I wanted to prove myself to her. It was one of the best learning experiences of my life.”
But it was her bond with Hogestyn that moved beyond scripts and stage lights. In an unexpected twist, Storms began dating Drake’s son, Ben, during her time on the show. That relationship brought her into the Hogestyn household, not just as a co-worker, but as someone who shared meals, laughter, and real life with the family.
“I got to spend time with them off set,” Storms said. “He was just… joy. That’s the only word. Joy.”
That joy, however, has now been eclipsed by loss. Drake Hogestyn passed away on September 28, 2024, after a quiet and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. The news sent shockwaves through the Days community—and through Storms herself.
“I was really upset when I heard,” she admitted. “But the strange thing is… it doesn’t feel real. I hadn’t seen him in a while. So part of me still thinks he’s just… somewhere else. Coming back.”
It’s a sentiment familiar to anyone who’s lost someone monumental. The world doesn’t tilt all at once. Sometimes it just drifts. And in that drifting, the grief becomes fog—hazy, unreal, and sharp all at once.
Storms left Days of Our Lives in 2004, moving on to her long-running role as Maxie Jones on General Hospital. But she’s never left behind the formative experiences she had on the NBC set. “When I left Days, I had a lot of sad feelings. Because I had grown a family there,” she said. “It wasn’t just acting. It was growing up. Becoming a woman. Becoming an actor. And so much of that was because of Drake.”
Today, as she reflects on that journey, Storms carries more than nostalgia. She carries the quiet power of a man who never had to raise his voice to command a room. A man who treated young actors with dignity. A father figure who understood that sometimes, the most important lines weren’t in the script—they were in the hallway conversations, the reassuring nods, the silent mentorship.
Drake Hogestyn wasn’t just John Black. He was something far rarer: a man whose offscreen impact rivaled the one he made on television. For decades, fans knew him as the brooding yet loyal figure who battled memory loss, secret identities, and international intrigue. But behind the legend was a father, a friend, and a steadfast presence.
Through Storms’ words, that version of him is finally being seen.
It’s clear that the loss hasn’t settled yet. And maybe it never fully will. Some people leave marks too deep for time to erase. But what remains is the bond. The legacy. The sense that something extraordinary happened—quietly, kindly—when a teenage girl found herself acting opposite a man who would become a lifelong anchor.
“I don’t feel like that’s even set in for me, really,” she said softly. “I just keep thinking I’ll turn a corner and he’ll be there.”
In many ways, he still is.
What memory of Drake Hogestyn will stay with you forever?