Ashley Abbott Leaving Young and Restless

Is Ashley Abbott leaving The Young and the Restless? This steadfast character has been portrayed by three actresses since debuting on the show in 1982 as a recent college graduate who returned to her family home in Genoa City. The character's degree in chemistry made her an ideal researcher for her family's cosmetic business.

Is Ashley Abbott leaving Young and Restless?

Eileen Davidson originated the role of Ashley Abbott, the middle Abbott child. Davidson played the role from 1982 to 1989. When she left, actress Brenda Epperson Doumani took over the part until 1996 when actress Shari Shattuck took over the role until 1999 only to be replaced by Eileen Davidson who returned after a decades long absence.

During her first year back, Davidson played Ashley finally giving birth to her first and only child. Davidson played Ashley when she went through with a painful abortion of Victor Newman's child because she was convinced he would never leave Nikki for her. The 1999 storyline involved Ashley using Victor's sperm to artifically inseminate herself. She passed off her child as the product of an affair on a cruise, marrying Brad Carlton (her ex-brother-in-law) in the hours after baby Abbey was born.

Actress Eileen Davidson, who originated the role of Ashley Abbott, left the role for a decade to pursue other opportunities including a multi-character role on rival daytime drama Days of Our Lives. After her return to The Young and the Restless, Davidson wrote two best selling novels featuring an actress on a soap opera that looks suspiciously like Young and the Restless who is suspected of murdering the show's head writer. The tongue in cheek novel titled Death in Daytime: A Soap Opera Mystery followed by Dial Emmy for Murder: A Soap Opera Mystery.

The actress uses much of her experiences from three decades in soap operas to lend credibility and reality to her characters. While Ashley has been partnered with many characters over the years, it is Davidson's chemistry with Eric Braeden's Victor that has made Ashley, Nikki Newman's lifetime rival for Victor's affections.

Ashley Abbott leaving Young and Restless did happen in 2007 when Ashley and her portrayer Eileen Davidson left Genoa City and relocated to Los Angeles and sister CBS soap daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. In Los Angeles, Ashley enjoyed a flirtation with Ridge and mixed it up with the Foresters, Logans and Marones. Ashley's daughter Abbey split her time between Genoa City and Los Angeles.

In 2008, Ashley Abbott and Eileen Davidson returned once more to Genoa City where her character reunited with Victor Newman once more. In 2009, Ashley struggled with a storyline that lead to her being gaslighted by Victor's son Adam and the off-balance Patty Williams who returned in the form of Mary Jane Benson (Stacy Haiduk).

In 2009, Davidson celebrated a decade since her return to Y&R. Despite her 14 month absence from Genoa City from 2007-2008, the character's fans remain vocal in their support. Will Ashley leave The Young and the Restless? In the world of soap operas, anything is possible.

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