The Young and the Restless

BREAKING NEWS! Young and the Restless Star Bryton James Files for DIVORCE After Less Than a Year of Marriage

The Young and the Restless star Bryton James filed for divorce from wife Jahaira James less than a year after their March 2025 wedding.

Published

11 months ago

October 14, 2025

Amber Sinclair

Young and the Restless Spoilers (Y&R Spoilers) Bryton James (Devon Winters)

BRYTON JAMES QUIETLY FILES TO DISOLVE HIS MARRIAGE

TL;DR: The Young and the Restless star Bryton James filed for divorce from his wife , Jahaira James, less than a year after their March 2025 wedding. According to TMZ, the actor cited irreconcilable differences and the couple separated in June after just a few months of marriage. They share no children together.

The Filing

Bryton James, who plays Devon Winters on The Young and the Restless and is also known for his role as Ritchie Crawford on “Family Matters,” filed for divorce Monday in Los Angeles. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, James is ending his marriage to Jahaira James, citing irreconcilable differences.

The documents reveal that the couple tied the knot in March 2025 but separated just a few months later in June. The marriage lasted only a few months before the split.

Details From the Court Documents

Bryton is asking to terminate the court’s ability to award either of them spousal support. He’s also requesting that Jahaira restore her former name once the divorce is finalized.

Bryton’s Previous Marriage

This isn’t James‘ first marriage. He was previously married to Ashley Leisinger. The former couple were married on March 16, 2011, in a ceremony officiated by his Young & the Restless costar Christian LeBlanc (Michael Baldwin). Bryton and Ashley divorced in 2014.

Bryton’s Career

Bryton James has been a fixture on The Young and the Restless since 2004, playing Devon Winters, the adopted son of Neil Winters who became a billionaire after inheriting Katherine Chancellor’s fortune. He’s won two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series.

Before his soap opera success, James was beloved by sitcom fans for his role as Ritchie Crawford on the hit 90s series “Family Matters.”

Our thoughts go out to both Bryton and Jahaira during this difficult time.

Author

Amber Sinclair

Amber Sinclair — Editor-in-Chief
Amber Sinclair is the Editor-in-Chief of Soap Opera Magazine, appointed in February 2026. She oversees editorial strategy, content development, and daily coverage across all major daytime dramas including The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, and Beyond the Gates.
With more than a decade in the soap opera industry and over 25,000 published articles to her name, Amber has pretty much lived and breathed daytime television for as long as she can remember. Before taking the helm at Soap Opera Magazine, she served as Managing Editor at SoapHub, Editor-in-Chief at Daily Drama, and Senior Editor at Soap Shows. She's hosted podcasts, gone toe-to-toe in interviews with daytime's biggest stars, and covered more red carpets than she can count.
When she's not crafting headlines that drip with drama or deep-diving into the latest storyline twists, Amber can be found in Ontario, Canada — probably rewatching a classic episode and taking notes. Want to share your wildest soap theories? She actually reads every email at amber@soapoperamagazine.com — and yes, she will reply if your take is unhinged enough.

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