The Young and the Restless
Eric Braeden Beat Pneumonia at 83 and Walked Straight Back Onto the Young and the Restless Set Because That Is Who He Is
Eric Braeden revealed he battled pneumonia for two weeks and is already back on the Y&R set pulling double duty. The legend is tougher than ever.

ERIC BRAEDEN IS BACK ON HIS FEET AND BACK ON SET AND WE COULD NOT BE MORE RELIEVED
TL;DR: The Young and the Restless icon Eric Braeden revealed in a new video on his personal Facebook that he has been recovering from pneumonia for two weeks, called it “no walk in the park,” and is already back on set pulling double duty to make up for lost time. The man is 83 years old, beat pneumonia, went straight back to work, and still had time to shout out Melody Thomas Scott. That is Victor Newman energy in real life.
Eric Braeden Is Tougher Than Pneumonia and We Are Not Surprised
Eric Braeden has not posted on his personal Facebook in a while, and now we know why. The man behind Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless revealed in a new video that he has been battling pneumonia for approximately two weeks, and the illness hit him harder than anyone else in his family.
Braeden shared that his son and granddaughter also got sick, but because of his age, the pneumonia took a heavier toll on him. He did not sugarcoat a single second of it. He described the experience as being hit like a ton of bricks and made it clear that pneumonia is not something anyone should take lightly.
The good news? He is over it. He credits modern medicine and antibiotics for helping him fight through it and come out the other side, and he sounds like a man who is genuinely grateful to be standing upright and talking to his fans again.
Eric Braeden is back and we could not be happier about it. Do you have a favorite Victor Newman moment you want to share with us? Send it to [email protected] and we just might feature it!
Back on Set and Pulling Double Duty Because of Course He Is
Eric Braeden did not ease back into work by dipping a toe in the water. He jumped in with both feet. He shared that he had to make up for two to three weeks of missed time on set and has been pulling double duty to catch up. He survived pneumonia and then walked straight into a packed shooting schedule without complaint, because that is who Eric Braeden is.
He did acknowledge that he has learned over the years that coming back too hard too fast is not smart. He is reintroducing his workout routine slowly and being more cautious than he might have been in younger years. That kind of self awareness at 83 is something to admire, even if we suspect Victor Newman would never admit to needing a rest day.
The Shoutout to Melody Thomas Scott Hit Different
The part of Braeden’s video that truly landed was his shoutout to his colleagues, especially Melody Thomas Scott, who plays Nikki Newman. He spoke about how much he loves being back at work with the people he has shared a set with for decades. He talked about the intense scenes he and Melody are currently filming and how they hug each other afterward because they both know they did a good job.
That is nearly fifty years of partnership between two actors who have built one of the most iconic relationships in daytime history. The fact that after all this time, after all those scenes, after all those arguments and reconciliations and “begones,” Eric Braeden and Melody Thomas Scott still embrace each other after a tough day of work says everything about who they are as people and as professionals.
Braeden called it a privilege to be able to go to work. He said he loves being back. He said work is wonderful. And honestly, after watching this man fight pneumonia at 83 and show up on set pulling double shifts to make up for lost time, we are the ones who feel privileged to still have him on our screens.
Welcome back, Mr. Braeden. Genoa City is not the same without you, and neither is daytime.
How much did you miss Eric Braeden while he was recovering? And what is your all time favorite Victor Newman moment? Sound off below because the Mustache is back and we want to celebrate!





















