Mariah Copeland Kidnapped Her Surrogate Son but Left Her Adopted Daughter Behind and We Need to Talk About It

IAN WARD CONVINCED MARIAH COPELAND THAT DOMINIC WAS HER “REAL” CHILD AND ARIA WAS JUST A CONSOLATION PRIZE

TL;DR: Mariah Copeland kidnapped Dominic on The Young and the Restless but left Aria behind with Tessa. Ian Ward literally told her that she “only adopted Aria because she couldn’t have Dominic.” The twisted logic here is absolutely unhinged and we have thoughts.

Let’s Unpack This Mess

We’ve been watching Ian Ward manipulate Mariah Copeland for weeks on The Young and the Restless, but the moment she drove off with Dominic sleeping in the back seat while leaving Aria at home with Tessa? That’s when we truly understood how deep his brainwashing goes.

Mariah Copeland has two children in her life. Aria, the daughter she and Tessa chose to have together through adoption. And Dominic, the son she carried as a surrogate for Devon and Abby.

Guess which one Ian Ward convinced her was her “real” child?

What do you think about Mariah’s choice? Write to the editor at amber@soapoperamagazine.com!

Ian Ward’s Sick Logic

Here’s what Ian Ward actually said to Mariah. When she suggested she could just take Aria instead of Dominic, Ian shut that down IMMEDIATELY.

He told her she only adopted Aria because she couldn’t have Dominic. He said SHE was the one who carried Dominic in her womb. SHE loved him first. SHE deserves him.

And the kicker? Ian Ward actually said, “Tessa needs Aria, and she needs Dominic.”

Let that sink in. This man convinced a mother that her ADOPTED daughter doesn’t really belong to her. That the child she chose, the daughter she’s been raising, the baby she welcomed into her family with Tessa, was just a replacement for the child she really wanted.

Why This Is So Disturbing

Mariah Copeland carried Dominic as a GIFT to Devon and Abby. She made a conscious, loving choice to help her friends build a family. She handed that baby over knowing he would have an incredible life with parents who adore him.

Then she and Tessa made ANOTHER conscious, loving choice to build their own family through adoption. Aria wasn’t a consolation prize. Aria was their miracle. Their daughter. Their future.

But Ian Ward twisted every beautiful thing about Mariah’s journey into something dark. He took her grief over her broken marriage, her guilt about her mental health struggles, and her deep love for the child she carried, and he weaponized all of it.

Tessa Is Going to Be Destroyed

Can we please talk about what this does to Tessa? Her wife has been missing. Her marriage is in shambles. And now she’s going to find out that Mariah not only kidnapped Dominic but CHOSE him over their daughter.

Ian Ward essentially told Mariah Copeland that Tessa and Aria belong together but SHE belongs with Dominic. He erased Mariah’s role as Aria’s mother with a few manipulative sentences.

Tessa is going to have to explain to Aria someday why her mommy left. Why her mommy chose a different child. Why her mommy believed the lies of a cult leader over the family they built together.

This Is Textbook Cult Manipulation

Everything Ian Ward has done follows the cult playbook. Isolate the target. Exploit their vulnerabilities. Rewrite their understanding of their own history. Make them believe that their old life was a lie and only YOU have the truth.

Mariah Copeland was vulnerable. She was struggling. And Ian Ward swooped in and convinced her that the family she built with Tessa was fake, but the child she surrendered years ago was her destiny.

Devon and Abby are going to be devastated when they realize what happened. But honestly? We’re more worried about what this revelation will do to Mariah when she finally wakes up from Ian Ward’s spell.

Because someday, Mariah is going to have to face the fact that she abandoned her daughter for a lie.

Do you think Mariah can ever come back from this? Sound off!

WATCH THIS: We have a lot of questions…

@soapoperamag Um, Mariah…why ONLY Dominic? Girly, you have a little baby girl to think about too? Why didn't you grab Aria too? #YoungandtheRestless ♬ original sound – Soap Opera Magazine