The Young and the Restless
Y&R Gave Us Fake Deaths, Fake Moms, and Multiple Ashleys — Let’s Relive The Last 5 Years of Chaos
From Phyllis faking her death to Ashley’s personality parade, here are the wildest Y&R storylines from the last five years
Y&R’S MESSIEST MOMENTS FROM THE LAST FIVE YEARS RANKED
TL;DR: From Phyllis Summers faking her death better than Diane to Ashley Abbott’s personality parade, The Young and the Restless delivered five years of absolute unhinged drama — and we’re breaking down the moments that left us breathless.
Phyllis Faked Her Death Better Than Diane — And That’s Just Facts
In case you missed it, Phyllis Summers faked her death on The Young and the Restless, and she did it better than Diane Jenkins ever could. How? Faster and with SO much more drama.
Phyllis got her death and resurrection done within one year in 2023. She killed Jeremy Stark in self-defense and needed a get-out-of-jail-free card, later awarded by a judge after the late Attorney Heather Stevens defended her against her least favorite bug, Christine Blair. And then? Phyllis showed up at her own funeral in a disguise that was hardly a disguise.
The Young and the Restless fans still can’t decide what was worse — the terrible disguise or the fact that everyone at her fake funeral somehow didn’t recognize her.
Sure, Diane Jenkins has somehow become a fan favorite, but she was fake dead for way longer than Phyllis Summers — and it was far less eventful.
Have thoughts on Y&R’s wildest moments? Write to amber@soapoperamagazine.com!
Summer Newman: Professional Fake Mom
No, Summer Newman has not faked her death, but she’s faked being a mother!
The Young and the Restless fans remember back in 2024 taking a drink anytime Summer uttered the words “my son” relating to Tara Locke’s biological child — the one she supposedly had courtesy of an affair with Kyle Abbott back in New York when she was married to the now-deceased Ashland Locke.
Since Summer was married to Kyle, she supposedly inherited (but not necessarily legally adopted) his supposed son, Harrison. Now she’s in Milan running Marchetti without Kyle and without Harrison. It’s long past due for Harrison’s actual mother — the woman who gave birth to him and raised him for the first three years of his life — to return to Genoa City for her son.
Claire Newman: Scary Poppins Strikes Again
Phyllis Summers is always firing on all cylinders. Before any fan could get it out of their mouths, Phyllis had the perfect nickname: Claire Grace Newman is Scary Poppins.
Claire Newman is currently God’s gift to everyone in Genoa City. She’s always tip-top and conveniently woven into everyone’s business. Yet when Claire arrived on The Young and the Restless, she tried — and almost succeeded — in killing nearly all of the Newmans.
Then, long story short, her now-assumed-to-be dad, the late Cole Howard, saved the day by finding hair. Really, writers? Loyal viewers have seen this movie so many times before.
Even so, everyone has settled on Claire being Victoria and Cole’s daughter — the one they buried after birth — now back as an almost-perfect adult ready to be a nanny and an executive. These days, Claire isn’t dating Kyle and she’s not Harrison’s nanny, but she has been spending quality time with Holden Novak.
Sharon Newman’s Latest Flip-Flop Was a Doozy
Remember when Sharon Newman was last totally psychotic before she got kidnapped a couple of times and wanted to kill Daniel Romalotti but thought she killed Heather Stevens instead? Yes, that was a lot, and Sharon didn’t actually kill anyone. Yet someone died — it was Heather, but Ian Ward killed her.
What in the what? Sharon has had it out for Daniel since he was involved in her young daughter Cassie’s death. She got a chance to kill him, and Ian Ward literally fed her the means to get it done. For weeks, fans were left wondering: Did Sharon really kill Heather?
(And doesn’t Genoa City just have Lake Geneva? Since when did a river come into play?)
Regardless, while Sharon Newman did somehow hoist Heather Stevens’ body over a railing and into a river, she did NOT actually kill Heather. Ian Ward did.
The Only Time There Was Too Much Ashley Abbott
Back in 2024, Ashley Abbott went through a very tough time — yet it was wildly entertaining for The Young and the Restless fans.
There was “Young Ashley” with pigtails. Then there was “Belle Ashley,” so reminiscent of Blanche Devereaux from Golden Girls it was remarkable. And finally, sexy “Bad-Ass Ashley.”
Fans cannot remember another period with this much Ashley Abbott. Seriously, nobody knew what version would show up on what day. While this storyline was a wild ride, it wasn’t wrapped up properly and leaves room for loose ends.
Ashley didn’t develop multiple personalities out of nowhere. It was revealed something deep within her brought this on — but what that something is has not been revealed yet.
Which of these Y&R moments had YOU screaming at your screen? Drop your favorite in the comments!
WATCH THIS: Speaking of chaos…
@soapoperamag Mariah is a mess and needs her mom now more than ever! Should Sharon start stepping up for her daughter? Can she get Mariah out of this doom spiral before it's too late for little Dominic? #YR ♬ original sound – Soap Opera Magazine
