Soaps
Genoa City of Love! ‘The Young and the Restless’ Stars & Their Real-Life Romances
The Young and the Restless remains the most-watched daytime soap opera on the air. Since 1983, Y&R has let viewers inside the lives of the captivating characters in Genoa City.
Many of the soap’s biggest stars have been on the show for years, and some have been around for decades. Your favorite Y&R characters have experienced many highs and lows, battled the iconic Victor Newman (Eric Braeden), and faced twist after twist after twist.
Most of the Y&R cast members are happily married, with some marriages well past their 30th anniversary. Others have recently wed and look forward to the next chapter. Swooon is doing a deep into the real-life loves of The Young and the Restless stars.
The Young and the Restless, Weekdays, CBS
Eric Braeden
Braeden — who plays the one and only Victor Newman — has been married to his wife, Dale Russell, since 1966. They were college sweethearts. They have one son together, Christian Gudegast, who notably directed the Den of Thieves movies.
During the 2025 California wildfires, Braeden and his wife tragically lost the Pacific Palisades home they had lived in for 45 years. “I’m devastated, man. I’m devastated. All the memories. I don’t want my family to see this,” he told Entertainment Tonight.
Amelia Heinle
Amelia Heinle has been married to her former Y&R costar Thad Luckinbill, aka J.T. Hellstrom, since 2007. They have two children together, son Thaddeus and daughter Georgia.
The actress, who plays Victoria Newman on the soap, was previously married to NCIS alum Michael Weatherly from 1995 to 1997. They have a son named August.
Melody Thomas Scott
Melody Thomas Scott met her longtime love, executive producer Edward J. Scott, on the set of Y&R. They have been happily married since 1985. The Scotts have a daughter, Elizabeth, together. They each have a child from previous relationships. Before meeting Edward, Melody had been married twice before.
The couple notably received Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 2024.
Joshua Morrow
Nick Newman’s love life has always been complicated, but the same can’t be said for Joshua Morrow. The actor has been married to his wife, Tobe, since 2001. They have four children: three sons, Cooper, Crew, and Cash, as well as daughter Charlie Jo. Crew recently made his daytime debut as Will Spencer on The Bold and the Beautiful.
Christel Khalil
Christel Khalil, who has portrayed Lily Winters since 2002, recently married businessman Sam Restagno. They wed in Italy in 2024 after meeting at Coachella years earlier. They have one child together. Khalil also shares a son with ex-husband Stephen Hensley.
Greg Rikaart
Greg Rikaart, who has played Kevin Fisher since 2003, revealed he was in a relationship with writer Robert Sudduth in 2013. They got married in Hawaii in 2015. Their son, Montgomery, was born via surrogate in 2016.
Peter Bergman
Peter Bergman has been happily wed to his wife, Mariellen Bergman, since 1985. They’ve welcomed two children throughout their marriage. The actor, best known for playing Jack Abbott, was married to actress Christine Ebersole from 1976 to 1981.
Susan Walters and Linden Ashby
Susan Walters and Linden Ashby have both been on Y&R, but they met on the set of another soap called Loving. The couple has been happily married since 1986 and share two children.
“Any time I get to carpool with Susan [Walters], it’s a good day. She’s so helpful and I’m lucky I have a built-in acting partner,” Ashby told TV Insider when he returned to Y&R in 2024.
Jason Thompson
Soap fans first met Jason Thompson when he played Patrick Drake on General Hospital, but now he plays Billy Abbott on Y&R. In 2015, he married his longtime love, Paloma Jonas, in Mexico. They have a son and daughter together.
Mishael Morgan
Mishael Morgan, aka Amanda Sinclair, made soap history as the first Black actress to win a Daytime Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Her husband, Navid Ali, has been by her side through it all. The couple married in 2012 and share two kids.
Lauralee Bell
Lauralee Bell, aka Cricket, married photographer Scott Martin in 1997. They have a son, Christian, and a daughter, Samantha.
Melissa Ordway
Melissa Ordway, who portrays Abby Newman, has been married to actor Justin Gaston since 2012. They met on the set of the film Escapee. They adopted their first child, a daughter in 2016. Ordway gave birth to the couple’s second child in 2017.
Eileen Davidson
Eileen Davidson has become one of the most beloved stars of Y&R since her debut as Ashley Abbott in 1982. She has been married to actor and former tennis player Vincent Van Patten since 2008. They have a son named Jesse.
Davidson was previously married to fellow soap actor Jon Lindstrom from 1997 to 2000 and actor Christopher Mayer from 1985 to 1986.
Melissa Claire Egan
Melissa Claire Egan stepped into Genoa City as Chelsea Lawson in 2011. Three years later, she married Matt Katrosar. They have a son and a daughter together.
“They say time flies when you’re having fun. It’s been such fun, it’s been babies, traveling the world, so many laughs, so much exhaustion, and so many adventures,” she wrote in honor of their 10th anniversary in 2024.
Jess Walton
Jess Walton had a long-lasting marriage to John James. The Y&R star and her husband were married from 1980 until his death in 2021. They had two children during their marriage.
Hayley Erin
Hayley Erin‘s first run on Y&R was playing Abby Newman. Now, she’s playing Claire Grace. Erin married Irish actor Adam Fergus in 2020. They have twin daughters, Juno and Maude, who were born in 2021.
Michael Graziadei
Michael Graziadei grew up on Y&R as Daniel Romalotti, and now he’s the happiest family man. He’s been with Lauren Carey for over 10 years. They got engaged in March 2023. They are parents to two kids: Arlo and Bear.
Elizabeth Hendrickson
Elizabeth Hendrickson, who plays Chloe on the soap, has been married to Rob Meder since 2019. They have a daughter named Josephine, who was born in 2020.
Camryn Grimes
Y&R vet Camryn Grimes got engaged to her now-fiancé, Brock Powell, in 2022 on her 32nd birthday. Powell, a notable voice actor, popped the question in an Up-themed proposal. The couple welcomed their first child, Bridger Elias Foster, in December 2023.
Rory Gibson
Rory Gibson is a newbie to the Y&R family, having joined the show in 2021 as Noah Newman. In 2022, Gibson went public with his girlfriend, Alicia Ruelas. The got engaged the same year.
Connor Floyd
Connor Floyd took a chance on love, and it paid off. The actor, who plays Chance Chancellor, proposed to his girlfriend, esthetician and skincare expert Carly Frei, in December 2024.
“Carly is the love of my life,” he told PEOPLE about the proposal. “She means the world to me, and I really wanted to make this special for her.”
Michael Mealor
Michael Mealor, who plays the dashing Kyle Abbott, has been happily married to wife Sasha Mealor since 2023.
Sharon Case
Sharon Newman has had many ups and downs in her love life over the years, and Sharon Case has approached her character’s romantic woes effortlessly. In real life, Case was married to Sandy Corzine from 2007 to 2009. It’s unclear what her relationship status is today.
Bryton James
Bryton James was previously married to Ashley Leisinger from 2011 to 2014. The Daytime Emmy winner dated his Y&R costar Brytni Sarpy from 2019 to 2023.
Michelle Stafford
Michelle Stafford, who plays the legendary Phyllis, prefers to keep her romantic life out of the public eye. Her relationship status is unknown. The Daytime Emmy winner has two kids, a son and a daughter.
Christian LeBlanc
Christian LeBlanc, who plays Michael Baldwin, keeps his personal life out of the spotlight. However, he did come out as gay in 2021 while appearing on Maurice Benard‘s State of Mind web series. LeBlanc has been married to his husband since 1993.
Tracey E. Bregman
Y&R fave Tracey E. Bregman married Ron Recht in 1987. They had two sons, Austin and Landon. Bregman and Recht divorced in 2010 after 23 years of marriage.
Kate Linder
Kate Linder has played Esther Valentine for over 40 years. Years before she joined Y&R in 1982, she wed Ronald L. Linder. They were married from 1976 until his death in 2017.
Beth Maitland
Like many of her costars, Beth Maitland has been a part of the Y&R family for over 40 years as Traci Abbott. Maitland married Christopher Banninger in 1989. They divorced in 2018. The former couple shares a daughter.
