Just like in life, soap opera passings are inevitable. This doesn’t make them any easier for fans of daytime drama, especially if the demise involves their favorite character on a favorite show. Soap opera passings can be stunning and often times, devastating. Below are The Young and the Restless’ (Y&R) heartbreaking fatalities of all time.
Want soap spoilers delivered to your inbox every week? Sign up for Fame10’s weekly soap opera spoilers newsletter.
13. Blade Bladeson
Blade Bladeson was a beloved Y&R character in the 1990s who had a grand love affair with Ashley Abbott. Sadly, an evil twin would be the beginning of the end for Blade, as his brother Rick held him captive for a long while and ran around impersonating him. The two played the old twin switcheroo game for a while until Blade’s car was hit by a train, ending Bladeson’s life. Ashley was so devastated by the entire ordeal she left Genoa City for a while and spent some time in Paris grieving the loss of her love.
2
12. Malcolm Winters
The silver-lining around this demise was that Winters was presumed deceased in 2005, but showed back up in Genoa City in 2009 very much alive. However, the events leading up to his final passing (so we all thought) were just awful. Neil and Malcolm were falling for the same girl and Malcolm had overheard half of a conversation where Alex (the lady in question) claimed she had feelings for Neil. Upset, Malcolm had a fight with Neil and then got into a car accident where a bridge fell on top of him. Nobody at that point in time was found. Neil was guilt-stricken. He turned to alcohol and Alex left town. Y&R fans were outraged.
3
11. Adam Newman
Adam Newman has passed away more than once over the years, but his 2014 car accident was a huge letdown for Y&R audiences. Fans had developed a love-hate relationship with Adam Newman and while he was a scoundrel on the show, viewers loved Michael Muhney’s portrayal of the character. When the news spread that Muhney had been let go from the Y&R, producers faced a huge backlash from fans. Then Adam’s body was found after the crash, and Y&R viewers were saddened to find out that the writers decided to ax him. Good news is that Adam did return from the afterlife a few months after, and again years later.
4
10. Hope Adams Wilson
Speaking of Adam, when his sweet mother Hope passed away in 2008, many fans mourned the loss of an incredible Y&R character. Hope was a staple on the show in the 1990s, and after she left Genoa City she appeared now and again for certain storylines. In 2008, Hope informed Victor she was terminally ill, and he headed to Kansas to say his goodbyes to a woman he loved very dearly over the years. Victor’s farewell to Hope and reunion with son Adam was a highly-emotional storyline that helped further shape the idea that Victor wasn’t entirely a corporate monster after all.
5
9. Drucilla Winters
Drucilla was a Y&R fan-favorite in her heyday and shared an incredible romance with Neil Winters. The irony around Dru’s passing in 2007 was that she was trying to defuse a fight between Phyllis and Sharon (during a photo shoot) when she plunged down a cliff. A body was never found, so that does always open a door for a return. Stranger things have happened in the land of Genoa City.
6
8. Sabrina Newman
Wife to Victor and BFF to Victoria, Sabrina had a short-lived stint on Y&R but made a huge impact. The love she shared with Victor was compelling, and the idea that he wanted to build another family with her was a testimony to how fond he was of the young lady. Sabrina’s passing in 2008 was a letdown on so many different levels. The incident was sudden, and the fact that she was carrying Victor’s child made it that much more tragic.
7
7. Courtney Sloane
Courtney Sloane died in 2015 and was really a victim of knowing too much. She was axed by her boss Detective Harding when she learned he was a crooked cop and working for drug lord Marco Annicelli. What made this demise so underwhelming is the fact that Sloane’s life ended in her wedding dress, moments before she was supposed to marry the love of her life, Noah Newman.
Love Y&R? Share all of your Y&R opinions and join the discussion on our Y&R Facebook Page.
8
6. Sage Newman
Sage’s passing was not only tragic but stunning as well. After months of trying to find out what really happened to her baby, then realizing that baby Sully was her son all along, Sage got into a car accident on her way to telling Nick the truth. Watching Sage pass away while holding her son Christian in her arms was an underwhelming and saddening way for this story to end.
9
5. John Abbott
The patriarch of the Abbott clan, John was a much-loved Y&R character and had a heart of gold. The older man was sentenced to seven years in prison after doing away with Tom Fisher and just as he was set for early release, he suffered a stroke and passed away. Saddening for many Y&R audiences as John Abbott had become a staple character within the show for many years. The only good news is that John still does visit Genoa City now and again in ghost form to help guide his family and friends when they are going through tough times.
10
4. Colleen Carlton
With Colleen’s dad Brad passing away only months earlier in 2009, her demise was sudden, unexpected, and devastating. She was a young girl with so much life ahead of her and no one saw her perishing anytime soon. However, when she was kidnapped by the insane Patty Williams, Colleen ended up passing away exactly the way her father did, by drowning. To add to the emotion, her heart was given to an ailing Victor Newman, who was in desperate need of a transplant. It took a very long time for viewers to get over Colleen’s demise.
11
3. Brad Carlton
Speaking of Brad, his passing rocked Genoa City and Y&R in February 2009. Don Diamont, the actor that played Carlton, had become a permanent fixture on the show since the 1980s and the character was truly legendary on Y&R. Which is why it was surprising that writers chose to ax Brad in such a final manner, with little room to allow the character to come back to the show. Brad ended up passing away as a hero: he drowned in a frozen lake trying to save Noah Newman from that very same fate.
12
2. Cassie Newman
No one likes to see a child suffer at all, so the scenes that involved Cassie Newman, lying in a hospital bed fighting for her life were a hard watch for many Y&R viewers back in 2005. Cassie was involved in a car crash, and at the age of 14, Y&R fans everywhere got emotional watching that final scene between Cassie and her parents Nick and Sharon. The teen girl would say goodbye and promise them both that it wouldn’t be long before they welcomed another little girl into their family. Cassie’s passing was a letdown not only because two parents’ loss their child, but the aftermath of her passing would rock Sharon, Nick, Phyllis Summers, Danny Romalotti, Jack Abbott, and the entire Newman clan for years to come.
13
1. Delia Abbott
Delia Abbott’s passing in 2013 felt very much like a déjà vu for Y&R fans. Much like Cassie, Delia was involved in an accident, except this time around it was a hit and run. Dad Billy ran into the grocery store to grab some ice cream to celebrate his daughter’s amazing performance in her school’s play of the Wizard of Oz. Delia would leave the car to check on her dog and get hit by Adam Newman. The child had just survived cancer the year before and fans were shocked when Delia passed away. Watching Billy’s guilt over leaving her in the car, Victoria’s guilt over asking for ice cream, and Chloe (literally) losing her mind, was an emotional watch for many fans.