Cassie Newman
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Cassidy 'Cassie' Ann Johnson Newman was a fictional character in the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Actress Camryn Grimes played the role from 1997 to 2005.
[edit] Character
Sixteen-year-old Sharon Collins (Sharon Case) and her single, paraplegic mother Doris (Karen Hensel) lived in Madison, Wisconsin. When Sharon told her high school boyfriend Frank Barritt (Phil Dozois) that she was pregnant, he wanted nothing to do with her or his child. Sharon and her mother decided to give the baby up for adoption because they felt they were unable to raise a baby properly. The baby girl was adopted by Alice Johnson (Tamara Clatterbuck) and named Cassidy. Sharon and her mother moved to Genoa City. Alice later abandoned Cassie to pursue a man and left the child in the care of her elderly mother Millie (Ernestine Mercer). Cassie loved Millie, but it was very difficult for a woman of her age to keep up with a young child, and Cassie had no friends but her dolls, and nowhere to play but the dirt.
Sharon ended up marrying Nicholas Newman (Joshua Morrow), son of wealthy industrialist Victor Newman (Eric Braeden). When it appeared that Sharon and Nick's newborn baby Noah was going to die, Sharon's best friend Grace Turner (Josie Davis) and her boyfriend Tony Viscardi (Nick Scotti) tracked down Cassie to help Sharon ease the pain of her loss. They convinced Millie to allow them to return Cassie, now 6 years old, to Genoa City and be united with her natural mother. But Noah lived, so Grace decided to keep Cassie until the "time was right" to tell Sharon. Grace fell in love with the child, and kept her true identity to herself for over a year. After Grace (now played by Jennifer Gareis) finally told Sharon who Cassie really was, Cassie went to live with Sharon, Nick, and Noah. Alice Johnson later re-appeared and hired lawyer Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc) to fight for the return of "her daughter." Although Alice was about to win custody, Sharon and Nick were able to convince the jobless and flighty Alice that Cassie would be better off with them. Alice gave up her parental rights and Sharon was awarded custody. After a waiting period, Cassie legally became a Newman when Nick adopted her, and lived with her happy family in a converted barn on the Newman Ranch. The Newmans' manservant, Miguel (Anthony Pena), was instrumental in raising her.
In 2000, the Newmans had a scare when Cassie tested positive for tuberculosis, but it turned out be inactive and was cured by antibiotics. During this time, Cassie made friends with former jail inmate Larry Warton (David "Shark" Fralick), and helped to show his softer side. In 2002, Cassie's parents separated and nearly divorced after Sharon miscarried their baby girl, but they eventually reconciled and began living as a happy family again. Later that year, Sharon had an affair with Diego Guittierez (Greg Vaughan) and she and Nick separated once again. After much soul-searching, Nick decided to give his marriage another chance. Bringing flowers and a present for Sharon, he paused at the window of their home to see Sharon kissing his father, Victor. Furious, Nick called off any idea of reconciliation. When confronted, Victor took the blame, although the mixed up Sharon was once again flirting with any man who was nice to her. Sharon decided her life was a mess and left town. Cassie felt betrayed and angry with her parents after Nick brushed her off, more interested in berating Victor than comforting his daughter. Cassie wandered off and fell through the ice on the Ranch pond. A long time later, Nick finally realized she was missing, jumped into the pond and rescued Cassie. She was care-flighted to the hospital and was in a coma for days. Cassie recovered and Nick's mother Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) blamed it all on Sharon, but forgave Victor for their encounter. Sharon returned months later with a new resolve to not be trod on by any Newman again. Nick made up with her after Sharon seduced him, though Nick did not forgive Victor. Cassie became belligerent and mouthy as a result. It took Cassie months to forgive Sharon for abandoning her and learn to trust and respect her again.
Suddenly Cassie's father, Frank, showed up in Genoa City, apparently interested in finally meeting his daughter. Cassie wanted to know who he was, but her parents wouldn't tell her. He just as mysteriously disappeared. Months later it was discovered that Frank was murdered by Cameron Kirsten (Linden Ashby) (the man Sharon was with when she disappeared all those months) in an attempt to frame Sharon for his murder.
Cassie turned 14 and began to hang out at Crimson Lights with her sixteen-year-old friends, Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) and Sierra Hoffman (Asia Ray Smith). Feeling like an outcast, it wasn't long before she was trying to act their age, and was caught being secretive, skipping school, and accepting a ride home with an older boy unknown to her parents, so Cassie was grounded. She had a crush on seventeen-year-old Daniel Romalotti (Michael Graziadei), but he and Lily were getting close - much to the distain of their parents who forbade them to see each other. Word got around the school about a secret party to be held in a park. All the older crowd was going, and Cassie desperately wanted to go too - especially since Daniel said he would be there. She managed to talk Nick into un-grounding her for the evening so she could "go to a movie" her long time friend Ali (Agina Alvarez). Sharon didn't agree with it, but Nick persuaded her to give in. Cassie ended up at the party to find Daniel drunk on beer he bought from his friend Sam, trying to get over being separated from Lily. The party ended late, and everyone left. Cassie, who had not been drinking, assured her friends she had a way home, then found Daniel passed out in the back seat of his convertible. Deciding he was too drunk to get home, Cassie took his keys and started the car, even though she hadn't had lessons or learner's permit. The car crashed, and since both were thrown from the car, and neither remembered a thing, no one realized that Cassie had been driving. As soon as a bruised Daniel was able to leave the hospital, he was arrested and spent the night in jail. His mother Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) bailed him out, beside herself with the thought that the son she had lost for so many years could be taken from her again and imprisoned. Back in the hospital after brain surgery, Cassie was fighting for her life. There was hope, so long as infection didn't set in. Suddenly, Cassie sat upright, remembering that she was driving. Daniel was in so much trouble, but she caused the accident. After attempts to tell her mother Sharon or to use the phone failed, she got out of bed, pulled out her IV, and donning her mother's trench coat, staggered out of the hospital intent on finding and telling Daniel. After several hours of worry by her family and friends, and searching by the police and detective Paul Williams (Doug Davidson), she somehow found her way to Crimson Lights. Lily and Daniel rushed to her as she was near collapse. As the exhausted Cassie attempted to tell Daniel the truth, but all she could get out was "crash". Someone called 911, Nick arrived shortly before the paramedics, and he accompanied her back to the hospital in the ambulance. Anxiously, her family held vigil while Cassie's fever heightened and Newman financed specialists arrived too late to help. Victor, Nikki, Victoria (Amelia Heinle), brother Noah (Chase Ellison), and Grandma Doris, who arrived from her home in Eau Claire, sadly said their goodbyes, and left her alone with Nick and Sharon. One last whisper in Nick's ear that it wasn't Daniel's fault, and Nick chokingly sang his daughter a lullaby as she flatlined.
