Ashley Abbott

Ashley Suzanne Abbott McCall (formerly Lassiter, Newman, Bladeson, Howard, and Carlton) is a fictional character from the American soap operas The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful. She was originated by American actress Eileen Davidson in June 1982, however, Davidson has departed various times, and she was replaced by Brenda Epperson from 1988 to 1995, followed by Shari Shattuck from 1996 to 1999. Davidson returned to the role on March 19, 1999.

In 2007, the character joined the cast of the sister soap of The Y&R, The Bold and the Beautiful. After appearing on The B&B for over a year, Davidson departed in July 2008 and returned to The Y&R on September 26, 2008, where she has remained since then.

Casting

The role of Ashley Abbott was played by three different actresses. Actress Eileen Davidson originated the role in 1982 and departed in December 1988 when the role was recast with Brenda Epperson Doumani, who played the role until December 1995. Shari Shattuck played the role from March 1996 to February 22, 1999. The original actress, Davidson, returned to the role on March 19, 1999. Davidson was absent from the show during the summer of 2003 when she left on maternity leave.

Davidson's second run as Ashley ended on January 11, 2007 when she was fired from the show. She was asked to join the show's "sister" soap, Bold and the Beautiful, as the same character. She first aired in that series on March 9, 2007. During her run on The Bold and the Beautiful, the actress made various guest appearances on The Young and the Restless: December 28, 2007 to January 3, 2008, February 27 and 28, 2008, March 25 and 26, 2008, June 19, 20 and 23, 2008.

In August 2008, it was reported that Davidson would be returning to The Young and the Restless full time. She last aired on The Bold and the Beautiful on July 4, 2008, but also put in one final appearance on November 25, 2008. Davidson's first date back at The Young and the Restless was September 26, 2008.

Storylines

Fresh out of college in 1982, Ashley learned the truth about her parentage; being Dina Mergeron and Brent Davis's, daughter, not John Abbott's. This caused her to be extremely traumatized and she ended up at a diner in the middle of nowhere with no memory. Victor Newman came looking for her and eventually found her. When he brought her back to Genoa City, they began their affair.

Nikki Newman tried to fight off Ashley, and even has an affair with Jack just to spite Victor. Nikki even arranged for Victor's brother, Matt Miller, to seduce Ashley, but it proved too little too late; Victor wanted to be with Ashley. However, once Nikki got cancer, Victor returned to Nikki and Ashley aborted the child she conceived with Victor which causes her to have a nervous breakdown. Eventually, Nikki went into remission, allowing Victor to return to Ashley, but by now she had moved on with her psychiatrist, Steven Lassiter. Luckily, for Victor, Steven was later shot by one of his patients. Interestingly, one of Steven's patients had been Leanna Love, who had tried to kill Ashley several times, but ultimately was hired by Victor and Jack to write a biography of Victor in 1989.

Her next tangle with love is with her sister's ex-husband Brad Carlton. Not wanting to hurt her sister, Ashley escapes to her cottage in the woods. Dealing with the pain of Nikki's marriage to Jack, Victor comes to Ashley and the two marry. However, Victor's younger daughter Victoria tries to separate the two, hoping Victor will reunite with Nikki, given their recent affair which resulted in the birth of Nicholas Newman. Ultimately, Nikki's alcohol problem drew Victor and Nikki back together, leading Ashley alone.

In 1993, Ashley became interested in Jabot Cosmetics' mysterious new photographer, Blade Bladeson. They fell in love and married. Bent on causing trouble, Blade's former lover Mari Jo Mason, accused Blade of fighting with his twin brother, Rick Bladeson, and leaving him to drown. Both were quite surprised when Rick arrived in town, quite alive, but bent on revenge against Blade. Rick ended up holding Blade hostage and taking his place as husband to Ashley. The marriage is ultimately dissolved.

In 1996, Kurt Costner rescued Ashley from muggers. While walking through the woods, Ashley was rescued from two thugs by the mysterious Kurt Costner. During her rescue, Kurt winded up being shot and Ashley went along as he was rushed to the hospital. An attraction grew between the two and they began dating but Kurt's mysterious past kept getting in the way of their happiness. Kurt's past included a wife and a daughter who were killed in a car accident—something for which Kurt had always blamed himself. Ashley eventually proved that Kurt was not responsible for the accident. Kurt also saved the life of Victor's ex-wife Hope Wilson, an event that pushed him to choose to become a doctor again. Stuck between two women, Ashley and Hope, Kurt eventually chose to go to Kansas with Hope.

By the late 1990s, Ashley agreed to let Victor's once supposed son Cole Howard write his new novel based on her and they began spending a lot of time together. Feeling backed into a corner, Victoria Newman, Cole's wife, left town for awhile to sort out her life. Upset by his wife's extended absence, Cole decided to move out but changed his mind when Victoria suddenly returned home from Europe and seemed committed to saving their marriage. However, a few months later, Victoria suddenly left town again, this time for business reasons. During the time spent together researching the book, Ashley and Cole became close and shared several kisses. Cole eventually confided in Ashley that he didn't know how much longer he could accept Victoria's extended absence. Despite that, Victoria and Cole's relationship continued on and off with Neil Winters later proposing to Victoria, just as she became pregnant. The baby ended up being a stillborn and Cole's divorce from Victoria was final.

Finally, Cole and Ashley were married. However, Ashley has to go to Madrid to rescue her step brother Rafael Delgado. She helps him out by buying back forged paintings that he has painted and sold to unsuspecting customers. Cole assumes that Ashley is having an affair with Rafael without knowing who Rafael actually is. Victoria Newman hooks up with Rafael while trying to break up Ashley and Cole, but nothing serious develops from their short adventure. When Ashley returns, she suggests to Cole that they have a baby. Cole, seems uninterested and takes a teaching position at Oxford University, and divorces Ashley.

Ashley ends up getting pregnant when Nikki Newman's switching of Victor's sperm out of Diane Jenkins' hands allows her to become impregnated with that sperm. In reality, Ashley claims the father is someone she had relations with on a cruise. The child is born as Abigail Carlton and Brad Carlton adopts Abby soon after he married Ashley. Abby is raised believing that Brad is the father.

Ashley is soon diagnosed with breast cancer. She begins to feel that she may not survive the illness, and she reveals that Victor Newman is the father of her daughter Abby. Not only is Brad shocked, so is Victor after finding out that Ashley stole his sperm and was artificially inseminated. Although Brad and Ashley try to salvage their marriage by having a child of their own, Ashley ends up in a mental institution and later returns to Genoa City with her father.

Her next battle would come when her father meets and falls in love with Gloria Fisher. With Jabot on the edge of bankruptcy, her personal life a mess, Ashley starts dating Paul Williams and soon finds herself being charmed by Tom Callahan. Little does Ashley know, Tom is actually "Terrible" Tom Fisher, who had been married to Gloria and abused her and her two sons, Michael and Kevin. After a series of blackmail attempts, the lies are exposed and it is revealed that Tom was Gloria's husband. Fearing for his family's life, John Abbott shot and killed Tom, and Ashley takes the blame for the crime. It is not long before John recovers from the shock and admits to the crime. He is sentenced to seven years in prison.

While dealing with the anguish of her father in prison, Ashley is faced with controversy after Gloria contaminates her new line of beauty cream. Even though Gloria is never found out, the damage she does to Jabot is immense. With Katherine now the company's new owner, the company is able to survive. Ashley's biggest devastation comes with the death of her father shortly before he was to be pardoned and released from prison. Blaming Gloria as the reason for her father going to prison in the first place, Ashley and Jack try to strip her of the Abbott name after finding out that she and their father were never legally married. In the end, although Gloria has been shut out of John's will, due to Jack's manipulation, a judge allows her to keep the Abbott name.

Although Jack secretly regains control of Jabot through his other company House of Kim, Ashley finds herself unable to deal with the lie. She left Genoa City to put some distance between her and her brother's shady business practices.

Ashley meets Rick Forrester (Kyle Lowder) in France while they are both there on business. They engage in a brief romantic relationship. A short time later, she ends up in Los Angeles, where she accepts a position working for Forrester Originals to design a fragrance to go with their new line of boutiques. She and Rick Forrester agree to keep the romance they had in Paris in the past, as he is moving on with a new love interest, the much younger Phoebe (MacKenzie Mauzy).

Ashley begins a relationship with Ridge Forrester (Ronn Moss) and they soon become engaged. However, Ridge's attentiveness to his true love Brooke in the aftermath of her rape creates tensions in Ashley's relationship with Ridge. While Ashley is in Paris on business, Ridge and Brooke reconnect, and Ridge breaks off his engagement to Ashley upon her return to L.A.

Brooke's brother Storm (William deVry) takes an interest in Ashley, but Ridge is worried about Ashley's safety because Storm has previously shot Stephanie (Susan Flannery). Ridge tells Ashley about the shooting, and it causes Ashley to drift away from Storm, who then tries to explain to her that he was not dangerous, even though Storm brings a gun to her apartment. Storm's sister Katie (Heather Tom) thinks her brother intends to harm Ashley and rushes in to get the gun away from Storm. Katie is accidentally shot and near death, in need of a heart transplant. Storm then shoots himself in the head, leaving a note that he wants his heart to save Katie's life. Ashley is shaken up about yet another failed romantic relationship.

When Felicia Forrester (Lesli Kay) tells her that Forrester Creations will be putting their new fragrance line on hiatus, Ashley's role in the company begins to diminish. Ashley moves with Abby to Europe where she works at Forrester International in the pursuit of new endeavors. Ashley makes one final appearance when she phones Eric, announcing her intentions to resign from Forrester Creations and return to Genoa City, and thank him for hiring her.

After several short visits to Genoa City, which also included an appearance at Victor's wedding to Sabrina Costelana, Ashley meets up with her siblings Jack, Traci and Billy in New York, where Jack reveals the plan to win back Jabot, the company that once was founded by their late father.

While in London, Ashley receives a call from her longtime rival Nikki, asking for her help. Victor is missing in Paris (following Sabrina's sudden death) and Nikki hopes Ashley can reach him while no one else can. Ashley travels to Paris in search of him. She brings him back from the brink and the two reunite romantically. The funeral of Katherine Chancellor brings them back to Genoa City where Victor is arrested for the murder of the man responsible for his wife, Sabrina's, death. Committed to being with Victor and wanting to be closer to her family, Ashley calls Eric to bid he and his family farewell. She resigns from Forrester Creations while thanking him for the opportunity he had given her.

Along with her siblings Ashley was able to gain control of Jabot Cosmetics and took the position of CEO while Billy Abbott became a head executive. Ashley has to deal with the crisis of Gloria being revealed as the one who contaminated a Jabot product which resulted in the death of a customer two and a half years prior. She also has to deal with her brother Jack being responsible for framing Victor for murder.

Victor is cleared of all murder charges and reunites with Ashley. Ashley reveals to Victor as a surprise for his birthday that she is pregnant with their child. This comes as a surprise as it was previously thought that she could no longer have children. Ashley's pregnancy, however, is put at great risk when she begins thinking that Sabrina's ghost is haunting her, unaware of the fact that it's Victor's son Adam who is gaslighting her. On June 5, Adam dressed up like the late Sabrina, a frightened Ashley tumbles down the stairs of the Newman ranch and is knocked unconscious. Unfortunately Ashley miscarries the baby. On June 8, Adam attempts to cover up the incident by placing a knocked-out Ashley in her bed and burning her bloody nightgown. As Ashley wakes up screaming, Nikki lets herself into the house. Adam convinces a suspicious Ashley that she just had a bad dream. Ashley, not knowing that she has miscarried, decides to name the baby Hope Newman.

On July 14, 2009, Ashley and Victor were remarried in a small ceremony at the Newman Ranch. Shortly after, Mary Jane (dressed up as Sabrina) appeared through the window which frightened Ashley, causing her to faint. On July 22, 2009 Ashley asked Adam to be Hope's godfather and told him that her name was to be Hope after his mother. On September 30, 2009, Ashley is under immense stress after the shooting of Victor and drowning accident of her niece Colleen. On the urging of her brother Jack, Ashley agrees to check into a mental facility. It is the same facility where Sharon Newman is staying. Unknown to Ashley, Sharon goes into preterm labor. Soon after, Ashley imagines that she is in labor too. Adam drugs Ashley during her "labor". Sharon has passed out after giving birth, and Adam manages to take the unconscious Sharon's baby and present it to Ashley as her own. Sharon is told that her daughter died due to severe defects. Later, Ashley changes her mind about naming the baby Hope, and decides to call her Faith, not realizing that this was the name Sharon and Nick were to give their child.

By January 2010, Ashley started to befriend Sharon Newman, after Sharon's home was burnt down by Daisy she asked the newlywed Adam and Sharon Newman to come stay with her. They both accepted. Sharon was then re-connecting with her daughter Faith Newman unknowingly. Yet, by this time, Ashley's marriage to Victor was ending as Ashley discovered his role in the return of Patty Williams. With a divorce on the way, Ashley began a relationship with Neil Winters. Yet, by March, a letter by Dr. Charles Taylor is delivered, revealing that Ashley suffered a miscarriage, and her baby may be Sharon and Nick's child. March 26, 2010 DNA tests prove that Faith is Nick and Sharon's baby; Ashley copes with the truth and returns Faith to her biological parents. Suddenly, Ashley was once again under close observation for the state of her mental health as her divorce with Victor is also finalized. Hurting Ashley again, Neil decided to end his relationship with Ashley to help his daughter Lily Ashby get through her cancer treatment.

Ashley later found herself interested in Tucker McCall. The two slowly develop a close relationship and he ended proposing. She accepted, but he refused to admit to a one-night stand he had with Diane Jenkins before she remarried Victor. He also had been pressuring Jack Abbott into getting Newman's Beauty of Nature so Jack can become CEO of Jabot again. The deal with Jack was made on the condition of Abby winning her lawsuit against Victor, which later included Victoria Abbott and Nicholas Newman.

Eventually, Abby confessed to Ashley that Jack pressured her into the lawsuit to begin with. When Ashley confronted Jack about it, he told her about the deal he made with Tucker. When Ashley confronted Tucker about it, she claimed that he is just like Victor. Once, Abby won her lawsuit, Jack discovered that Tucker was going to have him fight against Victoria for the CEO position. However, Ashley decided to stay with Tucker and planned on having the wedding at his mother Katherine's house. However, Katherine and Tucker fought once she learned about his involvement with the Newman Lawsuit.

Ashley is forced to end her romantic dinner with Tucker when she finds out via phone call that Abby was arrested for indecent exposure by holding a press confeerence at Gloworm announcing the return of "The Naked Heiress" and stripping down to nothing but her black high heels. This, however not her intention, seems to be what Abby wants. Abby who firmly believes that Tucker had an affair with Diane Jenkins, is not right for her mother. Abby continuously tries to advise her mother against the marriage. Abby ends up going after Tucker in hopes of stopping his marriage to her mother. Abby sells her uncle Jack Abbott her Newman stock option for a dollar less than what Tucker offered her. Tucker had hoped to make the deal as a wedding gift for Ashley. Abby, is currently on a downward spiral after her breakup with Daniel Romalotti and continues to fight with Tucker. Ashley has also been comforting her sister-in-law Victoria Abbott after her daughter Lucy Abbott is taken away from her.

Just as Ashley and Tucker prepare to marry, Abby schemed a way to show her mother just how bad a man Tucker really is. Tucker went to the Abbott Cabin under the impression he was going to a bachelor party, while Diane Newman, who marriage to Victor was ending, was tricked by Abby into thinking she was going to the Abbott Cabin to be alone with Tucker. Abby drove Ashley up to the Cabin drunk and her car crashed into Tucker. After the accident, Ashley switched places in the car with Abby to make free Abby of an crimes, but Ashley was now accused of driving under the influence, but that was later disproved. At the hospital, Ashley was fine and Abby eventually woke up and proved to be okay. However, Tucker was in a coma and discovered it he had a living will which made clear that he must be removed from the ventilator. Against many wishes, including Ashley and his mother, Katherine, Tucker's breathing tube was removed, but he was able to breathe by himself. Eventually, Ashley was arrested for attempted murder, and thus fired as CEO of Jabot. Also, Abby was able to remember the truth, but Ashley warned her not to tell anyone. Ashley's attorney, Michael Baldwin, warned Ashley to tell him the whole truth, but she wouldn't. Abby didn't follow Ashley's advice and told the DA, but he didn't believe her. Abby ended up suggesting buying Diane off not to testify, but she wouldn't allow her to. Abby's guilt even made her wanted to give Victor the money she won in the lawsuit, leaving him to believe that Abby may had been driving like Nikki Newman had suggested.

Jack was eventually made CEO thanks to Katherine, and Tucker woke up. After he woke up, he thought that Abby meant to hit him, but told the police otherwise once Ashley coxed him. Slowly, Tucker began to question his memory and ability to control his company after he fought with Katherine over her handling of the company. Tucker wanted Ashley to handle McCall Unlimited, but she wanted to help him. They eventually married in the hospital leaving Katherine stunned. Tucker was later released, but Katherine fought to make sure that she remained in charge of the company by proving Tucker's limited brain functions. Furthermore, she suggested that she would get Tucker's new marriage annulled because he wasn't in sound mind when it happened. Yet, the new marriage was threatened when Diane Jenkins told Ashley she slept with Tucker. Furthermore, Diane announced she had copies of Abby's video confession that she hit Tucker. Afterwards, Diane was killed and both Tucker and Ashley are suspects. Since then, Ashley and Tucker separated because of his lying over his affair with Diane. Ashley even suggested that she would allow Kay's annulment if Tucker won control of McCall again. Abby has also been a strong proponent of annulling the marriage.

During the Diane Jenkins murder investigation Ashley, Tucker, and Abby all keep from each other the truth about their whereabouts the night that Diane was murdered. Ashley finds out that Nick Newman had left her an incriminating voice mail on her phone the night Diane was murdered and soon Nick finds out that she was there that night as well. They begin to work together to keep the truth of where they were that night a secret, but Ashley is sent an anonymous envelope by mail that has a picture of her at the murder scene. Nick confides in Ashley that he is being phoned frequently by an unknown caller that repeatedly plays the voicemail he accidentally left of Ashley's phone the night Diane was murdered. They seek advice from Michael Baldwin and decide to keep the truth from detective Malloy.

Ashley gives Tucker another chance because she realized that she still loved him despite his lies. Abby, furious that her mother would take Tucker back, goes to the police and agrees to wear a wire in order to catch Tucker confess to Diane's murder on tape. Instead, she catches Ashley confess to being in the park that night, incriminating Ashley.

On October 5, Tucker accidentally overhears Jill and Kay's lawyer, Mitchell Sherman discussing Devon being added to her will. Tucker eventually puts the pieces together and tracks down Devon. Devon is shocked when Tucker tells him they are father and son, and doesn't believe it until Neil confirms it. Tucker later berates Katherine for hiding the truth about Devon's paternity. On October 13, 2011 Tucker came face to face with Yolanda "Harmony" Hamilton for the first time since she was pregnant with Devon. Ashley agrees to stay by Tucker's side while he attempts to get to know his newfound son, and has not decided if she'll return to Jabot with Jack.

On November 18, Ashley and Tucker renewed their vows at a church, with family and friends surrounding, including Devon.

References

External links

• Ashley Abbott character profile on SoapCentral