| Victor Newman | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Eric Braeden as Victor Newman (2009). | |||||||||||||||||||
| The Young and the Restless | |||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Eric Braeden | ||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1980–2009, 2010–present | ||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | February 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | William J. Bell | ||||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Great Victor Newman The Black Knight [Mr.] Mumbles [Mr.] [The] Moustache Moneybags (by Jack & Billy) |
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| Aliases | Christian Miller (birth name) |
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| Gender | Male | ||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation |
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| Title | Chairman of the Board of Directors of Newman Enterprises | ||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Genoa City Jail Genoa City, Wisconsin |
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Victor Newman (born Christian Miller) is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless played by actor Eric Braeden from February 1980 through November 2, 2009 and again from January 15, 2010 to the present. The character briefly appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful in 1999. Victor was originally intended to be a short-term character as part of a six-month storyline, but developed into a lead character.[1] Braeden won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1998 for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the role.
Much of his history on the series revolves around his long-running conflict with rival businessman Jack Abbott (portrayed originally by Terry Lester, and since 1989 by Peter Bergman), his ruthless nature, many marriages, and the infamous triangle involving Victor and ex-wives Ashley Abbott and Nikki Reed.[2][3]
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Born Christian Miller on March 6, he is abandoned by his father, Albert Miller. At the of age 7, his mother Cora Miller puts him into an orphanage due to her inability to nurture him and his brother Matthew. This experience empowers him with strong determination to be independent and successful. After leaving the orphanage, he officially changes his name to Victor Newman, a name symbolic of declaring himself a “victorious new man”.
In 1977, Victor and Julia Newman are married. Only three years later in 1980, Victor relocates to Genoa City with his wife (Meg Bennett) to assist Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper) with running Chancellor Industries. While he works, he keeps her in seclusion at the ranch house Katherine sells him. Victor eventually builds his own company Newman Enterprises into a worldwide conglomerate which makes him a multibillionaire. Victor ends up having numerous affairs of his own during this time, including with Eve Howard and Lorie Brooks. Longing for enjoyment, Julia ends up becoming good friends with Katherine's son Brock Reynolds. However, nothing sexual ever happened in that relationship and Julia wanted to be faithful to Victor. However, when Brock caught Victor and Lorie kissing, he tried to resume his romance with Julia, but he finally left town because of Julia's inability to end her marriage to Victor. Thinking it would convince Victor of her love for him, Julia told him that she wanted to have a baby. Victor responded by having a vasectomy without telling her. Julia later applies for a modeling job with a photographer, Michael Scott, who is attracted to her. While Victor is out of town, Eve Howard threatens Julia that she is going to try to get Victor to herself. Saddened and confused, Julia sleeps with Michael. When Victor returns, he tries to fight off Eve, and eventually accepts her son, Cole Howard, as his son so long as she leaves Genoa City. As for Julia, she becomes pregnant, and a jealous Victor is convinced that Michael Scott was the father.
In retaliation, Victor imprisons Michael in a bomb shelter at the Newman Ranch, but Julia finds him there and frees him. While attempting to flee together, Victor happens upon the pair and a fist fight between Victor and Michael ensues. In an unfortunate incident, Julia is caught in the crossfire and suffers a terrible fall leading to her miscarry. The examination from blood tests proves that Victor was, in fact, the biological father before Julia and Michael leave town. Julia later ends up in Paris, and Victor turns his attention to stripper Nikki Reed and newspaper company heir Lorie Brooks.
A short time earlier, Victor took control of Prentiss Industries, owned by the Prentiss family. Lucas Prentiss was Lorie Brooks' former brother-in-law and wanted his family's company back. By 1982, Lorie ended up scheming with Lucas to get control of Prentiss Industries again. Their plan called for Lorie seducing Victor into marriage and then just before the wedding convince him to sign over to her the controlling stock shares in Prentiss. It worked. Before the ceremony, Victor handed Lorie a document that gave her control of Prentiss Industries. Shortly thereafter, Victor searched for Lorie who had suddenly disappeared. Instead, he found a letter from Lorie, with her engagement ring, informing him that she wasn't interested in marrying him. A saddened Victor turned to Nikki Reed and they began an affair.
Early in his affair with Nikki, she becomes pregnant and the paternity of the child is questioned of whether it is Victor's or Nikki's husband's Kevin Bancroft. Nikki ends her marriage to Kevin, and begins a romance with a con man Rick Daros. Rick tried numerous times to kill Nikki, but each time Paul Williams, Andy Richards, and Victor save Nikki just in time. The child ends up being Victor's and they name the girl, Victoria Nicole Newman.
Around 1983, Eve Howard returns to Genoa City with her new lover, Max Siebalt. Originally, Eve came back to make sure Victor was providing for their child, Cole. However, when she learns that Victor put Cole in his will, she and Max begin to scheme a way to get a hold of Victor's money now. Eve is able to convince Victor to hire her as an assistant. In Paris, Julia Newman eventually gets wind of this scheme, and returns to try to protect Victor. Eve began poisoning Victor's food, and it was caught just in time. Victor then tries to scheme against Eve into confessing. Victor plans on marrying Eve, and on the day of their wedding, Victor "dies" leaving Nikki deeply saddened. Later, Eve and Max are later shocked to see that Victor is alive and she is sent away to the sanitarium. Finally, Victor is able to be with Nikki and they marry on April 13, 1984, right before Eve attempted to stab Nikki before the ceremony.[4] A year later, Eve and Rick Daros, the man who tried repeatedly to kill Nikki, return again, while Victor and Nikki are vacationing. Rick, however, had amnesia, and forget he had tried to kill Nikki. Nonetheless, they were able to steal some money from Victor and later escape to Europe together.
Victor and Nikki's marriage seemed to be very genuine. In fact, Nikki arranged for Victor to meet with his mother for the first time since he was a little boy. However, that reconciliation was brief and his mother, Cora Miller, died soon after. Soon after, Victor began his affair with Jack Abbott's sister, Ashley Abbott. It began as 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 came looking for her and eventually found her. When he brought her back to Genoa City, they began their affair.
Nikki 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.
Victor and Jack Abbott hire Leanna “Love” Randolph to write a biography on Victor himself. Jack intends to have his version of the book be a tell-all entitled Ruthless: The Victor Newman Story. Unknowingly to Jack, Leanna adds a chapter that exploits the affair between Victor and Ashley. By this time, Victor and Nikki's marriage was falling apart, and he believed she was behind the publication. Victor divorces her and to prove to the press he didn't divorce Nikki to be with Ashley, he marries Leanna, but it was declared invalid since his divorce from Nikki wasn't final. Despite that, Victor stays with Leanna until the revelation. Victor then returns to Nikki and they have another child together, Nicholas Newman. Victor also proceeds to avenge his degradation by gaining reigns over Jack’s family company, Jabot Cosmetics, which Jack had recently convinced his father to make a public company. With Victor now in control, he fired Jack and replaced him with Brad Carlton. In response, Jack spitefully marries Nikki after Victor and Nikki had another falling out.
By now, Victor had married Ashley Abbott, and Leanna went on to national fame because of a "I Hate Men Campaign" and a daytime talk show. Back on the business front, Victor offered to return Jabot in exchange for Jack agreeing to end his marriage with Nikki Abbott. Jack agreed, but because of a legal loophole, Jack didn't regain complete control, thus he stayed with Nikki. At one point, Victor and Jack had such a confrontation regarding Nikki, that Victor had a heart attack. Jack famously left Victor alone in the office, but he ended up surviving. Nikki, however, was dealing with a number of other serious problems by this time. She was now facing a serious alcohol problem and had recently gave birth to John Abbott III, a stillborn, which both Jack and Nikki blamed on Victor. Also threatening Jack and Nikki's marriage was Victoria's hope to see her parents together again. However, Jack ended up saving Victoria's life when she nearly drowned in the Abbott Mansion pool. Yet, Ashley knew that Victor's true love was Nikki and nothing would change that. Ashley and Victor decided to divorce by 1993.
With Victor single again, he began romancing Jill Abbott. Little did Victor know, but Jill's romance with Victor was her way of annoying Jack and Ashley Abbott were wanting her no where near Jabot and their father John Abbott. Yet, Jill quickly discovered that Victor had no real intention to keep their relationship going, especially when Nikki Abbott finally decided to divorce Jack. However, Jill was pregnant, but she figured that it was John Abbott's. And that was exactly the case, but John remained suspicious.
After nearly a decade, Eve Howard returned to Genoa City hoping that Victor would be interested to form a relationship with his son Cole Howard. Originally uninterested, he would later change his mind. Eve later brought Cole to Genoa City, and while he built up a relationship with Victoria without knowing the truth about Victor. Eve left town again as did Victor to Kansas where he met a blind woman named Hope Adams. They conceived a son named Victor Adam Newman. Cole had by this time began a romantic relationship with Nikki and Victoria. When Cole wrote to Eve that he had fallen in love with Victor Newman's daughter and they were getting married, Eve arranged to leave the cruise she was on, and rush to Genoa City. She ended up falling into a coma after a mosquito bit her on the plane ride back.
When Victor and Hope returned to find Victoria and Cole married, he told Cole that he was his father and the marriage was annulled. However, once Eve died, the truth came out that Cole's father was actually Marvin Oakley, a former lover of Eve's. With that news, Victoria and Cole remarried and tried to have a child. The daughter, Eve Nicole Howard, died several days after birth. With Victor returned to his business operations, Hope found it difficult to stay in Genoa City and she and Victor divorced. She ended up marrying Cliff Wilson back in Kansas, where he adopted Victor Jr. and the child grew up not knowing that Victor was his father.
Fueling his feud with Jack, Victor marries the former girlfriend of his rival, Diane Jenkins (Alex Donnelley). Diane wants to have a child with Victor, but Nikki’s jealousy erupts sparking a feud with Diane. Nikki tries to convince Victor to have a vasectomy, a method that prevents him from reproducing, thus causing huge problems between the two. When Nikki is mortally wounded by her husband's ex-wife Veronica Landers and perceived to be in critical condition, Victor divorces Diane and remarries Nikki on her deathbed intending to remarry Diane after Nikki’s passing. However, Nikki remarkably survives leaving Diane concerned for her relationship with Victor, who breaks it off with her. However, Victor and Nikki's remarriage is declared invalid thus they had another marriage ceremony. However, the truth was that Victor and Diane were still married, thus leading to a bitter divorce battle in which Diane hires Michael Baldwin to represent her and she even goes on Leanna Love's TV show to draw up public support. Eventually, a divorce settlement was made which included a seat on the Newman Board. Making matters even worse, Jack Abbott and Brad Carlton were able take over as Newman Enterprise CEOs. An angry and defeated Victor ended up walking into their office, formerly his, and destroy a newly hung portrait of Jack and Brad. Victor was eventually able to regain control.
With Nikki and Victor back together, she hopes to have a third child with Victor, but he refused and got a vasectomy, storing sperm in a sperm bank for future probability. Victor ended having another affair as did Nikki with Brad Carlton, thus ending their hopes at another marriage. Despite Diane's divorce from Victor, she remained affectionate towards Victor, and she stole the sperm intending to impregnate herself with his child. After a round of thefts by Nikki and Ashley before regaining it, in a twist of fate, Diane ends up pregnant with Jack Abbott's son through his sperm bank donation. However, Diane didn't know yet, only Nikki. Eventually, Diane learns the truth and Jack and his new wife Phyllis Abbott ended up suing for custody of Kyle. Similarly, Ashley ends up getting a hold of Victor's sperm and impregnates herself. However, once Abby is born, she goes on five years thinking that Brad Carlton is her father.
By 2002, Victor's old fiancée Lorie Brooks returned to town as her soon to be ex-husband Max Hollister was threatening to take over Julia Newman Martin's design firm. Victor came to Julia's aid and was able to force Max to sell Julia's company to him. Victor promised Julia, that her company could work within Newman Enterprises and she could remain in charge. Max, however, wanted revenge. He ended up contacting Leanna Love and appeared on her TV show suggesting that Victor was seeing his ex-wives again. During this time, Victor and Nikki reunited again and actually were preparing to remarry.
When Lorie wanted Max to sign the divorce papers, he forced her hand in a new scheme against Victor. He planned on having Lorie seduce Victor at a hotel room, while Nikki was in the hotel for a lunch. Victor and Lorie's room would be videotaped and seen by Nikki. As Victor and Lorie talked, Lorie decided she couldn't hurt Victor and therefore she never turned on the camera. Max ended up getting annoyed and dragged Nikki into the hotel room just as Victor and Lorie were hugging. Both Victor and Nikki figured it was a set up and he began to fight with Lorie. Once Victor left, Lorie and Max fought and she felt awful for hurting Victor. They both left as Victor and Nikki remarried.
Victor is diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy from head trauma after rescuing Nikki from a carjacking attempt. Jack learns of his health and takes advantage of him for a period of time. Having been estranged for years, an unseen friendship forms between them and one Victor even plays up after stabilizing his condition. Ultimately, Victor feels betrayed by Jack again but this time he is personally offended due to their friendship. Victor reveals the truth by informing Jack of knowing that he, not Jim Min Kim (Eric Steinberg), owns Jabot Cosmetics. These deals regarding Jabot and the new company NVP Retreats, began to take a toll on his marriage to Nikki Newman as she took up a professional career of her own. By 2007, Nikki ended up running for a State Senate seat against Jack Abbott. Interestingly, Victor supported Jack in the election and even hired David Chow to be Jack's campaign manager. As manager, David released a scandalous video of Nikki resulting in his termination from the campaign. However, Nikki picked up David to work for her. Nikki and David ended up becoming close and they had an affair and in retaliation Nikki sharing a kiss, which Victor saw. Nikki ended up losing, but she continued her affair with David. However, she tried to end things later, but they couldn't stay apart.
A leave from Genoa City sees Victor by the deathbed of Hope Adams as she suffers her final moments battling with pancreatic cancer. Before she passes, Hope gives her son enlightenment of Victor being his biological father unraveling that she raised him with Cliff Wilson, who she made him entrust as his father and had his last name changed from Newman to Wilson all after she divorced Victor. It becomes within Victor’s strong will after Hope dies that his son Adam joins him at Newman Enterprises.
After years of martial issues, but most recently Nikki's affair with David Chow and a business lawsuit, Victor and Nikki divorced in 2008. Adam arrives in Genoa City filling the void as son and right-hand man for his dad in Newman Enterprises as Victor and Nick were currently fighting. Victor finds romance with Sabrina Costelana, a friend of Victoria’s from Florence, Italy. Victoria disapproves of the relationship and is further angered by their plan to marry. Likewise is Nick, but more in regards to Victor’s controlling ways in business. Victor wields his corporate power shifting Victoria’s company position and giving it to Adam, that heightens her bitterness of Adam in town, enough that she opts to resign from her father’s company. Adam moves into her office and accepts Victor’s offer of residence at the Newman Ranch. Not long later, tension escalates in the family once Victor hands Adam full reign of the company’s cosmetic line.
Victor married a pregnant Sabrina Costelana in June 2008, but just shy of two months later, Sabrina and her unborn baby are killed in the result of a car crash that also claims David Chow. Her death causes an emotional downward spiral for Victor seeking the avengement of her death from Walter Palin, who arranged the tragedy. Victor sets out to Mexico for a fleeing Walter hiding in a secure location, and goes on a boat ride with Walter where he confronts him. Victor refrains from killing him, but leaves him for dead as the boat is taken down in the duration of a storm. Nikki tries to reach out to Victor along with his children, but are all met with rejection. Victor also discharges Adam from his company after discovering his crude ways while absent. Nikki, knowing Ashley will be able to reach Victor while she cannot, contacts her. Ashley searches for him in Paris and guides him back from his suicidal depression and the two romantically reunite.
For the murder of Walter, Victor is apprehended during his return to Genoa City. However, Jack and Adam had published a fake diary falsely believed to have belonged to Victor, forging his confession to the murder. Consequently, Victor is cleared of the crime, but only Adam is arrested for partaking in the distribution of the diary while Jack ensured he profoundly covered himself to avoid prosecution. With Adam imprisoned, Victor pursues revenge against Jack within gaining controlling interest in Jabot and causes issues among the Abbott siblings despite this hurting Ashley too. He later relinquishes his shares of the company to Jill Foster Abbott in a trade for her agreement to exhume Marge Cotrooke’s body whom Jill, at the time, believes to be her presumed mother, Katherine Chancellor. Although she miscarried, Ashley psychologically effected, chooses to name her baby with Victor, Hope Newman.
Victor begins interacting with a bandaged woman. Her condition is a result of a plastic surgery done to resemble Dr. Emily Peterson that Victor finances in his ploy to have her infiltrate Jabot Cosmetics, including getting close with his enemy, Jack, in his ongoing revenge. After her transition, she introduces herself to the Abbott family as Mary Jane Benson and is hired in Public Relations in Jabot. Victor’s business partnership with Mary dilapidates when Mary becomes unstable and dangerous in her affectionate pursuit of Jack, prompting Victor into willingly wanting to pay her away from Genoa City.
In July 2009, Victor remarried Ashley Abbott in a small ceremony at the Newman Ranch. It is gradually revealed that Mary is factually Jack’s first wife, Patty Williams. A month thereafter, Victor’s dog Zapato is suspected to be a victim of poisoning by Mary, who is being mischievous towards the Newman family. After examined by the vet, Zapato died. That night, Victor is informed by Nikki of her cancelled wedding with Paul Williams, referencing her strong lifetime affection for Victor though skeptical of a reunion, but considers him to be a husband despite his other marriages and kids, before she left town after a mentally unstable Ashley Newman ran over her thinking it was Sabrina. Later, Victor confronted Patty in regards to her immoral perpetrations and this ends critical when Victor is shot and suffers a heart failure. Victor was saved by a heart transplant from Colleen Carlton, who dies from a brain dead state after falling into a lake trying to escape from Patty. When Nikki heard, she returned and Victor claimed his eternal love for her. Unfortunately Ashley overheard and divorced Victor. Victor ended up leaving to Europe with Nikki to recover.
Once Victor and Nikki return, they found Adam and Nicholas Newman fighting over Sharon Newman and Newman Enterprises. Victor states that he will reclaim control of his company and overturn all their doings. His hands are also full with his vow to help Katherine Chancellor Murphy after her son, Tucker McCall, took over Chancellor Industries, even if he had to work with his nemesis, Jack. Victor fires Adam who got hired by Tucker. After reading an article published by Billy Abbott based on Adam with a part where Victor supposedly says “My son is a sociopath”, Victor is alienated and the controversy blows up at the Genoa City Athletic Club where Adam confronts Victor, who reacts violently towards him in front of the Newmans and Abbotts, disowning Adam in the process. Furthermore, the entire scenario was unveiled to be Nick’s scheme of distraction for Tucker, which was originally thought to be Victor’s plot. Tucker ends up putting Jabot up for auction, and Jack and Ashley pitch a lump some to reclaim their father’s company. Moreover, Adam secretly possesses a key for entry to Tucker’s office and uses it to view the sealed bids. Victor receives the forwarded bids by Adam and pitches the highest bid at the last minute to win control of Jabot. He also notifies Jack and Ashley to have their offices cleared out within a week and delegates Gloria Abbott Bardwell as Ambassadress.
Adam ends up being found "dead" and Victoria and Nick were arrested. In order to protect his children, Victor took the blame. Victor was released, but Nick was later the new suspect. However, there was a growing amount of proof to suggest that Adam killed Richard Hightower to fake his own death. To help Nick, Victor went to Canada to find Adam where he befriended Meggie McClaine and he ends up nearly being killed. Victor returns later without Adam. He and Sharon Newman go to Brazil and find Adam there. When Adam is brought back, he wasn't convicted in Hightower's death, but Nick was able to clear his name.
Back home, Victor and Nikki get engaged, but Meggie McClaine is also living there, as Victor thought to protect her. Nikki had Meggie become her personal assistant, but Meggie actually hoped to get Nikki drinking again therefore opening up the way for her to marry Victor. Once she would marry him, she would kill him and get his money, just like she did with Patrick Murphy's son. Meggie recruited Deacon Sharpe to help spike Nikki's drinks and they eventually set Nikki up to look like she was having an affair with Deacon. Once Victor caught them, he sent Nikki to rehab, where Deacon continued to scheme with Meggie. Once in rehab, he tried to actually help Nikki, and their relationship turned romantic especially when Meggie is able to elope with Victor. Meggie posts their wedding photo on a social networking site which Nikki observes on her phone, and gives into romance with Deacon. After apparently many spiked drinks, Victor appeared to suffer a heart attack, but stunningly unveils his sobriety and caught Meggie in a sting operation set up by him, Murphy, and the cops though Nikki does not know. Once Victor left to explain things to Nikki, he caught her in bed with Deacon. Victor resented Nikki’s actions which was to spite his marriage with Meggie she thought was genuine. Immediately after, Victor was forced to deal with his children's lawsuit against him, that he felt Jack Abbott was behind. Therefore, Victor took all of his money out of Adam's Newman Fund, thus other investors including Jack, lost all of their money. Then, Skye Newman, Adam's wife, suddenly went missing and Adam was eventually arrested for murder. However, Victor arranged for Skye to disappear, while Adam began another relationship with Sharon Newman. Trying to help Adam, Sharon thanks to Jack, found Skye in Hawaii. When Sharon found Skye there, Skye then arrested for murder. Later, Jack and Phyllis Newman found a video of Victor in Hawaii on the volcano where Skye Newman died. Victor tried to get Adam to testify in the lawsuit, and then Sharon's murder case will be dropped. Adam testified that he forged the trust documents while he was in charge of the company, therefore whenever Victor had been dealing with the trusts, they were fake. Earlier in the day, Victor told the DA that Sharon didn't murder Skye, saying that he saw what happened, but wouldn't say any more. However, at the lawsuit hearing, Neil Winters testified that Adam lied in his testimony leaving Victor stunned. The judge ruled in favor of Abby, Victoria, and Nick giving them $500 million each.
Victor was also pursuing a relationship with his ex-wife and new in-house architect, Diane Jenkins, who had earlier had a relationship with Nick Victor, however, made certain Diane would be with him. Yet, once Victor lost the lawsuit, he had an affair with Nikki. Diane found them, but quickly ducked out. After Nikki and Victor agreed not to continue things, Victor and Diane eloped in Las Vegas. Once they returned, Diane seemed to think back to her relationship with Nick, but Victor warned her against Nick, and Nick didn't want anything to do with Diane. Yet, Newman family events brought Nikki and Victor closer again such as in Sharon's murder trial, in which Victor testified that Sharon tried to save Skye Newman. However, because of the DA's harsh questions regarding Victor's role in the collapse of the Newman Fund and framing Adam for Skye's death, Victor was forced to take Fifth Amendment.Sharon was found guilty, but escaped thanks to Adam. Eventually Sharon "died" in New Mexico, but in reality, she was carjacked and the carjacker ended up in an accident, where she died. However, no one knew the truth. Together, the Newmans arranged her funeral, which was interrupted by Adam who attacked everyone connected to Sharon including Victor. Victor and Nikki were brought together again to comfort Victoria when the truth of Lucy Abbott's adoption came out. Victor and Nikki had another affair in which Diane caught them, but this time took a picture. Diane had earlier had an affair with Jack Abbott. After Victor's affair with Nikki, he drew up annulment papes, but tore them up after he fought with Nikki once she had dinner with Deacon Sharpe.
However, Diane, believing her marriage was ending, texted messaged Tucker McCall who was about to marry Ashley Abbott in hopes of having an affair. Abby Newman, however, stole Tucker's phone hoping to implicate Diane and Tucker in an affair. Once Diane and Tucker were up there, Abby would drive Ashley up to prove to the truth to her. However, Abby crashed into Tucker, which left him in a coma, and Ashley was accused of attempted murder since she switched places with Abby after the accident. Diane ended up telling the DA that the car meant to hit Tucker and Victor learned why Diane was there to begin with. With Diane out of the Ranch and without her jewelry, she moved in with Adam Newman at Sharon's old house just to spite Victor. An enraged Victor, got Michael Baldwin to figure out a why to keep Adam and Diane off the Ranch. Victor ended up having Noah Newman move in. With Tucker in a coma, Katherine was given control of McCall Unlimited and ended the plans for buying Newman stock much to Sofia Winters' anger. Ashley ended up being released on bail thanks to Victor hiring Michael to represent her, but was fired as CEO of Jabot as well as barred from seeing Tucker. Victor suggested Victoria as Jabot CEO, and later made an offer to buy Jabot from Katherine, but she ended up giving the position to Jack Abbott.
Months earlier, Victor shocked everyone that Newman Enterprises would go public, thus affording Victor the $1.5 billion to each children. The day of the IPO, Diane Jenkins and Adam Newman created a scheme that would make it seem as if Victor died. Therefore, stock prices fell and they all, including Jack Abbott bought Newman cheap. Victor quickly made clear that he was alive, and brought in the SEC to investigate, but Adam demanded a seat on the Newman Board. Victor was able to save Diane by having her recant her testimony about Ashley's car accident. Yet, the SEC continued to investigate her. Ashley's charges were dropped, and Tucker woke up, but believed Abby hit him. Abby had recently confided in Nikki about the accident, leaving Nikki to think Abby hit Tucker. At first Victor didn't believe Nikki, which led Nikki drinking again. After Deacon Sharpe confronted Victor about Nikki's downward spiral, Victor sent her back to Rehab. Yet, Abby confessed to Victor about the accident, and fearing Abby might be arrested, he and Ashley arranged for her to go to another Rehab center. However, Noah Newman ended up bringing her back soon after. Victor also hired Avery Clark, an extremely experienced attorney who turned out to be Phyllis Newman's younger sister, to take on Sharon's, who just returned to Genoa City, appeal.
Around the same time, Victor and Victoria reconnected as Billy Abbott left her following Lucy Abbott being taken away. Victoria was now a Board Member and COO of Newman. Hoping to keep Billy away, Victor sabotaged Billy with a prostitute. He was arrested, which ended up destroying his custody suit against Chloe Mitchell and a possible return with Victoria. Billy ended up leaving town, but Victor tried to locate him and get him released from their prison just as his daughter Cordelia Abbott is stricken with cancer and needs a bone marrow transplant. With Billy being a match, Victor makes plans for the procedure to be done and in return Billy must leave for good and keep out of contact with Victoria. Victor isolates Billy in his trailer for a few weeks so he can recover, allowing him to only be in contact with him and Kevin Fisher. Victor goes as far as to set it up that Kevin is a donor for Delia when it is actually Billy. After the operation is completed and turns out to be a success, Victor makes plans for Billy to leave the country and his where abouts to be known to nobody but him. Eventually Billy is spotted out at a bar by his wife Victoria. A furious Victoria returns to Genoa City with Billy, confronts her father Victor and informs him she is done with him but this time for good.
Earlier, Diane, who was still under investigation by the SEC, tried to work on more schemes with Adam, but tried to get money from in in addition to giving the police information on him. A furious Adam ended up finding out, and Diane without many option left, used the old picture of Nikki and Victor sleeping together to launch a lawsuit against Nikki for the wrongful end of their marriage. Diane, who seemed to anger everyone in town, was found dead in the park, and Victor is a suspect along with Jack, Adam, Nick, Phyllis, Tucker, Ashley, Victoria, Abby, and later even Nikki. Following the murder, everyone was investigated, but by November the case seemed to hit a dead end. Yet, the now returning Patty Williams tried set up Adam Newman for the death of Diane Jenkins. She places the syringe that is used for the crime in the desk of Adam at Newman Enterprises but she is unaware that Adam followed her around as she tried to get away with another devious crime. Instead of disposing of the syringe himself, Adam places it in the safe of Victor's in his office, making it look as if Victor is the perpetrator. Victor is taken downtown by Detective Ronan Malloy for questiong, but was released just as Nikki returned for rehab. Later that day, Nikki began drinking after an AA meeting, but Deacon Sharpe followed Nikki back to the ranch, and informed Victor of Nikki's drunkenness. Nikki then confessed to Victor that she killed Diane after she escaped from rehab. Victor, however, thinks Nikki can't remember clearly and could not have killed Diane. But as the police find more evidence against Nikki, Victor takes the blame and confessed to Diane's murder. Nikki tried to talk Victor out of it, but she also thought that Victoria may have been involved in the murder. Deacon, who claimed he saw Victor and Victoria involved, claimed he would go the police if Nikki didn't marry him. A drunk Nikki married him, but it is clear she has no true feelings for Deacon. Furthermore, once Gloria Abbott Bardwell informed Nikki that Deacon was working the night of Diane's murder, Nikki and Victor agreed they would try to destroy Deacon. Victor has also found the support of Sharon Newman in the case, but Victor wants her to stay away. Victor proposed marriage to Sharon, which she is considering to make a better life for herself so that she may have custody of her daughter, Faith.