| Nikki Newman | |||||||||||||||||
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| Melody Thomas Scott as Nikki Newman (2008) | |||||||||||||||||
| The Young and the Restless | |||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Erica Hope (1978–1979) Melody Thomas Scott (1979-present) |
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| Duration | 1978–1996, 1997–2005, 2006–2008, 2009–2011, 2011— | ||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | May 1978 | ||||||||||||||||
| Created by | William J. Bell | ||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Nikki, Nick | ||||||||||||||||
| Gender | Female | ||||||||||||||||
| Occupation |
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| Title | Chairman, The Newman Foundation | ||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Genoa City Athletic Club Genoa City, Wisconsin |
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Nicole "Nikki" Newman Sharpe (née Reed; formerly Foster, Bancroft, DiSalvo, Abbott, Landers and Chow) is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. The role was originated by Erica Hope in 1978, though she has been portrayed by actress Melody Thomas Scott since 1979. Much of Nikki's history revolves around her many marriages to business tycoon Victor Newman, a good friend to ex-husband Jack Abbott, longtime friend to Katherine Chancellor Murphy, and longtime enemy of Sharon Newman, Jill Abbott Fenmore, and the late Diane Jenkins.
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Nikki was born on June 1st, 1960 (Mentioned on the June 1st, episode). Nikki and her sister Casey was introduced in 1978, in an early storyline that had her almost sexually abused by her father. Nikki killed her own father while he attempted to rape her while drunk. When on trial for the murder, Jill Foster hired Joseph Thomas to frightened Nikki and her sister Casey Reed, since he looked very similar to her father Nick Reed. Eventually Joseph left town. Nikki also was dating Paul Williams a short time later, and Paul ended up giving Nikki a venereal disease. Nevertheless, Nikki and Paul have remained close friends through the years. When Nikki got healthy again, she began to romance Greg Foster, who worked alongside Nikki's sister Casey and Dr. Snapper Foster. However, her romance with Greg threatened her friendship with Paul. When Nikki and Greg were about to marry, Paul tried to stop her, but was unsuccessful. Paul ended up turning his attention to April Stevens.
Eventually, Nikki signed up at a modeling agency heading by Rose Deville, which actually was a prostitution ring. One of the men Nikki was with ended up having a heart attack when Nikki resisted. She then called Rose in a panic and Rose arranged for someone to dump the body in an alley. However, a man named Tony came across the body and the Genoa City Police charged him for the man's murder. Greg was named Tony's lawyer. Nikki ended up being threatened not to testify in the case or Greg would be killed. She decided to leave town and a hit man tried to shot Greg, instead shooting his mother Liz Foster. Liz recovered, Nikki returned, and Rose Deville was arrested only to return to a few years later operating a black-market baby ring which stole Nina Webster's baby. The drama ended up destroying Nikki and Greg's marriage, as he began to pursue April Stevens. However, Greg lost interest when he learned that April's daughter, Heather Stevens, was Paul's. Greg hoped that Paul would try to help April with parenting, but to escape the pressure, Paul ran away to the New World Commune with Nikki. The commune ended up being a scam put together by Paul's brother, Steven Williams and Peggy Brooks. Regardless, Nikki and Greg divorced, Paul and April joined together in a short and very unstable marriage, Greg left town, and Nikki ended up becoming a stripper.
The now stripper Nikki Reed, began a romance with Kevin Bancroft (Christopher Holder) which troubled his mother Allison Bancroft (Lynn Wood). Allison bought a copy of a pornographic film titled Hot Hips, purportedly starring Nikki, in a bid to end Nikki's relationship with son Kevin. The film was distributed by criminal Tony Di Salvo. Nikki married Tony, hoping to get the video back, but she was eventually able to prove that she did not perform the sex scenes featured in the film; they were enacted by a different woman and were intercut with video footage of Nikki stripping. Not only that, but Nikki's friend and former lover, Paul Williams, investigated Tony and killed him.
During the relationship with Kevin, Nikki had a fling with Victor Newman. When Nikki became pregnant, there was some doubt to the paternity of the child. It was ultimately learned that Victor was the father. The relationship with Kevin ended and she took up with Rick Daros (Randy Holland) during her pregnancy. However, Nikki didn't know that Rick had killed his first wife and planned on doing the same with Nikki. He tried a couple times to kill Nikki, but each time Paul Williams, Andy Richards, and Victor Newman were able to save her. Nikki eventually gave birth to Victor's child, a daughter named Victoria Nicole Newman.
Once, Lorie Brooks left Victor at the altar, he focused his attention on Nikki. However, Victor's former romance Eve Howard came back into town to make sure he was provided for their son Cole Howard. Eve and her new lover Max schemed to steal away Victor's money by poisoning him. Victor survived the poisoning and later was able to trap Eve and kick her out, leaving him alone with Nikki. Victor proposed and got married in 1984. However, right before the ceremony, Eve escaped from her sanitarium and tried to stab Nikki. A year later, Eve escaped again and was dating Rick Daros now, the man who tried to kill Nikki. However, Rick had amnesia and had forgotten that he had tried to kill Nikki. While, Nikki and Victor were vacationing, Eve and Rick stole money away from Victor and escaped to Europe.
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 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 had 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 hired 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 marries Leanna, but later gets a divorce after the revelation. He 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.
Despite Jack Abbott's original reasons for marrying Nikki, they became very close and to this day are very good friends. Early in Jack and Nikki's marriage there were problems. Nikki quickly developed serious painkiller and alcohol problems. In addition, Nikki gave birth to a stillborn, John Abbott III, following an argument with Victor. Both Jack and Nikki blamed Victor for the death. However, Victor offers Jack a chance to regain control of Jabot. If he leaves Nikki, then he can get Jabot back. Jack follows through, but doesn't regain complete control because of a minor legal loophole. As for Nikki, Victor finally is able to deal with her alcohol problems head on and they were able to reconnect. By 1994, Jack and Nikki Abbott had divorced, yet they remain very close friends.
In 1993, Victor's former romance Eve Howard returned to town hoping that he would build a relationship with his son Cole Howard. Victor "died", but really went on a trip to Kansas where he eventually met Hope Adams. Back in Genoa City, Cole, who didn't know that Victor was his father, began romancing Nikki and Victoria. Once he wrote a letter to Eve that he was marrying Victoria, she came rushing back as did Victor to tell Cole that he was his father. Eventually, the truth came out that his real father was Rick Daros, the man who tried to kill Nikki nearly a decade earlier. Victoria and Cole were married for only married for few years.
After Victor's marriage with Hope Newman ended, he hoped to rekindle things with Nikki, but she had married Dr. Joshua Landers (Heath Kizzier). Victor tried to stop the marriage, but ended up rebounding into the arms of Jack's lover Diane Jenkins (then played by Alex Donnelley), who at the time was engaged to Jack. Diane broke things off with Jack, and she and Victor married soon after. Tragedy struck when Joshua was shot dead by his jealous ex-wife, Veronica (Candice Daly), who had disguised herself and had been posing as Nikki and Joshua's maid, Sarah Lindsey. Hours later, Veronica shot and severely wounded Nikki, leading to Victor to divorce Diane and remarry Nikki on her deathbed. Victor promised Diane that he would remarry her after Nikki died. When Nikki miraculously recovered, her family was ecstatic, but Diane was (rightly) concerned about where she stood with Victor. Victor soon broke it off with Diane and he began romancing Nikki again. Yet, Victor and Diane were still legally married, and a long and complicated divorce battle continued through 2000. By that time, however, Nikki and Victor had gone their separate ways. Nikki had been briefly engaged to Brad Carlton.
By 2002, Victor and Nikki reunited and got engaged. However, Victor's old fianceè 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. This made Nikki suddenly rethink their plans 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 in September 2002.
Nikki has interests in having a third child but Victor ultimately refuses and decides to get a vasectomy, storing sperm in a sperm bank for future probability. Still affectionate towards Victor, Diane Jenkins stole the sperm intending to impregnate herself with his child. After a round of thefts by Ashley Abbott and Nikki, in a twist of fate, Diane ends up pregnant for Jack Abbott through his sperm bank donation. 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. When Ashley had her cancer, she decided to reveal the truth. However, Ashley recovered and Nikki was intent on keeping things about Abby a secret. However, the truth eventually came out.
Since then, Nikki was kidnapped resulting in post traumatic stress disorder and was been shot by a carjacker. However, after the death of their granddaughter, Cassie (Camryn Grimes), in 2005, Victor and Nikki became determined to stay strong for their family and this made their relationship stronger than ever. During this time, Nikki transitioned from wealthy socialite to being a prominent part of Genoa City's business community, despite the fact she bought her way in with Victor's considerable fortune. With Jabot in dire straits, Nikki gave them $35 million dollars to help get the company out of debt. She was given a seat on the board of directors and some share in the company. This immediately caused trouble with Victoria, Victor, and Jill Foster Abbott. She later sold her share and gave up her seat on the board for money to start her own company, NVP Retreats.
In 2007, Nikki ran against her ex-husband Jack in the race for Wisconsin state senate, but after a few mistakes and being caught on tape kissing her campaign manager, David Chow, she lost the election to Jack. However, Victor was also very angry with Nikki. Soon after the election, Nikki, fed up with Victor's constant disapproval of her decisions, announced that she was leaving him. This led to a long and contentious divorce fueled in part by the involvement of David Chow (Vincent Irizarry) in Nikki's life. In 2008, Nikki and Victor's latest divorce was complete and Nikki lost ownership of NVP Retreats. The divorce was acrimonious and Nikki walked away with a $100 million dollar divorce settlement from Victor.
Soon after, she was also made CEO of Jabot Cosmetics when Katherine Chancellor stepped down as CEO of Chancellor Industries and made her daughter Jill Foster Abbott CEO. However, this once again caused some tension between Nikki and Jill. Nikki ended up stepping down as CEO of Jabot following hearing that David had killed Ji Min Kim, Jill's current lover. Regardless, Nikki married David Chow in June 2008 in a small ceremony in Mexico. After they were married, David told Nikki that he had an addiction to gambling and that he owed Walter over $250,000. Only a month later, David asked Nikki for a divorce because he gambled away all of his money and he did not want to gamble away all of hers, but then he asked for a second chance. Nikki bought them a multi-million dollar estate. N
Meanwhile, Paul Williams investigated David and found that David was not even his real name. Nikki was going to ask David for a divorce again when she found out that David was going to drug her. The marriage was dissolved with the death of David in a car crash. Also killed in the crash was Victor's wife Sabrina Newman. Hurt by the actions of her husband, Nikki offered Victor her support in getting through his tragedy, but he refused and left to Mexico to mourn Sabrina. Nikki ended up following him to Mexico. There, she insinuated that Victor killed the man responsible for the death of Sabrina. Victor denied these allegations and stated that he would never have romantic feelings for Nikki again and that he wished she died, instead of Sabrina. Frustrated with Victor, Nikki returned to Genoa City, only to find Victor back as well where they continued to argue.
Later, Nicholas Newman found Victor lying on the floor of Sabrina's art gallery. Rushing to the hospital to see Victor, Nikki got the same rejects he had been throwing at her. Nikki, Nick, and Victoria agreed to have Victor committed. When the doctor came to get Victor, he was nowhere to be found. He had left the hospital and town again. Nikki, still determined to find Victor, enlisted the help of Ashley Abbott. Nikki was determined to win Victor back to Genoa City. However, she ended up getting into a relationship with her early love, private investigator and long time friend Paul Williams (character), while Victor and Ashley reconnected. By May 2009, Nikki accepted Paul's marriage proposal, but the night before their wedding, she told Paul she could not marry him. She even said that she may not even return to Genoa City again. Before she left, she visited Victor and explained that he was the only man she ever truly loved. While leaving the ranch to go meet her taxi, Nikki was hit by a car driven by the mentally unstable and delirious Ashley Newman, who had mistaken her for her husband's ex-wife, the deceased, Sabrina Newman.
Nikki returned to Genoa City using her maiden name, weeks prior she had been spotted at a spa in Colorado. After Victor was shot by Patty Williams, Nikki left with him after a heart transplant to undergo rehabilitation in a center in Europe. When they returned, very much in love again, they engaged. Meggie McClaine had moved in for protection. Meggie sabotaged Nikki, getting her drunk so that she could marry Victor instead of Nikki. Victor married Meggie, however it was all a scam to have Meggie caught, which she was and sent to jail. Also around this time, Victor and Nikki's childen had started a law suit against their father for ongoing years of drama and turmoil. Nikki had previously had an affair with Deacon Sharpe during her alcohol stint provoked by Meggie, and she further fell in love with him and they began a relationship (she was unaware about his part in her drinking). Nikki and Victor made love while he was still engaged to Diane Jenkins. Nikki found out the truth about Deacon, and left him. Nikki left for rehab months later yet again for drinking problems (this time developed on her own) with the aid of Victor. Diane was killed a while after. Nikki stayed in England for a while, Later returning to Genoa City. Nikki told Victor that she murdered Diane (however still wasn't sure). Soon after, Victor turned himself in for the murder of Diane, and Nikki believed that he was protecting her (which he was). Nikki married Deacon again while drunk, later it is revealed she is conning him (to find out who killed Diane, as her guardian angel told her that he knew the real killer). A guardian angel sent to Nikki revealed that she in fact did not kill Diane, nor did Victor.