The Young and the Restless has been a home for Eileen Davidson on and off for over 30 years. She has held the role of Ashley Abbott and been involved in many of the major storylines for the CBS drama.
Speculation had been swirling for quite some time about Eileen Davidson and her career in soaps and television in general. At one point, she was on The Young and the Restless, Days of our Lives, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Back in June, Eileen Davidson revealed that she would be exiting The Young and the Restless in September. Ashley Abbott will likely be following suit and leaving Genoa City.
Yes I am leaving my second home @YandR_CBS in September. I’ve been so blessed to be able to play Ashley Abbott and work with the amazing people on the show and have nothing but gratitude and love for all!!! Time for a little more control over my day to day! ❤️❤️?
— Eileen Davidson (@eileen_davidson) June 27, 2018
It is unclear how the writers on The Young and the Restless plan to handle Eileen Davidson’s decision to walk away from the show. There are varying options, but having Ashley Abbott leave town is the safest.
Given her importance to the show, killing her off is a bit much. What if Eileen Davidson wants to return to The Young and the Restless at some point? Leaving the door open is something that many soaps do for their characters, especially if a return is a possibility in the future.
A recast is certainly possible as it has happened before during Eileen Davidson’s break from The Young and the Restless nearly two decades ago. While neither actress who played the role of Ashley Abbott were completely fan-approved, the job got done.
The next few weeks will give insight into what will happen to Ashley Abbott as Eileen Davidson walks away from The Young and the Restless. Given that the writers had several months notice of her intention to depart, they may have some tricks up their sleeves.
The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS and weeknights on PopTV.