Nikki Newman

This article is about the fictional character from The Young and the Restless. For the American actress, see Nikki Reed.

Nikki Newman
Melody Thomas Scott as Nikki (2012)
The Young and the Restless character
Portrayed by	Erica Hope (1978–79) Melody Thomas Scott (1979–)
Introduced by	William J. Bell
Duration	1978–
First appearance	1978
Classification	Present, regular
Profile
Date of birth	(1960-06-01) June 1, 1960
Home	The Newman Ranch 421 Larkspur Trail, Hwy B Genoa City, Wisconsin
Occupation	Socialite
Family Husband Greg Foster (1979–81) Kevin Bancroft (1982–83) Tony DiSalvo (1983) Victor Newman (1984–88, 2002–08, 2013–) Jack Abbott (1990–94, 2012) Joshua Landers (1996–98) David Chow (2008) Deacon Sharpe (2011–12) Father Nicholas Reed Sisters Casey Reed Sons Nicholas Newman Daughters Victoria Newman Grandsons Noah Newman Reed Hellstrom Granddaughters Cassie Newman (adoptive) Summer Newman (legal) Faith Newman

Nicole "Nikki" Newman (née Reed; formerly Foster, Bancroft, DiSalvo, Landers, Chow, Sharpe and Abbott) is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Erica Hope originated the role in 1978. Melody Thomas Scott has portrayed the role of Nikki since 1979. With a history of 35 years, the character is one of the longest-running in the show's history. She is considered an icon.

Casting

The character was first portrayed by Erica Hope for less than a year. After her departure in January 1979, the role was recast with Scott, who took over the following month. In 2001, Scott and the producers began to negotiate a new contract, during which rumors spread that the actress was unhappy with Nikki "being put on backburner status" for so long. Soap Opera Digest later speculated that Scott was up for the role of Heather Webber on ABC's General Hospital. Three months later, further speculation arose that Scott had left the soap opera after she was seen moving out her personal belongings from her dressing room, however she managed to sign a new contract soon after to continue her portrayal of Nikki. In May 2009, Nelson Branco of TV Guide Canada reported that Scott had been asked to accept a salary cut, or be taken off her contract and dropped to a recurring status. The actress reportedly refused either options. Scott later began contract negotiations again, which resulted in Nikki being written out of the soap opera after an agreement could not be met. Scott later signed another contract to continue her portrayal, but in 2011, the actress' future was left in uncertainty, due to the soap opera's financial issues. Scott expressed disappointment, stating: "It was not handled very well. I've been in this business since I was three and I know how this works. If a show is having problems with money or budget they call the actor very respectfully and say, "We have a little financial crunch here. Let's try to work something out, okay?" That's what should have happened. The problem was that such a phone call was never made to me and I was left in the lurch." However, Scott managed to renew her contract to continue portraying the role and returned after an onscreen absence.

Development

Characterization

Nikki is described as "originally a young girl who came from a poor and dysfunctional family, Nikki has emerged as loving wife and mother, savvy businesswoman and one of Genoa City's premiere social doyennes" by the show's official site. Of playing Nikki's everlasting tragedy, Scott said "Ever since I have been an actress, which is 56 years now, I have always preferred high drama, angst, and catastrophes. I find it more interesting to play. I guess it’s no accident that I found my way into soap operas." Speaking about Nikki's "desperation housewife" problems with TV Guide's Michael Logan, Scott stated: "Nikki should never have a job! She would never want a job. She's not capable of doing anything, and she wouldn't want to be trained to do anything. It's so much better when she stays home. I'm looking forward to playing her as a crazy old lady." Scott told On-Air On-Soaps that she likes playing Nikki's drinking issues.

Romances

"Nikki and Victor have played this cycle over and over again and it’s very successful because people care about them. I would imagine just because I’ve watched the show for 33 years as well as played it – they’ve got to get back together! There’s nothing else they could do! They have to get back together, as for how, I don’t know."

—Scott on Victor and Nikki's "formula"

Nikki's relationship with Victor (Eric Braeden) is considered an "epic" supercouple of the early super couple era and one of Daytime television's most prominent supercouples. The writers of The Young and the Restless detailed characters Victor Newman and Nikki Reed to marry and divorce or depart from each other in some form or fashion in a continuous cycle. This has taken place for as long as the couple has been together, a take on the original supercouple formula. Soap Opera Digest relayed the beginning of the pairing's creation and their impact. The "inspired decision" led to Victor and Nikki becoming the series' most well-received supercouple. Scott has said, "Let’s face facts: Victor and Nikki will always be a huge dynamic, they’ve been in a circular cycle for over 30 years! Finding a new leading man that you have chemistry with is like finding gold." In an interview with Dose magazine, Scott said "That’s the writers’ job to come up with something believable. I mean, that is always their challenge. The writers have a rough job coming up with something that I hope will be good."

Nikki often "ditches" other men if Victor is in trouble; Scott called her leaving Brad Carlton (Don Diamont) at the altar following Victor being shot "another dramatic ditching". In 2012, she left Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) the day after their wedding to find a missing Victor; Scott said "It was written as it was, so I don’t speculate. She has done it before ... perhaps she will do it again." She said that she doesn't desire for Nikki and Victor to be happy together for long because it is "boring" and there must be some kind of conflict. Teasing the Nikki and Victor's storyline, Scott said "Trouble follows trouble and when it rains it pours". From 2010 onwards, Nikki was in a relationship with Deacon Sharpe (Sean Kanan). However, it was later revealed that he was working with Meggie McClaine (Sean Young) to ruin her sobriety and send her back to rehab. However, Deacon began to fall for Nikki. Scott said that "Deacon has more balls than Nikki expected and he keeps coming back, determined to convince her he truly loves her. At one point, he slips the AA serenity prayer under her door, which she is disgusted to see. She just ignores it and drinks all night. She really does have feelings for him. But this betrayal is something she won't get over soon."

Rivalries and friendships

She is known for her rivalries, with Jill Abbott Fenmore, Sharon Newman and the late Diane Jenkins (Maura West). She fought with Diane over Victor for years as their bitter rivalry climaxed; she eventually murdered Diane in 2011 in self-defense. Scott didn't think Nikki should have been the killer in a "Whodunnit?" storyline. Scott said "Nikki has always hated Diane and because Maura is so good in the role, Nikki hates her even more now". Sharon is Nikki's former daughter-in-law, having been married to her son Nick (Joshua Morrow) for eleven years. Nikki later became outraged when Sharon had a brief romance with Victor. Luke Kerr of Zap2It said "It’s always reassuring to know Nikki will usually jump to “blame Sharon” for just about everything. Based on their past, it’s not surprising, but it’s a comfort food type Y&R trope." Nikki and Sharon even ended up in a physical fight in the Newman stables over Victor; Jillian Bowe of Zap2It called it the "Newman Divas" face off, and said "Victor's ladies go for blood. It boggles the mind these two sophisticated women are fighting over Victor's giblets and gravy." Amid her rivalries with most women in Genoa, she is close with the show's matriarch Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper), Scott said that "Katherine and Nikki have a very special relationship, and they have a very special heartbeat." However, off-screen, there was a period of time in which Scott experienced a "rocky" relationship with Cooper. Cooper explained: "It was just some silly thing, I guess [...] You think it’s strange. You should have been me! I mean, here is someone who is like a daughter to me. I really was very protective of her".

Multiple sclerosis

In February 2013, it was revealed that Nikki would be diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis. Jillian Bowe of Zap2it said viewers got "a bit of shock when they saw the socialite’s hands shake after she tickled the ivories in her new deluxe apartment." Scott discussed the storyline with TV Guide. She said she wants the story to "educate people" that it's "controllable with the proper treatment". Scott met a worker on the set of the show who was diagnosed with MS, and said it was "very encouraging" to know about her for the storyline. She further said, "I did have a sit-down meeting, a little three-way with [head writer] Josh Griffith and [executive producer] Jill Farren Phelps. They wanted to know how I felt about the idea, and I told them I thought it was great. Josh didn't know I used to play piano on Y&R way back when, so he decided to revive that and use it to show the beginnings of Nikki's symptoms — the shaky hands, the cramping, the feeling you've got arthritis."

Storylines

Nikki was introduced with her sister Casey in 1978. She killed her abusive father Nick Reed in self-defense after he tried to drunkenly rape her. During her murder trial, Jill Foster (Brenda Dickson) hired a Nick look-alike Joseph Thomas to scare Nikki and Casey. Following the trial, she dated Paul Williams (Doug Davidson), but it ended after he gave her a venereal disease. Now healthy, she romanced Greg Foster (James Houghton); but it threatened her friendship with Paul. Despite Paul's interference, she ultimately married Greg. Rose Deville (Darlene Conley) signed Nikki to a "modelling agency" which was later revealed to be a prostitution ring. Nikki resisted a customer, who later had a heart-attack. A man named Tony was charged for the murder, with Greg representing him. Nikki was threatened not to testify in the case or Greg would be killed. She decided to leave town and a hit a man who tried to shoot Greg, instead shooting his mother Liz Foster Brooks. Liz recovered, Nikki returned, and Rose Deville was arrested only to return a few years later operating a black-market baby ring. Nikki and Greg divorced, and she later became a stripper while romancing Kevin Bancroft (Christopher Holder). Kevin's mother Allison Bancroft (Lynn Wood) hated Nikki, and bought a pornographic film titled Hot Hips, purportedly starring Nikki, hoping Kevin would leave her. A criminal named Tony Di Salvo distributed the film. Nikki married him in hopes of getting her hands on the film rights, and later found out she wasn't even in the film. Paul investigated Tony and killed him.

While still a stripper, she had a fling with rich business tycoon Victor Newman (Eric Braeden), and became pregnant with his child. She gave birth to Victoria Newman, and they were married by 1984, despite interference from his ex Eve Howard. Eve had previously tried to kill Nikki before the wedding ceremony, later running off with Rick Daros. Victor and Nikki's marriage was strong until he had an affair with Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson), the sister of rival businessman Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman). He left Nikki for Ashley who ended up pregnant, but had an abortion. Nikki schemed to break up Victor and Ashley by using Matt Miller (Victor's brother) to seduce Ashley, but failed, and her marriage to Victor ended by 1988. Prior to the divorce, she gave birth to their second child Nicholas Newman (Joshua Morrow). Victor and Jack's rivalry intensified when Jack had a tell-all biography about Victor published. Out of spite, Jack and Nikki married in 1990 as Victor was married to Ashley. Her marriage to Jack was unsuccessful; his business with Jabot Cosmetics got in the way of their "friendly" marriage. Following her third child John Abbott III being stillborn, she sunk into a state of depression, developing addictions for painkillers and being an alcoholic. She divorced Jack, but they remained friends. Nikki was devastated when Victor "died", although it turned out he was alive. She became engaged to Brad Carlton (Don Diamont); however on the night of the wedding, Victor was shot. She left Brad at the altar and rushed to Victor's side. Victor chose to be with Hope Adams (Signy Coleman), his wife from Kansas, where he stayed while Genoa City believed him to be dead.

While Victor returned to Kansas, Nikki married her doctor Dr. Joshua Landers (Heath Kizzier). Victor tried to stop the wedding but then became involved with Jack's former lover Diane Jenkins (Alex Donelley). Jealous of Diane, Nikki convinced Victor to have a vasectomy before she secretly stored his sperm in a bank. Joshua was shot and killed by his jealous ex-wife, Veronica (Candice Daly), who had disguised herself and had been posing as Nikki's 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, Victor decided to be with her instead of Diane. Yet, Victor was still legally married to Diane and their divorce continued into 2000. Diane remained in love with Victor and stole his sperm to impregnate herself with his child. However, Ashley and Nikki too stole the sperm and a mix-up was created. Ashley became pregnant with Victor's child and Diane with Jack's. Ashley gave birth to Abby Carlton (Brad was thought to be the father) and Nikki was engaged to Victor by 2002.

Hindering their engagement was the return of Victor's old fianceè Lorie Brooks as her soon to be ex-husband Max Hollister was threatening to take over Julia Newman Martin's design firm. 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. In fact, Lorie and Max schemed to spilt them up, but Lorie couldn't follow through and Victor and Nikki remarried in September.

Shortly into Victor and Nikki's remarriage, Nikki was kidnapped resulting in post traumatic stress disorder and was shot by a carjacker. Nikki ended up having more memories about her childhood and ended up having an affair with Bobby Marsino, who was the brother of one of Nikki's childhood friends whom she accidentally killed. In 2005, their granddaughter Cassie (Camryn Grimes) was killed in a car accident. Then, Nikki developed more of interest in business. Several years earlier, with Jabot in dire straits, Nikki gave them $35 million dollars to help get the company out of debt. Nikki then became a stockholder at the company and had a seat on the board; much to everyone's dismay. Nikki later sold her stock to start her own company, NVP retreats (Nikki, Victor, Phyllis). In 2007, she ran against 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. Victor and Nikki eventually divorced, fueled by her involvement with David Chow (Vincent Irizarry). She walked away with a $100 million dollar divorce settlement. After Katherine Chancellor stepped down as CEO of Jabot, Nikki took over; this caused tension between Nikki and Katherine's "daughter" Jill. Nikki stepped 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 Mexico. It was learned he was addicted to gambling. Paul Williams investigated David and found that "David" was not even his real name. Upon learning David was going to drug her, Nikki was going to ask for a divorce. However, David died in a car accident, which also killed Victor's wife Sabrina Newman. Victor and Nikki's relationship as friends broke down around this time, too, after she tried to console him. After Victor disappeared again, Nikki became determined to find him, however she ended up getting involved with her early love, private investigator and long time friend Paul, while Victor and Ashley reconnected. By May 2009, Nikki accepted Paul's marriage proposal, but the night before their wedding, she broke things off and left town. She once again returned, and after Victor was shot by Patty Williams, Nikki left with him after a heart transplant to undergo rehabilitation in a center in Europe.

When Victor and Nikki returned in 2010, they were engaged. Meggie McClaine, a friend of Victor, had moved in for her own protection. Meggie sabotaged Nikki, getting her drunk so that she could marry Victor instead of Nikki. Meggie recruited Deacon Sharpe to help get Nikki off the wagon. Nikki went to rehab. When she learned of Victor and Meggie's marriage (which was just a scam to have Meggie caught) she had an affair with Deacon, ending her relationship with Victor. Nikki continued her romance with Deacon, without knowing the truth. Nikki and Victor slept together after he lost a lawsuit against his children; however, he was involved with Diane Jenkins at the time. Upon learning the truth about Deacon's role in her drinking, Nikki left him but it was too late for her to return to Victor, who had married Diane. Alone, she began drinking once again. After several attempts at trying to get back together, Victor and Nikki parted ways, and she returned to rehab. Diane was killed months after, and Victor was jailed for her murder.

After being missing from rehab for several months, Nikki returned home. She confesses to Nick that she escaped rehab, and had returned to Genoa City, as her family needed her in the aftermath of the Diane Jenkin's murder investigation. Deacon threatened to confess that he saw Victor, Victoria and Nicholas in the park the night of Diane's murder unless Nikki would marry him; she agreed. Nikki began having memory lapses of her night in the park with Diane; realizing that she had killed her, not Victor. She confessed to this at Victor's trial. Detective Ronan Malloy arrested Nikki for the murder; however footage from the night shot by Deacon revealed that while Nikki did kill Diane at the park, it was in self-defense. Additional footage showed that Deacon finished her off, serving the last fatal blow to Diane's head. Deacon was jailed and his marriage to Nikki ended. Nikki's brief relationship with Victor failed; she began to reconnect with Jack who was suffering from a gunshot wound from Patty Williams that left him paralyzed. Their relationship heated up, much to the dismay of Kyle, yet he came to accept the relationship, and Nikki and Jack remarried. Yet, the day of her marriage, Victor remarried Sharon Newman, but then went suddenly missing. Nikki ended up leaving Genoa City to try to find Victor, but to no avail. When she returned, Jack decided they should divorce. Victor later returned, having lived in Los Angeles with amnesia. He reunited with Nikki and set out to destroy Sharon and Tucker McCall who took control of Newman during his absence. After Victor lost control of Newman to Jack through a hostile takeover, Victor suffered a heart attack, and later Sharon burned down the Newman Ranch during a mental breakdown. Once Victor escaped the hospital to visit the ruins, he and Nikki finally get engaged.

Nikki surprised Victor with the redecorated penthouse and played the baby grand for him. They threw a cocktail party to celebrate their new home. Victor invited Adam as bait for Nick and Victoria to fight for Newman, while Victor needled him about Jack's incompetence. Victoria went alone, as Billy was not invited. Abby sent Carmine and paid for him to be Victor's bartender. Sharon arrived uninvited to confess and apologize. They gave her such a hard time that she freaked out, and Victor yelled at her to leave. Adam followed her, leaving Chelsea behind. After Carmine made nasty comments about Sharon, Noah slugged him, and Nick and Victor ushered him out.

Victor and Nikki chose Valentine's Day 2013 for their wedding. For Christmas, Victor reconstructed their photo album which had been lost in the fire with copies from friends as his gift to Nikki. Nikki got the charred remains of Victor's mother's bible rebound and repaired for him. Victor also surprised Nikki with the blueprints for their new house at the ranch.

As Nikki planned their wedding, Victor plotted to gain control of Newman again, promising Nikki an around the world honeymoon ending on his yacht in the Mediterranean. Nikki was furious with Victor that he still intended to take advantage of Jack and expose his addiction to pain medication, and she warned Victor that his all-consuming need for control was going to kill him one day. After Victor left, Nikki made a mysterious phone call saying that she had been unable to break the news to Victor yet, and after she received a troubling letter, she postponed their wedding. Victoria became concerned for Nikki, and Nikki admitted only that her blood test had come back with a bad reading. Later Nikki's car slipped off the road during a major winter snowstorm near Abbott Manor. Stuck there awaiting a tow, she confessed to Jack that she had multiple sclerosis. Jack urged her to stop keeping it from Victor. But when Nikki refused to tell Victor, Jack told him. When Nikki arrived home, Victor kissed her trembling hands and hugged her while teary-eyed, not saying a word. Nikki didn't want to admit it was true, and have their renewed happy lives turn into one of doctors and medications. Victor told her she was his world, and together they could handle anything. Afterward Nikki attacked Jack, asking how dare he tell Victor. Jack replied that she needed Victor. Together, Victor and Nikki told Victoria and Nick about her diagnosis, making them promise not to treat Nikki and differently. Later Victor was notified that the new ranch house would be finished in two weeks and insisted that Nikki marry him there soon afterward.

The ranch house finished, Nikki and Victor moved in, and invited the family over. Nikki played the piano. Nikki's doctor, Kurt Costner, stopped by the next day telling her and Victor that she had minimal nerve damage in the early stages of MS, and hoped she would go into remission on her own, to avoid stress, and stay in tune with her body. The wedding date was set and arrangements made, but Nikki passed out at the rehearsal dinner the night before, and ended up in the hospital. Trying to reassure her, Victor arranged daily unofficial weddings by Abby, Katherine, etc., until Nikki could be released and they could have the real thing.

Victor and Nikki were married, they claimed for the final time, at their new house on Newman ranch. Victoria was matron of honor, Nick best man, Faith flower girl, and Reed ring bearer. In attendance were Michael and Lauren, Abby with Alex Chavez, Billy, Neil, Summer, Noah, and Eric Forrester (who designed Nikki's gown). Nick's date, Avery, caught the bouquet. Katherine was not in attendance because she had forgotten about the wedding, and Ashley did not show up until the reception. Later, Adam crashed the reception, toasted the bride and groom and Victor's rise to greatness, then alluded to something Victor did New Year's Eve, before Billy ushered him out.

Meanwhile, a man named Bob who was hired by Wheeler to pose as a waiter, set a timer on an explosive device, and attempted to leave. Nick recognized and stopped him, he pulled a gun, and Billy jumped him. Victor walked into the room, Bob pointed the gun at Victor, Adam jumped between them and took the bullet for his father. Alex and Nick subdued Bob, and an ambulance was called. Everyone was ushered out of the house when gas was smelled, but Victor refused to leave Adam, and Nikki refused to leave Victor. Meanwhile Billy went to investigate. Billy shut off the gas, then discovered the explosive with its timer nearly run out. Holding his breath, Billy guessed and cut the red wire, and became the second hero of the day.

At Genoa City Memorial, Dr. Costner removed the bullet from Adam, finding bone fragments from a shattered rib which had damaged Adam's lungs. In the waiting room, Chelsea lit into Victor, reminding him that he and Adam had both grown up without their fathers, and how Adam was routinely shunned. Following surgery, only one person was allowed in to see Adam, and Chelsea magnanimously allowed it to be Sharon. Adam told Sharon to take charge of Newman for him, then went into a coma. After Adam awoke, he and Victor made up and agreed to run Newman together. Nikki agreed to give Adam another chance, and he was invited to a family birthday dinner which was held for Nikki at On the Boulevard. Adam fittingly gifted her with a bird of peace figurine. Katherine arrived, and when questioned why she had not attended their wedding, she admitted that she had forgotten. Katherine went on to tell Nikki that the problem was not Alzheimer's as she had feared, but not to worry, that it was being taken care of. A week or so later, running into Jill at the hospital, Nikki found out that Katherine was about to go in for the removal of a brain tumor. Nikki told Katherine that she understood her not telling anyone, but had learned from her own M.S. that they had to let the people who love us get us through it.

Reception

The show reportedly dropped in ratings in September 2011 after Scott had exited. Scott has created a Twitter account to "tell the truth" in "her own words". She said "I've recently joined Twitter because I can tell the truth in my own words. So nobody can mess with that. So all I can do is tell the truth and keep fans abreast of what is really going on." The character and actress are considered an icon of the show and daytime television. Former head-writer Maria Arena Bell called Nikki one of the "hearts and souls" on the show, and said "Melody is a phenomenal actress. Nikki is one of the great core characters of The Young and the Restless."

See also

• Victor Newman and Nikki Reed
• Supercouple