Ashley Abbott

Ashley Abbott
File:EileenBB.jpg
First appearance	1982 (on Y&R) 9 March, 2007 (on B&B)
Last appearance	11 January, 2007 (on Y&R)
Portrayed by	Eileen Davidson (1982-1989, 1999-2007, 2007-) Shari Shattuck (1996-1999) Brenda Epperson Doumani (1989-1995)
In-universe information
Gender	Female
Occupation	Works for Forrester Originals Works for House of Kim Cosmetics in Hong Kong Former Head of R&D at Jabot Cosmetics Former CEO of Jabot Cosmetics Former President of Jabot Cosmetics
Family	John Abbott (legal-father, deceased) Dina Abbott Mergeron (mother) Brent Davis (biological father, deceased) Jack Abbott (maternal half-brother) Traci Abbott Connelly (maternal half-sister) Billy Abbott (Adopted half- brother)
Spouse	Stephen Lassiter (deceased) Victor Newman (divorced) Blade Bladeson (deceased) Cole Howard (divorced) Brad Carlton (divorced)
Children	Abby Carlton (daughter, with Victor, adopted by Brad)

Ashley Suzanne Abbott Lassiter Newman Bladeson Howard Carlton is a fictional character from the American soap opera The Young and the Restless. Actress Eileen Davidson originated the role in 1982, departed in 1989 and returned from 1999 to 2007. During the ten years that Davidson was away, the part of Ashley was played by Brenda Epperson Doumani (1989-1996), then Shari Shattuck (1996-1999). The character began appearing on The Bold and the Beautiful on March 9, 2007, once again played by Davidson.

Brief character description

The strong-willed eldest daughter of Jabot Cosmetics tycoon John Abbott (played by Jerry Douglas), and sister to Jack (Peter Bergman), Traci (Beth Maitland) and Billy (Scott Seymour), Ashley is a prominent Jabot Executive Board Member and chemist. She is also fiercely protective of her family (she even hired a private investigator to stalk her stepmother Gloria, played by Judith Chapman), especially where her daughter Abby (Darcy Rose Byrnes) is concerned.

Relationships

Brian Forbes

When Ashley began working at Jabot in early the early 1980s, she started dating her co-worker Brian Forbes (Jay Kerr). Ashley was, at the time, going by the name Susan Ashley, so as not to attract attention to the fact that she was John's daughter. When her brother Jack (played at the time by Terry Lester) told Brian who Ashley really was, he accused her of spying on him, but the misunderstanding was cleared up and they resumed their relationship. Despite Jack trying to split up the pair and replace Brian with Eric Garisson (Brian Matthews), they continued to date for a while, before ultimately Ashley broke the relationship off in favor of Eric.

Eric Garrison and Marc Mergeron

Unbeknownst to Ashley, Eric was having an affair with her mother, Dina (Marla Adams). Eric soon broke it off with Dina and proposed to Ashley. Dina offered to help with the wedding plans, but when Ashley discovered the truth about Dina and Eric, she broke off the engagement and began to date her step-brother Marc Mergeron (Frank M. Benard). She soon left him because he was too dominating.

Victor Newman - Part one

After he rescued her from a kidnapper, Ashley began an affair with powerful tycoon Victor Newman (Eric Braeden), who was married to Nikki Reed (Melody Thomas Scott). A jealous Nikki attempted to pair Ashley up with Victor's brother Matt (Robert Parucha), but to little avail. Ashley discovered she was pregnant with Victor's child, so Matt offered to marry her. Ashley declined the proposal and had an abortion. Victor berated Ashley for aborting his child and Ashley suffered a nervous breakdown, ending up in a mental institution in New York.

Stephen Lassiter

While Ashley was in the mental institution, her doctor, Steven Lassiter (Rod Arrants), fell in love with her. When Ashley returned to Genoa City, Steven moved there as well in order to pursue a romance with her. The two married, but Steven soon died, leaving Ashley a widow.

Brad Carlton - Part one

In 1990, Ashley began a romance with Traci's ex-husband, Brad (Don Diamont). However, Traci returned to town determined to reunite with Brad, forcing Ashley to choose between her lover and her sister. The pressure became too much for Ashley to handle, and she left town to stay at a remote cabin for a while.

Victor Newman - Part two

Victor visited Ashley's cabin and the two reconnected and impulsively got married. The news of the Newman-Abbott marriage sent shockwaves through Genoa City - Jack (now played by Bergman) was aghast to learn that his long-time nemesis was now his brother-in-law, and Nikki was devastated that Victor had remarried. Victor and Nikki's teenaged daughter Victoria (played at the time by Heather Tom) returned from boarding school and was resentful of her new stepmother. Due to Victoria's interference, Victor and Ashley went their separate ways.

Blade Bladeson

Ashley married Alexander "Blade" Bladeson (Michael Tylo) in 1994. However, Blade's presumed-dead brother Rick (also Michael Tylo) kidnapped Blade and kept him in a cage, assuming Blade's identity and taking his place as Ashley's husband. Blade escaped and confronted his brother, saying that he would not press charges provided that Rick left town. However, Rick returned, and while on his way to save Ashley from Rick, Blade was killed in a car crash. Ashley's stepmother Jill (Jess Walton) discovered that Rick had posed as Blade for months, and broke the news to a devastated Ashley, who then relocated to Paris, returning months later.

Cole Howard

After a brief fling with Kurt Costner (Leigh McCloskey), Ashley found herself competing with Victoria for the affections of Victoria's husband, Charles "Cole" Howard (J. Eddie Peck). Ashley ultimately won, and she and Cole married in 1998. Victoria went to great lengths to sabotage the union, despite the fact that she no longer wanted Cole, and in 1999, Cole left Ashley and Genoa City.

Brad Carlton - Part two

Upon learning that Victor had stored sperm prior to his vasectomy, Ashley stole the sperm from the sperm bank and had herself impregnated, determined to replace the child she had aborted years ago. She again became involved with Brad, who was prepared to raise the child as if it were his own, not knowing that it was Victor who had fathered the child. Ashley and Brad married shortly after Abby's birth. Ashley again became pregnant, with Brad's child, whom she had named Robert, but miscarried in a car crash on her way to see Victor. Brad continues to blame Victor for the death of his only biological child with Ashley, even today. In 2004, Brad and Victor both discovered that Abby had been fathered by Victor. Brad and Victor began to fight for custody of Abby, until Victor stepped down due to Abby's rejection of him. Brad and Ashley soon divorced.

Rick Forrester - Part one

While in Paris, Ashley had an off-screen affair with the much-younger Rick (Kyle Lowder), the son of Eric Forrester (John McCook) and Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang). The relationship didn't amount to anything and Ashley returned to Genoa City.

Tom Fisher and Paul Williams

Ashley started dating Tom Fisher (Roscoe Born), but dumped him when she discovered that he was Gloria's abusive ex-husband. When her father John killed Tom in self-defense, Ashley took the fall (John had suffered from amnesia and did not remember shooting Tom) but the truth soon came out. She began dating private investigator Paul Williams (Doug Davidson) after she was again rejected by Victor. Paul helped Ashley through the ordeal of John going to jail for Tom's murder, but their romance soon fizzled and they went their separate ways.

Rick Forrester - Part two

In March 2007, Ashley moved to Los Angeles to create a new fragrance for Forrester Originals. She rekindled her friendship with Rick, who is now dating Phoebe (MacKenzie Mauzy), but it is unclear if Rick is still interested in Ashley romantically.

Ridge Forrester

Ashley has begun a flirtation with Ridge Forrester (Ronn Moss), Phoebe's father, who ended his relationship with Brooke (in April 2007). While the attraction between Ridge and Brooke will never end, Ridge and Ashley have started dating. However, Ridge found about his step-brother, Rick Forrester and Ashley's affair, and broke up with her. Rick and Phoebe's relationship also ended because of this. Nevertheless, Ridge has forgiven Ashley, and they are back together.

Paternity

In the late 1980s, it was revealed that Ashley is not John Abbott's biological daughter, but the product of an affair between Dina and Brent Davis (Bert Kramer). Ashley forgave both Dina and Brent just prior to Brent's death in 1985. To this day, only Ashley, Dina, Jack, Cole and Victor know the truth about Ashley's paternity.

Name change

Ashley is one of the few soap characters who have changed their maiden name when married. While married to Brad Carlton, she briefly went under the name Ashley Abbott Carlton.

Family

Parents

• John Abbott (legal father, deceased in 2006) Ashley always thought of him as her father
• Dina Mergeson (mother)
• Brent Davis (biological father, deceased)
• Gloria Abbott (legal step-mother)

Marital status

• Ridge Forrester (dating May 2007 - )

Marriages

• Steven Lassiter (widowed; 1988-1989)
• Victor Newman (divorced; 1990-1991)
• Blade Bladeson (widowed; 1994-1995)
• Cole Howard (divorced; 1998-1999)
• Brad Carlton (divorced; 2000-2006)

Siblings

• Jack Abbott (maternal half-brother)
• Traci Abbott Connolly (maternal half-sister)
• Billy Abbott (legal paternal half-brother)

Children

• Abigail "Abby" Carlton (daughter, with Victor Newman Sr., via artifical insemination, adopted by Bradley "Brad" Carlton)
• Robert Carlton (son, with Bradley "Brad" Carlton, deceased)

Other family members

• Robert Abbott (legal paternal grandfather)
• Keemo Abbott (nephew, via Jack and Luin)
• Colleen Carlton (niece, former step-daughter)
• John Abbott III (deceased nephew, via Jack and Nikki Newman)
• Kyle Abbott Jenkins (nephew, via Jack and Diane Jenkins)