Sharon Newman

Sharon Newman
The Young and the Restless character
File:SharonCase.jpg Sharon Case as Sharon Newman (2007)
Portrayed by	Monica Potter (1994) Heidi Mark (1994) Sharon Case (1994–present)
Duration	1994-present
First appearance	March 28, 1994
Created by	William J. Bell
In-universe information Other names Faith Newman Sheri Coleman Parents Doris Collins Spouse Nicholas Newman (divorced; 1996-2006) Jack Abbott (divorced; 2007-2009) Adam Newman (annulled; 2009-2010] Children Cassidy "Cassie" Newman (daughter with Frank; adopted by Nick; deceased) Noah Newman (son with Nick) Unnamed Daughter (with Nick; miscarriage) Faith Newman (daughter with Nick)

Sharon Newman (née Collins; formerly Abbott) is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. The character made her debut on March 28, 1994. Sharon was played briefly by Monica Potter and followed by Heidi Mark, before Sharon Case began portraying the character on a regular basis in August of the same year. Case has held the role of Sharon Newman since 1994.

The character of Sharon Collins was created by William J. Bell, the creator and executive producer of The Young and the Restless. Sharon was planned as a love interest for the newly SORASed Nicholas "Nick" Newman, portrayed by Joshua Morrow. Ten-year-old Nick had been sent away to a Swiss boarding school in early 1994, returning that fall as a young teen with raging hormones. When he met Sharon, he decided to remain in Genoa City, rather than return to school abroad. Sharon was stated to be 18 years old when she arrived in Genoa City, with statements made that she was one year older than Nick, indicating that Nick had aged about seven years.

The characters of Nick and Sharon were married in 1996. Sharon's emotionally angsty storylines generally focus on her children and her romantic relationships. She has been separated and divorced from Nick, and been in several romantic relationships, as well as marriages to Jack Abbott and Adam Newman. Recently, Sharon was assumed dead following an escape from prison where she had been sentenced after being falsely accused of the murder of Skye Lochart. In July 2011, police found her alive in New Mexico and she was brought back to Genoa City and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Sharon has given birth to four children. Her firstborn child was Cassidy "Cassie" Newman, daughter of Sharon and Frank Barritt. Cassie died at age 14, as the result of a car accident. Sharon and Nick's son, Noah, was born in 1997. Sharon gave birth to a stillborn, unnamed daughter in 2001. Faith Cassidy Newman was born in 2009; and was briefly thought to be dead until March 2010, when it was revealed that Adam Newman switched her with Ashley Abbott's miscarried child. Her living children are Noah and Faith.

Character creation

Background

Sharon was born in 1975. She grew up in Madison, Wisconsin with her mother, Doris (Karen Hensel). They lived with modest means after Sharon's father abandoned them when she was a young child. While Sharon's childhood and youth took place off-screen, prior to the introduction of the character, stories of her childhood have been told in flashbacks.

During her early years of high school, Sharon was a typical teenager, filled with angst and rebellion of authority. At one point, Sharon ran off to join her best friend Grace Turner, portrayed by Josie Davis, and Frank Barritt, Sharon's boyfriend. Out of concern, Doris went out during a dangerous snowstorm to search for her daughter and was injured in a car accident, resulting in paralysis, which leaves Doris in a wheelchair.

At 16 , Sharon became pregnant with Frank's child. She gave the child up for adoption to a woman named Alice Johnson, portrayed by Tamara Clatterbuck. Alice named the little girl, Cassidy, or "Cassie".

In 1994, Sharon moved to Genoa City to get a fresh start. She began working two part-time jobs to help support her mother and pay for school. Back in Madison, Sharon had been dating, Matt Clark, who was initially portrayed by Eddie Cibrian, and later by Rick Hearst. However, she met Nick Newman, and they quickly began a relationship, much to the dismay of Matt.

Nick's mother Nikki Newman, portrayed by Melody Thomas Scott, was also not in favor of the relationship. She felt that Sharon was simply using Nick and the Newman name to improve her financial and social station. Surviving the challenges of youth and family opposition, Sharon and Nick were married in 1996.

Casting

Sharon Collins' original character outline was written by William J. Bell.

• Monica Potter was initially cast in the role on a recurring basis in February 1994, first appearing on March 28, 1994.
• Heidi Mark was offered a contract and remained in the role for about four months.
• Sharon Case began portraying the character on a recurring basis on September 7, 1994. She remained on a recurrent basis through early 1995, when she was offered a contract. While Case thought she would only be on Y&R for six months at the most, she has been in Genoa City for over 16 years, tackling such dramatic tales as the rape and death of Sharon's teenage daughter, Cassie.

Reception

In 1999, Case was honored with a Daytime Emmy for her portrayal of Sharon. She has subsequently received five additional nominations for her work on Y&R. Case was absent from the show between February 17 and May 1, 2003, when she was in contract negotiations. As of 2010, Case has appeared in over 1000 episodes of the daytime drama, and is considered one of the core characters of the series.

After being nominated in 1996 and 1997 for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress, Case picked up an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 1999, a category for which she was also nominated in 2000 and 2004.

The pairing of Nick and Sharon, has been a strong, gaining many fans since their initial introduction. They are popularly referred to by the portmanteau Shick for Sharon and Nick on Internet message boards and Soap Opera magazines.

The Nick/Sharon/Phyllis love triangle, which occurred during 2006–2010, was also well received. The love triangle was popular and successful by critics who felt that it changed Nick and Sharon's romance after the death of their daughter, Cassie; Soap Opera Digest deemed it "Best Love Triangle".

In 2009, Sharon began an affair with Billy Abbott and Nick. Departing from character, she also experienced kleptomania and began stealing items from her friends. During an interview with portrayer, Sharon Case, it was stated that the character of Sharon "is acting so bizarre!"

Sharon is one of the most popular characters on The Young and The Restless, although in recent years, critics and fans have been questioning about her judgment towards Adam and lack of maturity.

Character's storyline

Introduction of the character

In 1994, Sharon arrives in Genoa City and begins attending the local high school. Prior to moving to town, she had been dating bad boy, Matt Clark, portrayed by Eddie Cibrian, who is less than happy that she left him behind in Madison.

In the beginning of their senior year of high school, Nick is dating Sharon's best friend, Amy Wilson. The role was originated by Robin Scott, but quickly recast with Julianne Morris portraying Amy Wilson.

Although Nick is dating Amy, when he meets Sharon, it is love at first sight. However, since Sharon states that she is dating Matt Clark, Nick chooses to stay in his relationship with Amy. While the choice is chivalrous, Nick is drawn toward Sharon and makes use of every opportunity to get to know her better.

In 1995, through a series of romantic gestures, Nick ends up winning Sharon's heart from Matt. In return, Matt begins harassing and stalking Nick and Sharon. Eventually, Nick and Matt get into a physical fight, with Matt prevailing. In response, Nick's father, Victor, teaches his son to box, much to Matt's chagrin.

Overcome with anger and animosity, Matt chooses to get even with Sharon, trapping her in his car and raping her. Sharon tells no one, outside of a therapist that is helping her work through the trauma. When Amy begins dating Matt, Sharon tells her that he raped her. However, Matt convinces Amy that Sharon is lying.

When Nick and Sharon are crowned the queen and king of their high school dance, rather than Matt and Amy, Matt takes revenge. While Nick believes that Sharon is a virginal "good girl", Matt plans to disclose the truth about Sharon's past pregnancy, which results in giving her first-born child up for adoption. Nick does not believe him, and they get into a bad fight, with both experiencing serious injuries. In response, while clearing the air, Sharon admits to Nick that Matt is telling the truth. Much to Matt's dismay, rather than breaking up the couple, Nick forgives Sharon's duplicity and proposes marriage.

During Nick's courtship with Sharon, his mother and father are separated, with Nick living with his mother. Nikki strongly objects to Nick's relationship with Sharon, believing her to be a gold-digger. Nick and his mother are often fighting over Sharon, so Nick ends up moving in with his father. Unlike Nikki, Victor adores Sharon and even pays for an operation for her mother which she can not afford.

Nick and Sharon's Marriage

File:Shick.jpg

Joshua Morrow and Sharon Case
(as Nick and Sharon Newman)

Main article: Nicholas Newman and Sharon Collins

When Nick proposed to Sharon, she readily accepted. Sharon, feeling safe with Nick, and not wanting any secrets between them, admitted that Matt had raped her. Overcome with rage and anger, Nick raced to Matt's apartment only to find him on the floor in a pool of blood from a gunshot wound. The police arrested Nick, for attempted murder. At the time, Nick thought that Sharon tried to kill Matt. When Matt regained consciousness, he told the police that Nick tried to kill him. On October 30, 1995, as Nick's trial started, he and Sharon secretly eloped. On the night of their wedding they made love for the first time.

When the trial concluded, Nick was found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Sharon and the Newman family were devastated. Victor tracked down Amy, Matt's former girlfriend, who was suffering from serious emotional trauma. Victor was convinced that Amy's mental breakdown was caused by something that happened the night that Matt was shot.

Victor brought Amy back to recover from her breakdown, and hopefully help uncover the truth of what happened the night that Matt was shot. Upon seeing her former boyfriend, Amy's memories came rushing back, and she remembered that she had shot Matt, after he had brutally raped her. As the truth began unraveling around Matt's feet, he fled town.

Nick's name was cleared on January 17, 1996, with the judge dropping all charges and releasing him from jail. In the courtroom, he embraced Sharon and proposed marriage in front of his family. Nick kissed her, then took her by the hand. "Sharon, will you please marry me." Sharon started to cry, and said "Yes". Nick and Sharon were formally married in a small ceremony, one month later, on February 19, 1996.

The storyline introducing Sharon as Nick's new love interest was well-received, earning high ratings in viewership. The story of Sharon's rape, along with the aftermath and display of emotions ranging from fear and devastation of her rape, to joy and elation of her wedding to Nick, earned Sharon Case the first of five Daytime Emmy Award nominations. In 1996 and 1997, she was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series, while Y&R's writing team received the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 1997.

Reunion with Cassie

After insecurities about her marriage to Nick, Sharon stopped using birth control and ended up pregnant. Despite Nick asking her to abort the child insisting that they are not mature enough to raise a child, she goes ahead with the pregnancy. In 1997, Sharon and Nick's son, Noah, was born prematurely and became very ill, not expected to survive. In an effort to ease Sharon's grief, resulting from the expected death of her son, Sharon's friend, Grace, began a search for the child that Sharon gave up at birth, eventually locating her in a nearby town.

Now five years old, Sharon's daughter, Cassie, portrayed by Camryn Grimes, was adopted by Alice Johnson, portrayed by Tamara Clatterbuck. Alice abandoned Cassie and left her with her elderly mother, Millie, portrayed by Ernestine Mercer. It was here, that Grace eventually discovered the location of Sharon's daughter. Realizing that she was barely able to take care of herself, let alone a young child, Millie allowed Grace to become the guardian of five-year-old Cassie.

Grace returned to Genoa City with the intent to reunite Sharon with her long, lost daughter. When Nick and Sharon's son unexpectedly survived, Grace decided to keep Cassie's identity a secret, choosing instead to raise Cassie as her daughter with her boyfriend, Tony Viscardi, who was portrayed by Nick Scotti. While Grace had stated that she would one day tell Sharon the truth about Cassie's identity, Grace fell in love with the little girl and kept her true identity a secret for over a year.

Although Cassie missed Millie, she grew to think of Tony and Grace as her parents. Grace introduced Cassie to others in Genoa City as her "niece from out of town". After a year, Grace told the truth, that Cassie was actually Sharon's daughter. While Sharon was furious with Grace for keeping the secret, she was ecstatic to have her daughter back. Cassie, on the other hand, was at first devastated and angry at Sharon for giving her up at birth. However, after spending time with the Newman family, Cassie came to think of Nick and Sharon as her parents.

This particular storyline was well-written, earning high ratings in viewership. In 1999, The Young and the Restless received the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing, while both Sharon Case and Camryn Grimes were honored for their portrayals of Sharon and Cassie respectively. At age ten, Grimes became the youngest person to receive a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series, beating Kimberly McCullough who was honored with the award at age 11.

Marriage problems

Grace Turner

During the course of Nick and Sharon's marriage, Grace Turner, returned to Genoa City, either bringing trouble or leaving trouble in her wake. Her goal was generally the same. To claim Nick for herself. However, Nick was not interested, choosing to be faithful to his wife.

In summer 1997, Nick was out partying with friends. Since Sharon was sick and decided to stay home, Grace, now played by Jennifer Gareis, offered to watch Cassie and Noah, while Nick was gone for the evening. Nick arrived home drunk, mistaking Grace for his wife. Responding willingly to his advances, Nick and Grace made love, with a delusional Nick thinking that he was with Sharon.

The following morning, Nick panicked. He was furious and swore Grace to secrecy. She ended up blackmailing Nick into giving her a job at Newman Enterprises. She constantly tried to get Nick alone so that she could seduce him. Time and again, she would plot for them to be alone together in the office, often late at night. One night, Grace intentionally left her phone number on Nick's desk to be seen by Sharon, who began suspecting that Grace was attracted to Nick.

In the fall of 1998, Sharon was scheduled to go on a business trip with Nick to Denver, but when Noah fell sick, Grace went in her place. Disappointed, drunk, and despondent that Sharon could not make the trip, Nick ended up sleeping with Grace. To Nick's surprise, Sharon showed up the next morning to surprise him. Standing outside the hotel room door, Sharon was stunned to overhear Grace telling Nick that their lovemaking was incredible. Distraught, Sharon rushed into the street and was struck by a car. When Sharon recovered, she refused to forgive Nick for his infidelity, and he moved out.

Matt Clark as Carter Mills

By 2000, Nick and Sharon had rekindled their relationship and appeared to be back on track. They bought Crimson Lights Coffee House to save it from closure and to maintain the place of their courtship. For the most part, Nick and Sharon wanted to have something to work on together.

Matt Clark returned to town as "Carter Mills", with revenge on his mind. Disguised by plastic surgery, he got a job working at Crimson Lights. He became a trusted employee of Crimson Lights. Nick even considered promoting him to manage their next franchise.

Matt, now known as Carter, teamed up with Larry Warton, who was Nick's old cellmate from the time he went to prison for the attempted murder of Matt Clark. Both Warton and Carter were bent on revenge, and together, they planned to frame Nick for dealing drugs. Carter drugged Tricia McNeil and raped her. Rather than turn against him, she helped set up Nick for selling drugs.

One night, Sharon invited Carter to her house for dinner. He arranged for Nick to arrive home very late. While they were alone together, Carter put a date rape drug in Sharon's margarita, which caused her to pass out. Fortunately, Nick arrived home just in time, with Carter on the verge of raping the semi-conscious Sharon. Thinking that Sharon had simply had too much to drink, Nick sent Carter home and helped Sharon to bed.

Thanks to the evidence that Matt and Warton had planted at Crimson Lights, Nick was arrested for drug trafficking and was incarcerated. While Nick was imprisoned, Matt lured Sharon to an isolated cabin, planning to rape her. However, Victor showed up before Matt could harm her. Fearing the wrath of Victor Newman, Matt escaped and jumped into Tricia's waiting car.

Hoping to bring an end to all the treachery, Tricia intentionally drove off a cliff expecting to kill them both. She survived with cuts and bruises, but Carter had severe, life threatening injuries. Nick went to the hospital to face his enemy one last time. As his final dying act of revenge, Carter viciously told Nick that he had raped Sharon on the night that they were drinking margaritas together at the cottage. Then Carter deliberately yanked out his ventilator tube and shoved it in Nick's hand. Carter effectively committed suicide, making it look like Nick had murdered him.

Rick Hearst as Matt Clark (disguised as "Carter Mills")

Nick was quickly arrested and thrown in jail for the murder of Matt Clark, aka Carter Mills. While Tricia and Warton were cohorts in the plan to frame Nick for dealing drugs, they came clean after Matt's death, and cooperated with the authorities. Warton convinced the police that Matt had framed Nick by committing suicide, and Nick was freed.

After Nick was released from jail, he lavishly romanced Sharon to help her erase the memories of being tormented by Matt. He wanted to do whatever he could to help her through the post-traumatic stress and acclimate to her surroundings without the threat of being drugged, raped, and terrorized by Matt. He wanted things to get back to "normal".

Months later, Sharon found out that she was pregnant. Both Nick and Sharon feared that Matt could be the father of the child that she was carrying. Nick demanded a paternity test, upsetting Sharon by stating that he did not want anything to do with the baby if he was not the father. Fearing for the child's health, Sharon did not want to have the paternity test prior to birth. She told Nick that she was willing to trust that the child was his, but she was adamant that she would have her baby, regardless of who the biological father turned out to be. While discussing their feelings about the baby, the emotional disagreement escalated into angry, verbal outbursts aimed at one another.

Venting his frustration, Nick knocked over a chair, threw open the door and slammed it shut, as he climbed behind the wheel of his car and sped out of the driveway. Within moments, Nick hit the curb on the side of the road, and the tire of the car exploded. Fearful for Nick, not knowing what the loud noise was, Sharon ran for the door, tripped over the chair, and landed on her stomach.

The baby that Sharon was carrying was delivered prematurely and died shortly after birth. A paternity test confirmed that the baby girl was indeed Nick's daughter. Sharon blamed her husband for their loss. Sharon was unable to forgive him, believing that through his uncontrolled anger and stubbornness, he had killed their unborn child.

Diego Guittierez

In winter 2001, Diego Guittierez came to Genoa City to find out more about his family. The role of Diego was initially portrayed by Diego Serrano, but in April 2002, Greg Vaughan took over the role. Diego struggled to get around town at first, but eventually found work at Crimson Lights Coffee House, which was owned by Nick and Sharon. To help Diego out, they also gave him a job working on the Newman family ranch.

By this time, Nick and Sharon had rekindled their relationship and were trying to work at their marriage. However, Diego regularly found himself comforting Sharon, who was having trouble working through her various issues involving insecurity and loss of her child. Her marriage to Nick suffered when she caught him with Grace, and later, when they lost their baby, in 2001. Sharon wanted something more than just comfort from Diego, but he refused to respond to her, preferring to remain her friend and nothing more. However, one night, Diego and Sharon succumbed to the moment and made love. They were both overcome with guilt, knowing that Nick was committed to working on his marriage to Sharon.

Sharon's affair with Diego Guittierez was primarily, a delayed, emotional reaction to Nick's affair with Grace. After sleeping with Diego, Sharon admitted the affair to Nick, who was devastated and responded by physically attacking Diego. Sharon was overcome with guilt and remorse, wanting her marriage to work out. Nick chose to end his marriage to Sharon. Although Sharon tried to reach out to Nick, he shut himself off to her, expressing disinterest in rekindling their relationship.

After much soul-searching, Nick realized that he loved Sharon and wanted to give his marriage another chance. He bought some flowers and took them to her house, as a gesture of love and forgiveness. When he arrived at the cottage, Sharon was locked in an embrace and kissing his father, Victor.

When the truth of the infidelity with her father-in-law surfaced, Sharon was ashamed of herself. When the stress of her life became too much for her to bear, she chose to leave Genoa City for a few months. The absence of Sharon in the storyline was made to accommodate the show's writers, when contract talks with Sharon's portrayer stalled.

Cameron Kirsten

In mid-January 2003, Sony Pictures Television was unable to reach an agreement in contract talks with Sharon Case. Rather than recast the character or kill the character off, the show executives opted to have Sharon remain out of sight, until a new deal could be ironed out. Fortunately, for CBS and the fans, Case reached a deal with the show near the end of February.

When the character of Sharon returned from her retreat, both her mother-in-law, Nikki, and her daughter, Cassie were very upset with her for leaving. While Nick was not altogether pleased, he quickly forgave her. Eventually, Nick and Sharon reconciled and united as a happy family again.

After kissing Victor, Sharon ran away to Denver to "find herself". While in a bar, she met Cameron Kirsten, portrayed by Linden Ashby. He instantly fell in love with her. He followed her up to her motel room, romancing her, offering flowers and wine. Sharon succumbed to his advances, and they made love. One night, immediately after their love making, Cameron started beating her, hitting in the face and trying to suffocate her with a pillow. Before he could finish the beating, he fell asleep, and Sharon escaped. Rather than leave Denver and come directly home, Sharon remained out of town, primarily waiting for her wounds to heal, so that her abuse would not be detected by others.

In November, Cameron showed up in Genoa City, presumably to enter into a business deal with Nick. Cameron was intent on being with Sharon at any cost. He used their affair to continue controlling Sharon through his taunts and threats. In an effort to gain the upper hand, Cameron threatened to reveal their sexual past to Nick, unless Sharon would meet him at a motel. When she got to the motel, Cameron attempted to rape Sharon. In response, Sharon threw a bottle at his head, leaving him unconscious and unresponsive.

Believing that she had killed him, a terrified Sharon moved his body and left it behind a dumpster. Before long, his body was covered with snow. Cameron was declared missing by the police, while Sharon was haunted by Cameron's ghost. The only person that Sharon confided in during this time was her mother-in-law, Nikki.

When news media reported that a body had been discovered in the sewer, Sharon believed that it was most likely Cameron's body, but it was actually the body of Cassie's biological father, Frank. Cameron was revealed to be alive and well, having murdered Frank to make it look like he died. Grace Turner was in town again, and it was revealed that she was a part of Cameron's plan to get revenge on Sharon.

As part of his plan to be with Sharon and claim her as his own, Cameron took Sharon on a plane and held her hostage. Fortunately, Nick was hot on his trail, and showed up exploding in a fight where the three of them managed to get into parachutes and proceeded to jump out of the plane. Nick and Sharon landed safely, but Cameron landed in a tree, breaking his leg. Nick finally got the upper hand, and Cameron was forced to turn himself in. After all was said and done, with Cameron behind bars, Nick and Sharon resumed their relationship once again.

Cassie's death

In spring 2005, at the age of 14 years, Cassie developed a crush on older boy, Daniel Romalotti, portrayed by Michael Graziadei. As she began to expand her circle of friends and attracting the opposite sex, she also began acting out in rebellion by wearing makeup and clothing considered extreme by her parents. She was often grounded for one infraction or another, generally for breaking curfew or being less than truthful about where she had been.

On Friday, April 29, Cassie asked permission to go out to dinner and attend a movie with a group of her friends. While Nick and Sharon were initially hesitant, they relented and allowed Cassie to spend the evening with her friends, unaware that Cassie's true intentions were to attend a big high school party, where she hoped to gain the attention of her crush, Daniel.

During the party, Daniel became drunk, with Cassie finding him passed out in the back of his car. Concerned for her friend, Cassie offered to drive him home, despite her lack of driving experience or a drivers license. Unfortunately, they were in a car accident, in which both Cassie and Daniel were injured. The two were rushed to hospital with no memory of the crash.

It was believed that Daniel had been driving drunk, resulting in possibly facing several years' jail time for his culpability in the car accident. Overcome with grief over his part in hurting Cassie, he became distraught and encountered the wrath of the Newman family. While in the hospital, Cassie began having dreams that jogged her memory, revealing that she was the driver of the car, rather than Daniel. In response, she was determined to go tell Daniel. Although critically ill, she pulled out her I.V. and staggered out of the hospital to look for him.

When Cassie found Daniel, he was at Crimson Lights Coffee House with his girlfriend, Lily Winters, portrayed by Christel Khalil. Cassie stumbled in the door, delirious with fever and barely able to speak. While the barista called for an ambulance, Cassie kept muttering that she needed to tell Daniel something important, but he told her that whatever she had to say could wait, because she needed to get back to the hospital. Just as Cassie almost got the words out, Nick rushed in and saw his daughter. He pulled Cassie into his arms, over her protests. Before she could tell them all the truth, she collapsed in her father's arms and was rushed back to hospital.

After returning to the hospital, the doctors reported that Cassie had taken a turn for the worst, with infection ravaging through her brain. She was not responding to the antibiotics. Cassie's condition was grave, and her doctors suggested that she be given some time alone with her parents. While her family held vigil at her bedside, Cassie shared her love with her parents, grandparents, and younger brother, Noah.

Sharon begged her daughter not to give up. Cassie asked her parents not to leave the room. Sharon explains to her that the doctors have done everything they could and that it's now up to her to hold on. As Sharon cradled Cassie, she reminisced about her daughter's life over the years. Nick remembered the first time she came into his life and tells Cassie that he has cherished every moment.

Cassie turned to her mother and told her that some day she will have another little girl. Sharon thanks her for all she's given to the family and how she's blessed her life and brought her joy. Cassie then quietly whispered in her father's ear, presumably revealing the partial truth about the accident. For a fleeting moment, he has a look of surprise on his face. Cassie tells her parents she's tired and needs to sleep. Her father begins singing "Lullaby and Goodnight". He begins sobbing, unable to finish the song. Both Sharon and Nick were crying, as a montage ran, encompassing various moments in Cassie's life. Cassie is slowly slipping away. Sharon looked on as the monitor flatlines. Sadly, on May 24, 2005, Cassie succumbed to her injuries.

This storyline earned the show a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team. The death of Cassie Newman is rated Number 41 in the list of "The 100 Most Memorable Moments In Soap History", both recognitions by Soaps Hunks.

Following Cassie's death, Nick was very angry and obsessed with killing Daniel, blaming him for Cassie's death. Daniel was on the run with his girlfriend, Lily, in order to escape Nick's wrath. Daniel is caught and arrested. Later, he was released after Nick and Sharon handed over evidence to exonerate him from charges.

Affair with Brad Carlton, Divorce from Nick and Marriage to Jack Abbott

Sharon and Nick's marriage survived various infidelities, but the couple's union was most severely tested in the aftermath of Cassie's death. Unable to handle the grief of their family loss, by late 2005, Nick had an affair with Daniel's mother, Phyllis, portrayed by Michelle Stafford. Sharon became suspicious after discovering clues that led her to uncover the truth of Nick and Phyllis' on-going affair. She confronted Nick about his relationship with Phyllis and asked for a divorce. After a discussion with Nick, they chose instead to legally separate, when he expressed his desire to save their marriage.

At the same time, Sharon went on a business trip with Brad Carlton, portrayed by Don Diamont, who was married to Nick's sister, Victoria, portrayed by Amelia Heinle. During their trip, Brad and Sharon became very close and began a brief affair of their own. However, when all was said and done, Brad decided to concentrate on his marriage to Victoria, while Sharon chose to honor her marriage vows to Nick.

Shortly thereafter, Phyllis discovered that she was pregnant. Paternity tests revealed that Nick, rather than Jack, was the father of Phyllis' baby. Devastated, Sharon filed for divorce, telling Nick to go and be with Phyllis.

Nick and Sharon divorced, sharing joint custody of Noah. Sharon received their house in the settlement, while Nick and Phyllis moved into the tack house on the Newman Ranch, so Nick could be close to his son.

Following Sharon's divorce from Nick and breakup with Brad, she would often commiserate with Jack Abbott, as like-injured parties by Phyllis and Nick's affair. Sharon began to rely more and more on Jack for support and the two became lovers. Sharon enjoyed her relationship with Jack and was impressed with the way Jack interacted with Noah. Eventually, Sharon and her son moved into the Abbott mansion. In spite of Sharon's relationship with Jack, Phyllis began blackmailing Sharon with proof of her previous affair with Brad, in order to harm her credibility with her friends and family.

In April 2007, Sharon was working at an NVP photo shoot, accompanied by Drucilla Winters, who was portrayed by Victoria Rowell, and their mutual enemy Phyllis. Sharon told Drucilla that Phyllis was blackmailing her over her affair with Brad Carlton. At that time, Phyllis threatened to reveal Sharon's affair with Brad to their friends and family. Sharon and Phyllis were standing on the edge of a cliff and began fighting over a phone that Phyllis was threatening to use. When Dru reached out for the phone in an effort to help Sharon, a brief struggle ensued, causing Sharon and Drucilla to lose their balance and fall backward.

After Sharon fell over the cliff, the bystanders found her hanging onto the edge for dear life. Phyllis tried to save her, but she lost her grip, causing both of them to fall into the river along with Drucilla. Search and rescue combed the area and found Sharon's lifeless body. Fortunately, she was revived and lived. Sharon and Phyllis both survived the fall, but Dru was never found. Rescue personnel only find the remains of Drucilla's jacket. Her body was never recovered. Dru was presumed dead, either to have frozen to death or fatally injured on the rocks below and swept away by the current.

Following Sharon's close brush with death, she grew closer to Jack. He was a source of emotional and physical comfort. At the same time, Jack was running for the Wisconsin State Senate. Appearances were everything. In response to public demand and constituency concerns, Jack and Sharon were married on April 23, 2007, in an effort to boost his image with the voters. They were married at the ranch, with Noah serving as best man. Phyllis and Nick were legally wed just one week later, on May 1, 2007.

Nick's amnesia

In 2007, Victor and Sharon were scheduled to fly to Clear Springs on a business trip for Newman Enterprises. Due to scheduling conflicts, Victor had to cancel and ended up sending Nick in his place. On the return trip, the Newman jet went down in Lake Michigan with no known survivors. Both Nick and Sharon were presumed dead.

The news devastated the citizens of Genoa City. The family gathered at the Newman Ranch, along with Jack, awaiting news and updates of the search and rescue team, to no avail. It was suggested that the jet might have been sabotaged. As the family was grieving and looking for answers, Sharon surprised everyone when she casually walked in on the Newmans and Jack, unaware that she had been presumed dead. She was just as shocked to hear that the mere act of taking another flight had saved her life, and she was devastated that Nick was missing and presumed dead.

Nick eventually turned up lost in the woods, and shortly thereafter, returned to Genoa City and his family. However, Nick had no memory of the previous two years of his life, including his marriage to Phyllis and their baby, Summer. He also believed that Cassie was still alive. Remembering only his love for Sharon, Nick tried to win her back, even though she was married to Jack.

Of all the memories that Nick had of Phyllis, none indicated any feelings for her other than contempt. His reported relationship with her was puzzling. That said, he began seeing her and exploring his feelings. When Noah started acting out with Sharon, Nick agreed to move back in with Phyllis on the Newman Ranch, so Noah could live with them. While he continued to experience partial memory loss, it did not take long for him to fall in love with Phyllis, while continuing to assert his love for Sharon.

Restless Style

In 2008, after Jack lost his senate seat and Nick was fired from Newman Enterprises, they got together with Phyllis and Sharon and decided to start a new national fashion and style magazine called Restless Style. The magazine, published both online and in print, presented social and public interest articles, that had a tendency to exploit various people in Genoa City.

As Victor predicted, the first edition of Restless Style did not do as well as expected. In response, the second issue had a hipper cover, featuring singer Katy Perry.

With the support of her husband, Victor Newman, Adrian Korbel was hired to write an article on Sabrina Costelana and the Newman Gallery for the third issue. Finding the final draft a bit boring, Jack did some further research and turned Adrian's article into a scandalous one. While the scandalous nature of the article was troubling to Victor and Sabrina, as well as the other principal partners of the magazine, the issue was a tremendous success, selling into a fourth printing.

In spite of the magazine's success, there were struggles in the boardroom regarding vision and focus. Jack, supported by Sharon, preferred to write articles that tended to be sensationalistic, leaning toward tabloid journalism. At the same time, Nick's vision was diametrically opposed, preferring to remain neutral and objective, leaning more toward responsible journalism. Sharon found it hard to work with Phyllis always disagreeing with her. Additionally, Sharon's marriage to Jack suffered, as they began to drift apart.

In the end, Jack's aggressive, exploitative business style, combined with Sharon's undying support, was making it difficult for the two couples to continue to work together at Restless Style, so they tossed a coin to determine who would maintain ownership of the magazine. Jack and Sharon won, leaving Nick and Phyllis to either buy them out or take the same price to leave.

Knowing that Nick did not have the funds to purchase the magazine from Jack, Sharon went to Victor and asked him to rehire Nick at Newman Enterprises. Surprising everybody, Victor gave Nick a line of credit for the buyout, rather than bringing him back on board at Newman. This left Nick and Phyllis as the sole owners of Restless Style. Restructuring the magazine, Nick and Phyllis realized that they lacked executive staff with networking expertise in the fashion industry. After Nikki presented some key ideas to move the magazine forward, they brought her on as their interim Editor-in-Chief.

Nikki worked on the inaugural cover issue of the magazine, while Phyllis focused on writing the "Letter from the Editor" section that announced the changed in ownership of the magazine. She avoided the urge to trash Jack and Sharon, choosing to be respectful. However, after Nick spent a little too much time with Sharon resolving a problem with Noah, she revised the article to one that presented their former partners in a negative light. Bother Phyllis and Jack rightfully frustrated, when Nick's first act as adviser to Newman Enterprises was to rehire Sharon as their Beauty of Nature spokesperson.

In October, Nick and Sharon unexpectedly met in Paris where they kissed, unknowingly observed by Phyllis. While Sharon and Jack continue to drift apart, Phyllis became obsessed with keeping Sharon away from Nick.

Jack and Sharon continued drifting apart, while their marital problems escalated. Their primary difficulties involved Jack's unending desire to get even with Victor for all the professional takeovers, slights, and roadblocks, as well as personal attacks against him and his family. When Sharon discovered that Jack had fabricated evidence against Victor and framed him for murder, she finally left him and moved into the Genoa City Athletic Club. They were divorced on April 10, 2009.

Birth of Faith and Affairs with Nick and Adam Newman

In January 2009, Sharon wrote a letter to Nick confessing her feelings for him. Although she never intended for him to read it, Nick found the letter and read it. In response, he and Sharon made love. However, Sharon and Billy Abbott quickly began a short affair of their own too.

By Spring, Nick and Sharon ran into each other at the Abbott cabin and made love again, after she confessed her love for him. Later on, Sharon realized that she was pregnant with Nick's child. With this news, they Nick and Sharon happily reunite. However in July, Nick and Phyllis' daughter, Summer, nearly died. In an effort to encourage Nick to go and be with Phyllis, Sharon lied and told Jack that he was her child's father, rather than Nick. Eventually, Nick found out the truth, remaining loyal to Phyllis, staying with her and Summer.

Nicknames the unborn baby "Faith". After Experiencing Kleptomania, Sharon is admitted to a psychiatric ward, where her ex sister in-law Ashley Abbott is also staying. When Sharon goes into premature labor, she delivers the baby, and goes unconscious. Her doctor, Dr. Taylor, takes the baby into the hall for assistance, but Adam Newman kidnaps her and gives her to Ashley (Because Adam made Ashley think she was pregnant; after he caused her to miscarry her baby Faith). When taken to hospital, Sharon is told her baby died due to Birth Defects. Sharon dealt with her loss, receiving Sympathy from even Phyllis, her rival. Ashley does not know that Faith is Sharon's daughter, and she will now raise her as her own.

Sharon and Adam become friends, and share their secrets. This relationship eventually turns romantic, much to the dismay of Jack and Nick who still have feelings for Sharon. Sharon also moves in Brad's old house. Sharon and Adam make love later, and Nick walks in the door confused and furious. despite everyone telling her Adam cannot be trusted, Sharon and Adam elope. While on their way back to Genoa City, the Newman jet hits turbulence and goes down. It is unknown for a brief moment whether or not Adam and Sharon were alive. Sharon was rushed to hospital, but only had a brief concussion, and did not remember when Adam wrote on a piece of paper "Your baby is alive" while the jet was going down. In Early 2010, Phyllis, Nick and Ashley find proof that Adam was making Ashley delirious. Sharon also suspects that her baby is alive as everything that happened that night at the ward did not add up. She confronts Adam who denies knowing anything. Sharon eventually leaves Adam after she knows he is hiding Something.

Sharon, Nick, Phyllis, Billy, and many more confront Adam in the cabin. Sharon turns her back on her husband once the truth is revealed and he escapes. But, Sharon is reunited with her child. He turns up at the masquerade ball but after a huge explosion, his body is found dead from a stab wound to the chest. Sharon is initially a suspect but set free from lack of evidence. It is later discovered that it was in fact not Adam's body in the basement, but the body of Richard Hightower who shared his DNA due to a bone marrow transplant that took place several weeks earlier. On June 3, Phyllis and Sharon are searching through a corn field to find some clue's about Adam trading places with Hightower. While Jack, Nick, Victor and a doctor dig up "Adam's" grave to get his dental records to see if he is the real Adam. While Sharon and Phyllis are searching they find a mask from the ball that Adam or Hightower wore. Victor, Nick, and Jack get caught while re-burying the coffin. While Sharon and Phyllis are talking, a plane flies over them. They split up and the plane begins releasing toxic gas over the corn field. Phyllis takes cover while Sharon runs back towards the cornfield in which she then inhales the wood shavings in her system. While Victor and Jack search for Adam, Phyllis grows increasingly uncomfortable with Sharon's bond with Nick as she begins to realize that Nick will never be completely over her. She walks in on an intimate moment between Nick and Sharon as he strokes Sharon's hair which makes her realize what she's up against. In June 2010, Sharon goes to Brazil to find Adam and bring him back to Genoa City to clear Nick's name. With Victor's help, their plan works and Nick is released from prison. Adam tricks Sharon into coming to the jail to see him, while talking to him she realizes that her feelings for him are still there. She is torn and confused between her feelings for Nick and her feelings for Adam.

In the summer of 2010, Nick's marriage begins to unravel, as he and Phyllis both come to the realization that their marriage has never really stabilized, due to his continuing deep feelings for Sharon and their baby daughter, Faith. Phyllis begins to slowly believe that she will never be able to feel that Nick loves only her and starts to question her desperation in trying to hold on to her marriage, while Nick will always have divided loyalties. They are divorced by September 2010, with Nick now working his hardest to protect Sharon and Faith from Adam.

Sharon had her marriage to Adam annulled. In August 2010, Sharon accidentally shoots Adam when he fails to identify himself while breaking into the Abbott Cabin. Adam survived; but his wife Skye constantly accused Sharon of trying to kill her husband. Adam never pays for his sins in the end. After the opening of Gloworm, Sharon & Adam kiss, but Sharon, Nick & Faith constantly went on outings/dates together. Whether Nick and Sharon reunite is uncertain. Sharon is grateful towards Adam for saving Faith during a storm that hit Genoa City. While seeking shelter in a barn, the beams dropped down and Adam huddled his body around Faith, shielding her and injuring himself. On Halloween, Sharon stopped Adam from leaving town, which indicates she still truly cares about him even though she still hates him for what he has done before in the past. Upon learning that Nick's marriage to Phyllis is officially divorced, Sharon & Nick's relationship re-intensifies and they make love.

Nick proposed marriage on in mid November. At first Sharon turned him down, but after he presents her with their first engagement ring from over 15 years ago, she accepted. Doubts about her engagement to Nick start to enter Sharon's mind as once again she finds herself experiencing Kleptomania. Whether she can deal with it better than she did the first time, it has yet to be seen. Also, Adam continues to be a problem for Sharon because it is his & her lingering feelings for him that she is not sure if she should move forward with both her life & with Nick.

Return with Adam, Murder Trial, and Faked Death

Sharon feels she needs some time alone with her thoughts, so she decides to take a short trip to New Orleans, but Adam followed her there and Nick and Michael are trying to track her down and Phyllis had also gone there to focus on a new article for Restless Style. While there, Sharon was questioning which man she should be with, and when she ran into Adam they spent the day together and made love. Nick is in New Orleans searching for Sharon, and then he finds her embracing Adam so he dumps her while Adam is arrested for the "murder" of his wife, Skye. Sharon is now planning to help Adam get out of jail, while her life with Nick could truly be over for good. Sharon is losing support and friendship from the people that care about her the most, including Jack and her son Noah. She is also the central person in Phyllis' newest article in Restless Style. Later at Gloworm, Sharon pushes Phyllis in a chocolate fountain.

Adam and Sharon tell Phyllis that they can work together; Sharon and Adam can find evidence that Adam did not kill Skye, and Phyllis can report it. Adam is later sent to jail. Sharon with some help of Adam's began to trace Skye beginning with Skye's perfume. Apparently, Skye used a rare perfume that was discontinued decades ago, but Skye orders it online. Sharon discovers that someone bought it in Hawaii recently. Believing Skye is there, Sharon leaves for Hawaii looking for Skye. However no one had seen her. At the same time Victor Newman is following Sharon to make sure she does not figure out the truth about Skye. Eventually, Sharon takes a hike near a volcano and she finds Skye. The two argue and Sharon takes a picture of her. Suddenly, Skye slips and falls into the volcano. Sharon tried to save her, but could not hold her up. Sharon also looses the camera with Skye's picture. Nearby, Victor sees what happened, but does nothing to help. Instead he runs over to Skye's hut and burns up every last trace of Skye.

When Sharon returns from Hawaii she sees Jack and Phyllis at the airport. Sharon explains the story to the two of them. Phyllis says she can't run that story in Restless Style, but Jack seemingly believes Sharon saying she would not lie. At the jail, Sharon explains everything to Adam and says they will find someone who saw Skye. As Sharon and Adam seem to be hitting a dead end, Vance's law firm backs out of the lawsuit leaving Adam on his own. Later on, Jack decides to look into Sharon's claim of seeing Skye in Hawaii. Jack confronts Victor on Skye and says that he will go to Hawaii. Right afterward, Jack left for Hawaii and tries to find out the truth about Skye. After some minor investigation, he finds a burned down hut with Skye's perfume there as well as a key.

After Sharon confronts Victor at the GCAC about what happened to Skye, Adam shows up & surprises Sharon with the news that the charges against him have been dropped, much to Victor's dismay. They then leave & go to Sharon's house together. On January 21, 2011, at the GCAC, Sharon was arrested for the murder of Skye Lockhart Newman, Adam's ex-wife. On the January 24, 2011 episode, Adam explained to Jack that Sharon has been arrested for Skye's death and that his father Victor framed Sharon for his ex-wife's disappearance. Sharon would be charged with a $5,000,000 bail and a twenty years to life prison sentence with no parole if she could not come up with the money. On the January 25, 2011 episode, Victor, choosing to remain anonymous, puts up the $500,000 (10% of her bail) releasing Sharon from jail.

Eventually, Adam and Sharon get engaged, but her murder trial endures. Eventually, Victor Newman admits to the DA that he knows that Sharon didn't murder Skye Newman. He ends up testifying on behalf of her stating that she did everything within her power to save Skye. However, the DA harshly interrogates Victor, regarding his role in the collapse of the Newman Fund and framing Adam for Skye's death. Victor is forced to take Fifth Amendment on a number of questions. Soon after, Adam testifies for Sharon, but it too doesn't seem to help. He decides to set up a plan to allow Sharon to escape the prison in case Sharon is found guilty. Sharon ends up being found guilty of murder. After the decision is made, Sharon fakes feeling sick and is escorted to the bathroom. Sharon finds chloroform in the toilet, just like Adam planned. Sharon uses it against the police officer and breaks through the windows.

Out on the run, Adam goes before the public calling for Sharon's return and heads to St. Martin with Nick and Phyllis supposedly looking for Sharon. Sharon turns to her mother for help, but she refuses. Eventually Sharon is carjacked and has all of her jewelry taken as well. The carjackers end up in an accident and they die. However, no one knows that she was carjacked and it is believed (since Sharon's fake ID was found in the car), that the dead corpse is that of Sharon. Since the body was burned, it is clearly based on appearance. Back in Genoa City, everyone thinks that Sharon is dead and her former in-laws Victor Newman and Nikki Newman begin planning for her funeral. In St. Martin, Phyllis informs Nick who then breaks down.

As everyone in Genoa City mourns the loss of Sharon, she ends up being taken in by a veterinarian in New Mexico named Sam Gibson. Sharon, under the alias of Sherry, doesn't tell Sam anything regarding her past, but offers to help him with the farm. Despite his offers to allow her to call home, Sharon refuses to make the call, but seems haunted by, telling everyone she is alive and therefore going back to prison, or staying "dead". Back home, the funeral arranged mostly by Nick, Victor, and Doris is held. Victor wanted to keep Adam away from the funeral and changes the locks on Sharon's house to make sure he doesn't return. By the time the funeral happens, Victor's new restraining order against Adam falls apart and Adam is able to climb through the bell tower of the church and jump down in front of the entire family. Once in front, he begins insulting everyone connected to Sharon including Nick, Phyllis, Jack, Billy, Victoria, Nikki, and of course Victor. Adam is eventually removed by the police, but offers Victor two letters that Sharon wrote to Faith and Noah before she died if he is released. While Sharon is getting used to life in the country checking up on Genoa City via a laptop and images the worst if she was found out. Sharon and Sam eventually slept with each other, and Sharon decided to come clean to Sam. She wrote him a letter, detailing her entire life, and her true identity. After writing the letter, she destroyed it and told Sam it was a mistake sleeping with him. However, they continue to connect and Sharon moved in with Sam.

Return to Genoa City

After agreeing to go to a dance with Sam, the arrest of the carjackers that carjacked Sharon, ended up, leading to the Sheriff to arrest Sharon, and taking her back to Genoa City. Once in Genoa City, she meets with Nick and Adam Newman, as well as a DA who is intent that Adam helped her plan her death. However, she claimed she did it without help, and explained to Nick that she thought everyone was better of without her. After reconnecting with Adam at the station, however, Sam came and explained that things couldn't end in New Mexico. Shocked, Adam left and threw the memory card which proved Sharon's innocence into the river. She also met Victor and Noah. Victor wasn't at all pleased and Noah was just happy to see his mother again. Nick was furious and vowed never to forgive her. Sharon, however, could spend about 30 years in prison.

Adam proposes to Sharon, just to mess with her, but before they are pronounced man and wife, Adam admits he would never marry her. Adam tells Sharon how enraged he is, about Sharon "cheating" on him and not telling him that she was alive. Sharon finally sees Adam for what he is, which is evil. Adam throws away his mother's ring, claiming it is "tainted" by Sharon, who he doesn't want to know anymore. Victor hired a lawyer, Avery Bailey Clark, to help Sharon get out of prison. Avery helped Sharon get a new trial and might be successful in getting Sharon free.