John Abbott (Y&R)
Encyclopedia
John Abbott, Sr. is a fictional character
on the soap opera
The Young and the Restless
. He is the patriarch of the Abbotts, one of the core families that was introduced to the show in 1980. The character was originated by Brett Halsey
from May 1980 to March 1981. The character has been played by Jerry Douglas
from the spring of 1982 to August 21, 2006 (with guest appearances from September 1, 2006 onward.
conglomerate Jabot Cosmetics (ˈʒæboʊ, ʒɑːˈboʊ, ʒabo) and a wealthy pillar of the community, John Abbott was married to Dina Mergeron
(played by Marla Adams
) and had three adult children, Jack (Terry Lester
), Ashley
(Eileen Davidson
), and Traci (Beth Maitland
). He then married Jill Foster Abbott and had son Billy
(Billy Miller
). In 2004, he married Gloria Fisher, though the marriage later proved to be invalid when Gloria discovered that her divorce from previous husband Tom Fisher
had never been finalized. John later remarried Gloria in a small ceremony in his home. He also had three stepchildren: Christine Blair
(Lauralee Bell
); and Gloria's two sons, Michael Baldwin
(Christian LeBlanc
) and Kevin Fisher
(Greg Rikaart
). Ashley was not John's biological daughter, but the product of an affair Dina had with a tennis instructor by the name of Brent Davis. John was never made aware that Ashley wasn't biologically his, but he is legally Ashley's father; as such, Ashley is the biological half-sister full legal sister to Jack and Traci and is legally Billy's half-sister even though the two are not biologically related.
Shortly before his death, John had begun serving a seven year prison sentence for fatally shooting Tom Fisher (Roscoe Born
), who had made threats to Ashley and whom he believed had murdered Michael's wife Lauren
(Tracey E. Bregman
).
John had previously been married to Dina, Jessica Blair (Rebecca Street) and twice to Jill Foster
(Jess Walton
) and had affairs with Katherine Chancellor
(Jeanne Cooper
), Ellen Winters (Jennifer Karr) (notable for being Y&Rs first interracial
pairing), Joanna Manning (Susan Seaforth Hayes
), Mamie Johnson
(Veronica Redd
) (another interracial affair) and Gina Roma
(Patty Weaver
).
Prior to being released from prison, John noticed trouble seeing out of his right eye. At the hospital, it was found that he had a stroke. He had another massive stroke, which left him incapable of breathing on his own. His wife, Gloria, decided to let John go after Jack threatened her with legal action. John was taken off life support and died on August 18, 2006 with his family and close friends by his side.
After his death, it was revealed that John's second marriage to Gloria was also invalid, as his lawyer never filed the papers with the court. Also, though John had rewritten his will
to leave half of his estate to Gloria, Jack had exploited a period of temporary dementia his father experienced during his time in prison and coerced him into writing a new will in which he divided his estate among his children only (including Ashley). This was publicly revealed in December 2007 through a letter John had written to Gloria before his death and entrusted to a friend he had made in prison after writing the second will.
Since October 2006, John has occasionally appeared as a spirit that only Jack can see and hear. He has often berated his son for his shabby treatment of Gloria and his unethical behavior, but he has also reminded Jack as well of how much he loves him. Oddly, while John's spirit has occasionally manifested in ways that would indicate a supernatural origin, he also appeared to know nothing about Gloria's various misdeeds (perhaps most notably a case of product tampering that seriously hurt Jabot itself in the spring of 2006) until Jack found out about them. Thus, it is possible that this "spirit" is nothing more than a figment of Jack's imagination, appearing as his conscience, rather than a supernatural presence. However, Ashley
, Billy
, and Katherine Chancellor
have had similar (but fewer) visits from John's "spirit".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
. He is the patriarch of the Abbotts, one of the core families that was introduced to the show in 1980. The character was originated by Brett Halsey
Brett Halsey
Brett Halsey , is an American film actor, sometimes credited as Montgomery Ford. He is best known as the original John Abbott on the soap opera The Young and the Restless, a role he held from May 1980 to March 1981, before being replaced by Jerry Douglas.-Career:Interested in acting since he was a...
from May 1980 to March 1981. The character has been played by Jerry Douglas
Jerry Douglas (actor)
Jerry Douglas is an American television and film actor. For 25 years Jerry Douglas reigned in fictional Genoa City as patriarch John Abbott on the daytime television serial The Young and the Restless...
from the spring of 1982 to August 21, 2006 (with guest appearances from September 1, 2006 onward.
Character history
The founder of Genoa CityGenoa City (fictional city)
Genoa City, Wisconsin is the fictional setting for the long-running American CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. The real U.S. village of the same name is otherwise unlike and unrelated to the mid-size city depicted in the series.- Overview :...
conglomerate Jabot Cosmetics (ˈʒæboʊ, ʒɑːˈboʊ, ʒabo) and a wealthy pillar of the community, John Abbott was married to Dina Mergeron
Dina Mergeron
Dina Mergeron is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. She was played by actress Marla Adams from 1983 to 1986 on contract. She returned for guest appearances in 1991 and 1996...
(played by Marla Adams
Marla Adams
Marla Adams is an American soap opera actress, best known for her roles as Belle Clemens on The Secret Storm, from 1968 to 1974, and as Dina Abbott Mergeron on The Young and the Restless, from 1983 to 1986 and in 1996...
) and had three adult children, Jack (Terry Lester
Terry Lester
Terry Lester was an American actor.Lester was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, graduating from high school at Southport High School, and began an acting career while at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. His acting career consisted of musical theater, concert performances, numerous primetime...
), Ashley
Ashley Abbott
Ashley Suzanne Abbott McCall is a fictional character from the American soap opera The Young and the Restless, currently played by American actress Eileen Davidson, who had played the character for a total of more than 16 years prior to her return in September 2008...
(Eileen Davidson
Eileen Davidson
Eileen Davidson is an American film and soap opera actress. She is known for her role as Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful and for the multiple roles she portrayed on Days of our Lives....
), and Traci (Beth Maitland
Beth Maitland
Beth Maitland is American actress, best known for her portrayal of Traci Abbott Connolly in the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless from 1982 to 1996 and from 2001 to the present on a recurring basis.-Early life:...
). He then married Jill Foster Abbott and had son Billy
Billy Abbott
William "Billy" Abbott is a fictional character in the American soap opera The Young and the Restless. He is portrayed by Billy Miller as of September 19, 2008; other actors that have played the part include a set of child actors, and three contract actors: David Tom, Ryan Brown and Scott Seymour...
(Billy Miller
Billy Miller
Billy RoShawn Miller is a retired American football tight end won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
). In 2004, he married Gloria Fisher, though the marriage later proved to be invalid when Gloria discovered that her divorce from previous husband Tom Fisher
Tom Fisher (The Young and the Restless)
Thomas "Tom" Fisher is a fictional character from the American soap opera The Young and the Restless, portrayed by Roscoe Born from April 7, 2005 to January 13, 2006 and by Jonathan Fraser in 2 episodes in 2004...
had never been finalized. John later remarried Gloria in a small ceremony in his home. He also had three stepchildren: Christine Blair
Christine Blair
Christine Marie Ellen "Cricket" Blair is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, portrayed since July 1983 by Lauralee Bell...
(Lauralee Bell
Lauralee Bell
Lauralee Kristen Bell is an American soap opera actress. She was born in Chicago, Illinois, and attended The Latin School of Chicago.The daughter of soap opera creators William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, and sister to Bill Bell, Jr...
); and Gloria's two sons, Michael Baldwin
Michael Baldwin
Michael Baldwin is a fictional character on the CBS television soap opera The Young and the Restless, portrayed by Christian LeBlanc originally from late December 1991 until June 1993 and then he returned on April 25, 1997. The character has also crossed over briefly to As the World Turns on April...
(Christian LeBlanc
Christian LeBlanc
Christian Jules LeBlanc is an American actor.LeBlanc currently plays Michael Baldwin on The Young and the Restless. He first played the role from 1991 to 1993, and then resumed the role in 1997. He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for the role six times, and won for Outstanding Lead Actor...
) and Kevin Fisher
Kevin Fisher
Kevin Fisher is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, portrayed by Emmy Award-winning actor Greg Rikaart since July 11, 2003. Rikaart won a Daytime Emmy Award for his portrayal of Kevin in 2005....
(Greg Rikaart
Greg Rikaart
Gregory Andrew Rikaart is an American actor, currently on the cast of the soap opera The Young and the Restless, playing Kevin Fisher since July 2003.-Biography:...
). Ashley was not John's biological daughter, but the product of an affair Dina had with a tennis instructor by the name of Brent Davis. John was never made aware that Ashley wasn't biologically his, but he is legally Ashley's father; as such, Ashley is the biological half-sister full legal sister to Jack and Traci and is legally Billy's half-sister even though the two are not biologically related.
Shortly before his death, John had begun serving a seven year prison sentence for fatally shooting Tom Fisher (Roscoe Born
Roscoe Born
Roscoe Born is an American actor, born in Topeka, Kansas, who is best known for playing a variety of roles over the years in successful television shows, most recently in The Young and the Restless.-Career:...
), who had made threats to Ashley and whom he believed had murdered Michael's wife Lauren
Lauren Fenmore Baldwin
Lauren Baldwin is a fictional character from the American soap opera The Young and the Restless and its "sister soap" The Bold and the Beautiful. She is portrayed by American actress Tracey E. Bregman...
(Tracey E. Bregman
Tracey E. Bregman
Tracey E. Bregman is an German-American soap opera actress. She is best known for the role of Lauren Fenmore on The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful and for her role as Sarah Smythe on The Young and the Restless .-Personal life:She was born...
).
John had previously been married to Dina, Jessica Blair (Rebecca Street) and twice to Jill Foster
Jill Foster Abbott
Jill Abbott Fenmore is a fictional character on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless. She is one of the series' original characters, and the only one remaining from its debut in March 1973...
(Jess Walton
Jess Walton
Jess Walton is an American actress, best known for her role as Jill Foster Abbott on the American soap opera, The Young and the Restless.-Early life:...
) and had affairs with Katherine Chancellor
Katherine Chancellor
Katherine Chancellor Murphy is a fictional character on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless...
(Jeanne Cooper
Jeanne Cooper
Wilma Jeanne Cooper , best known as Jeanne Cooper, is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Katherine Chancellor on the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless...
), Ellen Winters (Jennifer Karr) (notable for being Y&Rs first interracial
Interracial
Interracial is an adjective related to a supposed racial group. It can have different connotations in different contexts:* Interracial marriage is marriage between two people of different races....
pairing), Joanna Manning (Susan Seaforth Hayes
Susan Seaforth Hayes
Susan Seaforth Hayes is an American dramatic actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Julie Williams on the long-running NBC drama Days of our Lives, and her intermittent portrayal of JoAnna Manning on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless...
), Mamie Johnson
Mamie Johnson (The Young and the Restless)
Mamie Johnson is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. The role was originated in 1980 by Marguerite Ray, who was replaced in 1990 by Veronica Redd. Redd departed the series in 1995, and returned from 1999 to 2004...
(Veronica Redd
Veronica Redd
Veronica Redd is an American actress who played the recurring character of Mamie Johnson on The Young and the Restless. She is the second actress to play the role, having taken over from Marguerite Ray. Redd played the role from 1990 to 1995, and again from 1999 to 2004.-Filmography:*Blue Hill...
) (another interracial affair) and Gina Roma
Gina Roma
Gina Roma is a fictional character in the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Actress Patty Weaver played the role from the fall of 1982 and was last seen in March 2009.-Character:...
(Patty Weaver
Patty Weaver
Patty Weaver and 1967 Alumni of Fairborn High School is an American actress who played the role of Gina Roma on The Young and the Restless on a contract basis from 1982 until August 2005, when she was dropped to recurring status, and she last appeared in early 2009.She was born in Clarksburg, West...
).
Prior to being released from prison, John noticed trouble seeing out of his right eye. At the hospital, it was found that he had a stroke. He had another massive stroke, which left him incapable of breathing on his own. His wife, Gloria, decided to let John go after Jack threatened her with legal action. John was taken off life support and died on August 18, 2006 with his family and close friends by his side.
After his death, it was revealed that John's second marriage to Gloria was also invalid, as his lawyer never filed the papers with the court. Also, though John had rewritten his will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
to leave half of his estate to Gloria, Jack had exploited a period of temporary dementia his father experienced during his time in prison and coerced him into writing a new will in which he divided his estate among his children only (including Ashley). This was publicly revealed in December 2007 through a letter John had written to Gloria before his death and entrusted to a friend he had made in prison after writing the second will.
Since October 2006, John has occasionally appeared as a spirit that only Jack can see and hear. He has often berated his son for his shabby treatment of Gloria and his unethical behavior, but he has also reminded Jack as well of how much he loves him. Oddly, while John's spirit has occasionally manifested in ways that would indicate a supernatural origin, he also appeared to know nothing about Gloria's various misdeeds (perhaps most notably a case of product tampering that seriously hurt Jabot itself in the spring of 2006) until Jack found out about them. Thus, it is possible that this "spirit" is nothing more than a figment of Jack's imagination, appearing as his conscience, rather than a supernatural presence. However, Ashley
Ashley Abbott
Ashley Suzanne Abbott McCall is a fictional character from the American soap opera The Young and the Restless, currently played by American actress Eileen Davidson, who had played the character for a total of more than 16 years prior to her return in September 2008...
, Billy
Billy Abbott
William "Billy" Abbott is a fictional character in the American soap opera The Young and the Restless. He is portrayed by Billy Miller as of September 19, 2008; other actors that have played the part include a set of child actors, and three contract actors: David Tom, Ryan Brown and Scott Seymour...
, and Katherine Chancellor
Katherine Chancellor
Katherine Chancellor Murphy is a fictional character on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless...
have had similar (but fewer) visits from John's "spirit".