Hayley Erin delivered a standout month on The Young and the Restless, earning Soap Hub’s Performer of the Month honors for November 2025. Her layered, surprising, and emotionally grounded work as Claire Newman showcased everything from vulnerability to strength to simmering danger, creating one of the most compelling character arcs of the season.
Key Takeaways
- Claire chose independence, passion, and a new direction with Holden.
- Her Thanksgiving scenes with the Abbotts deepened her emotional ties in Genoa City.
- The tension with Audra hints at a potential return to Claire’s darker impulses.
Claire Steps Into Her Power
November opened with Claire choosing herself for the first time in a long time. Instead of letting guilt, grief, or family expectation dictate her path, she walked straight into a new chapter alongside Holden (Nathan Owens). Their trip to Los Angeles — capped by a night of unexpected passion — allowed Claire to breathe outside the shadow of the Newmans. Erin infused these moments with a refreshing sense of freedom and youthful spontaneity, making it clear that Claire is no longer content to be defined by what others need from her.
Her work opposite Owens’ Holden added a natural spark to the story. Erin played Claire’s mixture of caution and curiosity beautifully, capturing a woman stepping into autonomy while still learning to trust herself. The scenes felt alive, grounded, and wonderfully unpredictable.
A Sharp Turn Back in Genoa City
When Claire returned home, the temperature shifted instantly. Erin pivoted from playful and open to unsettled and disconnected — a sharp but intentional contrast that made her storyline even more compelling. Claire’s abrupt distance, her emotional withdrawal from Holden as she and Audra (Zuleyka Silver) clashed, and the quiet tension she carried suggested internal conflict bubbling under the surface.
Erin skillfully let this duality play across her expressions and body language. Whether Claire was pulling back from Kyle (Michael Mealor), dodging Audra’s barbs, or slipping into thoughtful silences, Erin made every beat feel specific and lived-in. The story demanded complexity, and she delivered with precision.
A Thanksgiving That Revealed Everything
One of the strongest sequences of the month came at the Abbott Thanksgiving table. Claire’s desire to belong — and her genuine connection with Kyle and Harrison (Redding Munsell) — played against her earlier coldness. Erin captured that emotional push-and-pull with remarkable restraint. Watching Claire soften as the Abbotts embraced her, and seeing her light up around Harrison, added depth to a character who has spent most of her life in survival mode.
Erin balanced gratitude, fear, and longing in a way that felt heartbreakingly human. It was a highlight of the holiday episodes and a reminder that Claire’s complexity is far from resolved.
The Darkness Lurking Beneath
Claire’s ongoing battles with Audra added tension that hints at what’s still inside her — the pieces Jordan (Colleen Zenk) shaped and twisted. Erin didn’t shy away from letting Claire’s darker instincts flicker through. That controlled edge, that flash of steel in her voice or expression, suggests the road ahead may not be smooth.
Hayley Erin embraced every facet of Claire this month — her growth, her wounds, her hope, and the shadows she can’t quite outrun. It was outstanding work from start to finish.
