What Susan Walters Should Know About Diane on Young and the Restless

Susan Walters didn’t play Diane Jenkins from October 2010 to August 2011 on The Young and the Restless, but the character did a lot during that particular tenure. So, while Walters didn’t live certain moments in her character’s life, we expect the talented actress will incorporate them into her portrayal.

The Young and the Restless – Devious Diane

Here’s a look back at what went down related to Diane during the period of time that Maura West (Ava Jerome, General Hospital) played the part of Kyle Abbott’s (now Michael Mealor) mom on Y&R. As you’ll learn, Diane did a lot of bed-hopping, lying, manipulating, and burning of bridges in less than a year! Who could blame her for wanting people to think she was dead?

Designing Woman

Using the premise of wanting their son Kyle to spend time with his father Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman), Diane ingratiated herself into people’s lives once more. Once she got the lay of the land and saw that there were opportunities, she decided to stick around. Diane accepted a job from Tucker McCall (Stephen Nichols), which gave her another reason to stay. Tucker tried to take back the job offer to Diane after Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) posted a story exposing her many lies. Diane turned the tables on Tucker and threatened to share with Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson) that she (Diane) and Tucker had had a fling.

The Young and the Restless – Happy Father’s Daze

Diane took out her anger on Phyllis over the Restless Style article by threatening to tell Jack he’d never see his son again. To make matters worse, a young Kyle read the article, and then he demanded to know if the hatchet job was true or not. Jack broke things off with Phyllis, much to Diane’s delight!

My Stepson, My Lover

Joshua Morrow (Nick Newman) got to repeat a TV movie he did in 1997 titled My Stepson, My Lover when Nick had a fling with his former stepmother Diane. Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) showed up after they’d made love, so Diane wisely snuck out the back. Diane accepted Victor’s invitation for her and Kyle to live in the carriage house. Later, Nick broke things off with Diane.

The Young and the Restless – Victor and Diane

As her relationship with Nick hit an impasse, Diane opted to rekindle her dynamic with his father Victor, her ex-husband. Victor professed his love for Diane much to everyone’s shock. She next moved in with Victor, prompting Jack to want custody of Kyle. Diane and Victor remarried, but, in a case of history repeating itself, Victor’s love for Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) could not be denied. He asked Diane for an annulment, prompting her to smash the blue and white plate that was a staple at the Newman Ranch.

Hard Feelings

Victor was set to give Diane a big payout after their second marriage didn’t work out, but he decided she didn’t deserve anything after he learned that Diane planned to sleep with Tucker (who was engaged to Ashley).

Plan “A” and Plan “P”

With nowhere to go, Diane brought Kyle to Jack and then connected with Adam Newman (now Mark Grossman). Thanks to Victor’s controlling nature, Diane and Adam moved into the Genoa City Athletic Club. In a surprise twist, Diane and Nick fell back into bed once more. But he told her it was just sex! Next, Adam and Diane schemed to take advantage of Victor’s presumed death to make a killing with Newman Enterprises stock. Victor returned, vowing that nobody would profit from using his name.

The Young and the Restless: Quid Pro Quo Style

Victor and Diane’s romance, such as it was, was never going to be one of the greatest love stories ever told on the soap. The mogul offered Diane a deal — he wouldn’t prosecute her for stock fraud if she testified that Ashley did not hit Tucker with her car deliberately. Diane delivered — but Victor was unable to hold up his end of the deal. Oops. Diane went back and forth pitting folks against one another. At one point, she signed papers making Victor the legal guardian of Kyle! But she sent him off to school in Switzerland, telling him she’d join him in time.

Death on Denial

Diane filed an “alienation of affection” lawsuit against Nikki, holding her responsible for the end of her marriage to Victor. Diane showed Victor photos of Nikki and Victor in bed together while they were married.

As time went on, most of the major players wanted to do in Diane. Even though she had only been back for less than a year at the time of her “demise,” the police had a tough time trying to figure out who was responsible after her body turned up. Of course, we’re all wondering how Y&R is going to explain that Diane is among the land of the living — and we can’t wait to see Nikki’s reaction, since it was revealed she was the one who supposedly did her in!

The Young and the Restless (YR) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Genoa City, check out all the latest that’s been posted on Y&R spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.