She’s Alive: Susan Walters Rejoins Y&R As Diane Jenkins

The identity of the mystery woman in the promos on The Young and the Restless has been revealed. She looks a heck of a lot like Diane Jenkins — Kyle’s mother, who has been believed dead. Is she the genuine article or a look-alike?

Susan Walters Is Back as Diane Jenkins

Y&R confirms to Soap Hub that Diane Jenkins, once again played by Susan Walters, is indeed alive! Walters took over the role of Diane from Alex Donnelley back in 2001 and played the part for three years. She reprised Diane briefly in early 2010 and later that year, Maura West, fresh off a stint as Carly on As the World Turns took over the role.

After having flings with both ex-husband Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) and ex-stepson Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow), West’s Diane burned through a lot of relationships. The show opted to bump off the character in a much-publicized murder mystery. The killer turned out to be Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott), but video footage revealed that Nikki killed Diane in self-defense. West was soon scooped up by General Hospital to play Ava Jerome, the role that earned the actress her third Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

Nikki’s Innocent of Killing Diane

While West won the dynamic role of GH’s Ava, Y&R lost the character of Diane and numerous opportunities for future conflict between Diane and Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford), once their respective kids, Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) and Summer Newman (Hunter King), started dating. Now, the door has opened for those and other dynamics to play out as Diane is once again among the living. We’ve seen her interact with Allie Nguyen (Kelsey Wang), Jack Abbott’s (Peter Bergman) granddaughter. It’s likely only a matter of time before Diane starts having scenes with folks from her past. (The great news is that not only is fan-favorite Walters back on the canvas, but this means that Nikki didn’t kill Diane!)

Susan Walters Real-Life Leading Man

Since leaving Y&R back in 2004, Walters has worked non-stop as either a series lead/regular, recurring player, or guest star on such programs as The Flash, The Vampire Diaries, Good Trouble, The Fosters, Point Pleasant, Teen Wolf, and How to Get Away With Murder. Off-screen, Walters is wed to actor Linden Ashby (ex-Cameron Kirsten, Y&R). The couple, who met on the ABC soap opera Loving (where she played Lorna, and he was her cousin Curtis), celebrated 35 years of wedded bliss in April 2021.

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.