The Young and the Restless’ Patty Williams — sister of Paul and the first wife of Jack — has one of the most twisted histories in Y&R. It was recently announced that powerhouse actress Stacy Haiduk would be reprising the role she last played in 2016. The character will return to the screen in March.
Key Takeaways
- Patty Williams’ decades-long obsession with Jack Abbott includes multiple identities, marriages, shootings, and escapes.
- The character has been portrayed by Tammy Taylor, Lilibet Stern, Andrea Evans, and Stacy Haiduk.
- Patty’s final known location is Rivercrest, where she was moved in 2016 and remains confined (allegedly).
Patty Williams: A Character History
Patty Williams has earned her place as one of Y&R’s most dangerous and unforgettable villains, thanks to a decades-long obsession with Jack (then Terry Lester) and a trail of deception, violence, and escapes. First introduced in 1980, the character was initially played by Tammy Taylor before Lilibet Stern took over the role from 1980 to 1983. During that period, Patty married Jack — a union that unraveled almost immediately.
Before the wedding, Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson) caught Jack in bed with Diane Jenkins (then Alex Donnelley). When Patty learned of Jack’s betrayal, the emotional shock led to a miscarriage, pushing her into a downward spiral. That spiral turned deadly when Patty overheard Jack admitting to his selfish reasons for marrying her, prompting her to shoot him — a moment that cemented her legacy as a volatile force in Genoa City.
Andrea Evans stepped into the role from 1983 to 1984, during which Patty briefly became romantically involved with Danny Romalotti (Michael Damian). After that, the character vanished for decades, only to return years later in a dramatically reinvented fashion.
Patty resurfaced, portrayed by Haiduk, having undergone extensive plastic surgery funded by Victor Newman (Eric Braeden). With a new face and a new identity, she became Mary Jane Benson, infiltrating Jack’s (Peter Bergman) life and wreaking havoc on those around him. Her reign of terror ended in a psychiatric commitment — though confinement never held her for long.
After escaping, Patty assumed another identity: Dr. Emily Peterson, her own therapist, whose face she had surgically adopted. Unaware of the truth, Jack fell in love with “Emily” and married her, making Patty his wife for a second time under false pretenses. Once the deception was exposed, Patty was sent back to a padded cell.
Her obsession escalated again in 2011 when Patty returned to Genoa City under the alias Myrna Murdock, working as a housekeeper in the home of Jack’s girlfriend, Genevieve Atkinson (Genie Francis). Still fixated on Jack, Patty drugged both him and Genevieve during Thanksgiving dinner and kissed Jack while he was unconscious. Adam Newman discovered her and warned her to leave town, but she refused.
As Jack and Genevieve became engaged, strange incidents began plaguing the house, drawing Paul’s attention. When “Myrna” fled before questioning, Paul realized the woman was likely his sister in disguise. The situation turned violent when Adam later found Patty hiding in a garden shed and tried to stop her, only to be blinded with insecticide and knocked unconscious.
Patty’s most shocking move came at the wedding itself. She took Genevieve’s place, walked down the aisle, revealed herself when Jack lifted the veil — and shot him. Patty escaped to Father Todd’s church, where her brothers eventually found her and turned her in, leading to her commitment at the Fairview psychiatric institution.
In 2012, Patty escaped again and shot Jack once more, resulting in her transfer to a secure psychiatric facility at Walworth County Prison. Another escape followed in 2015, and when she resurfaced in 2016, Patty killed the villainous Dr. Anderson before falling into a catatonic state. Later that year, Paul arranged for his sister to be moved to Rivercrest, a psychiatric facility closer to Genoa City, where Patty remains, a lasting reminder of one of Y&R’s most dangerous villains.
Do you think Patty’s return will tie into Mariah (Camryn Grimes) getting caught for kidnapping Dominic (Ethan Ray Clark)?
