John Abbott (character)
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John Abbott is a fictional character from the American
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soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
, ''
The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in the fictional Genoa City (named after the real-life Genoa City, Wiscon ...
''. He was the patriarch of the Abbott family, one of the core families introduced to the series in 1980. After a brief portrayal by
Brett Halsey Brett Halsey (born Charles Oliver Hand; June 20, 1933) is an American film actor, sometimes credited as Montgomery Ford. He appeared in B pictures and in European-made feature films. He originated the role of John Abbott on the soap opera ''T ...
, the role was portrayed by
Jerry Douglas Gerald Calvin Douglas (born May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer. He is widely regarded as "perhaps the finest Dobro player in contemporary acoustic music, and certainly the most celebrated and prol ...
. After the character's onscreen death, Douglas has continued in the role as a hallucination to various other characters. John's children are
Jack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, incl ...
, Traci,
Ashley Ashley is a place name derived from the Old English words '' æsċ'' (“ash”) and '' lēah'' (“meadow”). It may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ashley (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...
, and
Billy Abbott Billy Abbott is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', an American soap opera on the CBS network. Created by William J. Bell as the son of John Abbott (Jerry Douglas) and Jill Abbott (Jess Walton), the character is currently ...
.


Casting and conception

The role was originated briefly by Sean Garrison in 1980, then by
Brett Halsey Brett Halsey (born Charles Oliver Hand; June 20, 1933) is an American film actor, sometimes credited as Montgomery Ford. He appeared in B pictures and in European-made feature films. He originated the role of John Abbott on the soap opera ''T ...
in 1980 for a year. Then,
Jerry Douglas Gerald Calvin Douglas (born May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer. He is widely regarded as "perhaps the finest Dobro player in contemporary acoustic music, and certainly the most celebrated and prol ...
took over the role on April 7, 1982. When John died in 2006, Douglas was only out of work for a few months.
Maria Arena Bell Maria Arena Bell ( Arena; born March 10, 1963) is an American novelist, television and freelance writer. She is the former head writer and executive producer of the CBS Daytime soap opera ''The Young and the Restless.'' Early life and education ...
, the head writer for the series, brought him back as a recurring guest star on September 1, 2006. Since John's death, Douglas has portrayed the role of John Abbott's spirit, and he appears to his children and friends in times of great need. In 2008, Douglas portrayed the role of
Alistair Wallingford This is a list of notable characters from the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' that significantly impacted storylines and debuted between January 2000 and December 2009, in order of first appearance. Alex Perez Alex Perez first a ...
on the series for three months. Following Alistair's departure, Douglas still returns on occasion as Jack's inner conscience. He has also appeared to Ashley on occasion.


Development

Following the death of Douglas in 2021, the soap opera aired a special episode focused on John on June 22, 2023, which featured Douglas' widow
Kym Douglas Kymberly Douglas (née Bankier; born 1959) is an American television personality, actress, and blogger. She is best known for her guest starring roles in '' L. A. Law'' (1991), ''In Living Color'' (1993), '' Retired at 35'' (2011), ''The Bold and ...
portraying Zelda Wilford, the
agent Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law *, spies or intelligence officers * Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another ** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuran ...
of Traci who gives her advice on how to bring her family back together.


Storylines


1980–1999

In 1980, John Abbott was introduced as the founder of Genoa City conglomerate, Jabot Cosmetics. He went to high school with his first wife,
Dina Mergeron This is a list of notable characters from the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' that significantly impacted storylines and debuted between January 1980 and December 1989, in order of first appearance. Julia Newman Julia Newman fir ...
, as well as other prominent Genoa City residents: Stuart Brooks,
Neil Fenmore This is a list of notable characters from the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' that significantly impacted storylines and debuted between January 1980 and December 1989, in order of first appearance. Julia Newman Julia Newman fir ...
, Katherine Shepherd, Joanna Manning, Gary Reynolds, and Suzanne Lynch, who Ashley's middle name came from. In 1972, Dina left John to raise their three children:
Jack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, incl ...
,
Ashley Ashley is a place name derived from the Old English words '' æsċ'' (“ash”) and '' lēah'' (“meadow”). It may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ashley (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...
, and Traci, with their
maid A maid, housemaid, or maidservant is a female domestic worker. In the Victorian era, domestic service was the second-largest category of employment in England and Wales, after agricultural work. In developed Western nations, full-time maids a ...
,
Mamie Johnson Mamie "Peanut" Johnson (September 27, 1935 – December 18, 2017) was an American professional baseball player who was one of three women, and the first female pitcher, to play in the Negro leagues. Early life Johnson was born Mamie Belton in ...
, helping. Ashley discovered in 1982 that Dina had been unfaithful and that Brent Davis was her biological father. Jack graduated from
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
and, along with Ashley, who graduated from
Colorado State University Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University Syst ...
, prepared to one day take over their family company. Traci graduated from
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
and became a best-selling novelist. John continued to run Jabot, but he often butted heads with Jack over business deals. By the early 1980s, John began dating the much younger
Jill Foster Jill Abbott is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. The longest-running and only remaining original character, Jill was created and introduced by William J. Bell. Originally portrayed by Brenda D ...
, but Jack tried to convince his father to stay away from her given her past marriages to
Phillip Chancellor II A list of notable characters from the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' that significantly impacted storylines and debuted between March 1973 and December 1979. All characters introduced during this time were created by series co-crea ...
and Stuart Brooks. Yet, Jack ended up having an affair with Jill, and when John found them she immediately wanted to end their relationship. Even Jack decided to stay away from Jill, who in turn launched a sexual harassment lawsuit where she was awarded $10,000. By 1982, John and Jill finally reunite and marry despite Jack and Katherine's pleas against it.
Mamie Johnson Mamie "Peanut" Johnson (September 27, 1935 – December 18, 2017) was an American professional baseball player who was one of three women, and the first female pitcher, to play in the Negro leagues. Early life Johnson was born Mamie Belton in ...
also tried to keep an eye on Jill, who quickly began another affair with Jack despite his romances with
Diane Jenkins Diane Jenkins Abbott is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. The role was first portrayed by Alex Donnelley, who debuted in April 28, 1982. Diane was initially a two-day bit role, but was develo ...
and his marriage to
Patty Williams Patty Williams is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. The character made her debut in 1980 and, after a brief portrayal by Tammy Taylor, Lilibet Stern took over for three years, followed by Andre ...
. Eventually, Katherine obtained pictures of Jill with Jack. Upon seeing the photos, John had a stroke. In 1986, John and Jill divorced, and John fired Jack and threw him out of his house. Jill received 25% of Jabot Cosmetics, a seat on the board of directors, and a cushy executive position with Jabot at $150,000 a year. With this huge settlement, John and Jack hoped that Jill would stay quiet in order to protect Jabot's image. John replaced Jack at the company with Traci's new husband
Brad Carlton Brad Carlton is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', portrayed by Don Diamont. The character became a mainstay on the series for over 20 years. He was known for his relationships with Traci Abbott, Ashl ...
(
Don Diamont Don Bruce Diamont (born Donald Feinberg; December 31, 1962) is an American television actor. His best known roles include Brad Carlton on ''The Young and the Restless'' and Bill Spencer Jr. on ''The Bold and the Beautiful''. In 1990, Diamont w ...
), formerly an Abbott gardener. After his divorce from Jill, he began seeing Joanna Manning (
Susan Seaforth Hayes Susan Seaforth Hayes (born Susan Seabold; July 11, 1943) is an American television actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Julie Williams on the NBC drama '' Days of Our Lives'', and her intermittent portrayal of Joanna Manning on the ...
), a high school friend and Lauren Fenmore's ( Tracey E. Bregman) mother. He soon moved on to the director of the local
soup kitchen A soup kitchen, food kitchen, or meal center is a place where food is offered to Hunger, hungry and homeless people, usually for no price, cost, or sometimes at a below-market price (such as coin Donation, donations). Frequently located in Low i ...
, Ellen Winters. John put his love life on hold when Ashley disappeared. He found her in a
mental institution A psychiatric hospital, also known as a mental health hospital, a behavioral health hospital, or an asylum is a specialized medical facility that focuses on the treatment of severe mental disorders. These institutions cater to patients with ...
in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, and she had
amnesia Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or brain diseases,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be temporarily caused by t ...
. Thankfully, she quickly recovered, and John brought her back home to Genoa City. Then, Brad quit his job, and John was forced to hire Jack again. John became involved with Jessica Blair Grainger. Jessica was
Christine Blair Christine Blair is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', an American soap opera on the CBS network, portrayed by Lauralee Bell, the daughter of series creators William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell. "Cricket" (as the characte ...
's (
Lauralee Bell Lauralee Kristen Bell (born December 22, 1968) is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Christine Blair in the CBS daytime soap operas, ''The Young and the Restless'' and ''The Bold and the Beautiful''. As a producer, she re ...
) mother, who had recently returned to town. Jessica was diagnosed with
AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
, but she kept her illness a secret from everyone, including John. She tried to move back to
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
, but she collapsed during her travels. Christine discovered her illness, and she told John. Undeterred, the couple still married in 1988 until Christine's father, Jim Grainger, came to town. John nobly ended the marriage in 1989, and Jessica, Jim, and Christine reunited as a family. Jessica died later that year with her loved ones, including John, at her bedside. Then, Jack decided to take Jabot public, and
Victor Newman Victor Newman is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. He has been portrayed by Eric Braeden since 1980. Initially a guest character who was to last for eight to twelve weeks, Victor has evolved ...
(
Eric Braeden Eric Braeden (born Hans-Jörg Gudegast; April 3, 1941) is a German-American film and television actor, known for his roles as Victor Newman (fictional character), Victor Newman (from 1980) on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', as H ...
) took over the company. John's shock over this news caused him to have another
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
. Jack tried to bring Jabot back by ending his romance with Victor's ex-wife
Nikki Newman Nikki Newman is a fictional character from the American CBS CBS Daytime, daytime soap opera, ''The Young and the Restless''. Created and introduced by William J. Bell in 1978, the role was portrayed by Erica Hope, before Melody Thomas Scott took ...
and in turn, Victor would let the Abbotts regain control of Jabot. However, Victor had tricked Jack and he remained in control of Jabot. Out of spite, Jack married Nikki. Victor had also managed a short time afterwards to have a romance with John's ex-wife Jill. Then, Jill and John reunited when she was rejected by Victor Newman. They remarried in 1993, and Jill wanted to have a baby. Still, John complained that he was too old to be a father. She managed to get pregnant before John had a secret
vasectomy Vasectomy is an elective surgical procedure that results in male sterilization, often as a means of permanent contraception. During the procedure, the male vasa deferentia are cut and tied or sealed so as to prevent sperm from entering into ...
. John wanted Jill to have an
abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...
, but she refused. Thus, William Foster Abbott was born in 1993. John thought that Victor might be Billy's father, but when he found out that Billy was his biological son, he grew to love him. Then, Jill had an affair with Jed Sanders due to John's
impotence Erectile dysfunction (ED), also referred to as impotence, is a form of sexual dysfunction in males characterized by the persistent or recurring inability to achieve or maintain a Human penis, penile erection with sufficient rigidity and durat ...
. As Jill and John separated, John's first wife, Dina, returned to Genoa City and John began romancing her again. John eventually proposed and filed a divorce from Jill. Stress from the divorce and the custody battle over Billy gave John a stroke, but he quickly recovered. Dina left Genoa City again much to John, Jack, Ashley, and Traci's surprise. John eventually won custody of Billy and moved to New York where Billy attended
boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...
. Jack and Ashley ran Jabot while their father was raising Billy. John returned to Genoa City with a 16-year-old Billy in 1999. He returned to help Jack and Ashley fight to maintain control of Jabot.


1999–2006

While in town, John began dating his old friend,
Gina Roma This is a list of notable characters from the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' that significantly impacted storylines and debuted between January 1980 and December 1989, in order of first appearance. Julia Newman Julia Newman fir ...
(
Patty Weaver Patty Weaver 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; she last appeared in 2023. Weaver was born in Clarksb ...
), and he occasionally sang with her at her restaurant, ''Gina's''. Billy graduated high school, and he went to
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
for volunteer work. Meanwhile, Traci's daughter, Colleen Carlton (then played by
Lyndsy Fonseca Lyndsy Marie Fonseca (born January 7, 1987) is an American actress. She began her career by appearing as Colleen Carlton on the CBS daytime soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', on which she starred between 2001 and 2005. Thereafter, she h ...
), was placed into John's guardianship when she was expelled from school for smoking
marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
in 2001. Colleen began dating J.T. Hellstrom (
Thad Luckinbill Thaddeus Rowe Luckinbill (born April 24, 1975) is an American actor and producer best known for playing J.T. Hellstrom on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', from August 1999 to November 2010. He reprised the role of J.T. from De ...
), but John forbade his granddaughter from seeing J.T., who was much older than she was. Colleen soon began living with her father, Brad Carlton. In 2003, Ashley and Brad were married and expecting a child, but Ashley got into a horrific car accident, and their son, Robert, did not survive. Meanwhile, Gina's restaurant, ''Gina's'', caught on fire, and John watched out for her until she found new employment. Then, John and Ashley scolded Jack for the troubles he brought upon the company. Victor ended up paying Jabot $75 million for his commercial bribery scandal, and Jack was forced to resign. In 2004, John was lovestruck by the much younger Gloria Fisher (
Judith Chapman Judith Chapman (born Judith Shepard on November 15, 1951) is an American actress, best known for soap opera roles, particularly as Natalie Bannon Hughes in ''As the World Turns'' (1975–1978), Charlotte Greer on ''Ryan's Hope'' (1983), Ginny Bla ...
). He was unaware that her sons were
Michael Baldwin Mike or Michael Baldwin may refer to: * Mike Baldwin (''Coronation Street''), a fictional character in the British soap opera * Mike Baldwin (motorcyclist) (born 1955), American motorcycle road racer * A. Michael Baldwin (born 1963), American acto ...
(
Christian LeBlanc Christian Jules LeBlanc (born August 25, 1958) is an American television actor. He is best known for playing the role of Michael Baldwin on ''The Young and the Restless'' (1991 to 1993, 1997 to present). He has received nine Daytime Emmy Award ...
) and Kevin Fisher (
Greg Rikaart Gregory Andrew Rikaart (born February 26, 1977) is an American television actor. He is best known for playing Kevin Fisher (The Young and the Restless), Kevin Fisher on the television soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' since 2003, and also ...
). Kevin had almost murdered Colleen, and he set ''Gina's'' on fire. John and Gloria went on a cruise, and they came back as Mr. and Mrs. John Abbott. Ashley and Jack were shocked by their father's latest romance; Jack accepted Gloria if his father was happy, but Ashley refused to accept her new stepmother. Then, John found out about Gloria's sons, and he vowed to divorce her for deceiving him. Suddenly, he fell down a flight of stairs, and he was forced to have hip replacement surgery. Gloria nursed him back to health, and he forgave her for her deceit. Ashley became the CEO of Jabot, but John fired her when she began working with her on-and-off lover, Victor Newman. John came out of retirement, and he resumed his position as CEO of Jabot until he could find a proper replacement. He settled on making Jill Abbott the new CEO. In 2004, Ashley was pursued by a mysterious man, Tom Callahan (
Roscoe Born Roscoe Conklin Born (November 24, 1950 – March 3, 2020) was an American actor and songwriter. He is best known for his roles on various television soap operas, most notably as archenemy, archvillain Mitch Laurence on ''One Life to Live'' in six ...
). In reality, Tom was Gloria's estranged husband, Tom Fisher, who she never officially divorced. Tom was Kevin's biological father; he was known as "Terrible Tom" because he abused Kevin as a child. Tom eventually cornered Gloria, hoping she would give him money now that she was married to a wealthy Abbott. She tricked John into giving her large sums of money that he thought was being used for Michael's wedding. Michael wanted to tell John the truth, but Tom confessed to him first. In the end, Gloria went along with Tom's lie in order to stay in John's good graces. She continued taking money from John because Tom was blackmailing her. Gloria told John that Tom was dead, but their divorce was never finalized. John forgave Gloria for lying to him, and they "officially" remarried in 2005. Tom wreaked havoc on Michael and Lauren Fenmore's wedding day, and he took Lauren hostage. Gloria was going to meet Tom in order to free Lauren, but John overheard her phone call. He met Tom in an alley, and during their struggle, his gun went off, and Tom was killed. John drove away, and he got into a car accident. At first, he had no recollection of his night, and Ashley confessed to killing Tom. When he remembered, John confessed to killing Tom, and the charges against Ashley were dropped. John was sentenced to seven years in prison for the murder. While John was in prison, Gloria and her sons schemed against the Abbotts. They landed themselves jobs at Jabot, and they sabotaged Ashley and Jack's business plans. Then, John began fighting with his inmates, and he believed that his first wife, Dina, had just left him. A doctor examined him, and Jack, Ashley and Gloria found out that John was being over-medicated. Jack wanted to trick his father into changing his will to remove Gloria. He made John believe that he was cutting Dina out of the will. Six months after his incarceration, John was due to be pardoned by the Governor. Before his release, he had a stroke, and he was left in a vegetative state. John signed a DNR, and Gloria and her stepchildren agreed that they wanted to abide by John's wishes. John's family and friends came to the hospital to say good-bye, and John died in 2006. Jack and Ashley overruled Gloria's wish to have a lavish funeral. Instead, they told her the wrong time for the ceremony, and they held a small family-only memorial for John. Then, Kevin discovered that his mother was tricked, and he held another service for John with his mother. After his death, the Abbotts were appalled to discover that Gloria was left 50% of John's billion-dollar estate. The remaining 50% was to be divided among John's four children. While Gloria was expecting a big payout, she was stunned when a prison chaplain arrived in court, and he handed the judge a handwritten note by John that wrote Gloria out of his will. In addition, news broke that Gloria's marriage to John was invalid because she never officially divorced Tom. Gloria returned "home" to the Abbott Mansion to find her belongings in trash bags outside while Jack looked on smugly from behind the door. In 2007, the judge made it official that Gloria was not included in John's final will. John's youngest son Billy would later have a son, John Robert "Johnny" Abbott IV named in honor of Billy's late father, John Abbott.


Afterlife appearances

John has occasionally appeared as a viewable representation of Jack's conscience. He has often berated Jack for his shabby treatment of Gloria and his unethical behavior, but always reminds him of how much he loves him. While John's spirit has occasionally manifested in ways that could indicate a supernatural origin, he has never known about Gloria's various misdeeds until Jack found out about them. Thus, the "spirit" is nothing more than a figment of Jack's imagination, appearing as his conscience, rather than a supernatural presence. Ashley, Billy and Katherine Chancellor have had similar visits from John's "spirit." On December 24, 2013, Jack looks at photos of Phyllis, who is now in a coma. John appears. He tells Jack he needs to be with someone who can take care of him - Phyllis wouldn't want to see him home alone talking to a ghost. Jack tells him he's right, but first he has to do something. He calls Phyllis to chat to her. This is the last appearance of John until the episode aired on March 24, 2015. John appeared to Ashley in December 2015, when she passed out due to her brain aneurysms. John appeared to Jack in September and October 2016, to tell Jack to forgive Billy and Phyllis for their affair.


References


External links


John Abbott character profile on SoapCentral
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbott, John The Young and the Restless characters Fictional murderers Television characters introduced in 1980 Fictional business executives Fictional businesspeople in soap operas American male characters in soap operas Abbott family (The Young and the Restless)