Ashley Abbott is one of the longest-recurring characters on The Young and the Restless. Since her introduction to the storyline in 1960, her character has continued to make brief appearances on the show.
Ashley is 64 years old on the show. The Young and the Restless is an American soap set in Genoa City and follows the rivalries between two elite families: the Abbotts and the Newmans.
Ashley Abbott has been portrayed by many actresses, including Brenda Epperson, Shari Shattuck, McKayla Dunne, and Julia D'Arcy Badinger. Currently, Eileen Davidson plays the character and has held the role for the longest time. Davidson is 65 years old, close to her onscreen persona.
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How old is Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless?
Having been born in 1960, Ashley Abbott, the character on the show, is 64 years old as of 2024. Interestingly, the actress Eileen Davidson, who currently plays Ashley Abbott, was born in 1959, just a year before her on-screen persona.
Presently, Ashley Abbott is a recurring character on The Young and the Restless. She was also one of the characters on the spinoff show for the same series, called The Bold and the Beautiful.
Character and story explored: Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless
Ashley Abbott's character was introduced as the daughter of John Abbott Sr. and Dina Abbott, born in 1960. However, she plays a key role in the story much later, after she graduates from college. Ashley takes on a job at her family company, Jabot Cosmetics, and takes over as president after her brother Jack is shot.
After a while, it is revealed that Ashley's biological father is Brent Davis, not John Abbot Sr., and the shock and trauma of this revelation give Ashley amnesia, and she goes missing. She is later found by businessman Victor Newman, who has an affair with her and gets her pregnant. When Victor's wife is diagnosed with cancer, he leaves, and Ashley gets an abortion.
Here, Ashley suffers a mental breakdown but then marries her psychiatrist, Steven Lassiter, who is later shot and killed by an unstable patient. After this, Ashley goes through a string of bad relationships.
She first marries her ex, Victor, but they divorce because his daughter constantly schemes to break them up. Then, Ashley marries Blade Bladeson, Kurt Costner, and Cole Howard, but all these marriages end in divorce, too.
In the year 2000, on the show, Ashley steals her ex Victor's sperm and impregnates herself. She gives birth to a daughter while she is married to a man named Brad Carlton and names her daughter Abby. When Ashley has breast cancer a few years later, she reveals Abby's true parentage, leading to a ruined marriage at first but finally a divorce.
After a few more romantic entanglements, Ashley is forced out of her position as CEO of Jabot Cosmetics and moves to New York City. At that time, the show featured her as a periodically revisiting character.
In 2014, on the show, Ashley returns to town with an idea for a new fragrance line and convinces her brother Jack to become co-CEO with her for Jabot. However, by 2018, Ashley starts feeling alienated from her family and company and leaves town for Paris.
Ashley Abbott is featured as a briefly recurring character on The Young and the Restless now.
Who plays Ashley Abbott on The Young and the Restless?
Eileen Davidson plays the role of Ashley Abbott. Davidson is a 65-year-old actress, model, television personality, and author.
She is also known for being a part of other popular soap operas such as The House on Sorority Row and Days of Our Lives, apart from the show The Young and the Restless as well as its spinoff, The Bold and the Beautiful.
Fans can continue to watch Ashley Abbott and the Abbott family's story on The Young and the Restless on weekdays via CBS and through the on-demand stream on Paramount+.
