Why did Brenda Dickson leave The Young and the Restless? Explained

Brenda Dickson is an American actress and former cast member of The Young and the Restless. She originated the role of Jill Foster Abbott on the soap and played the character till her exit in 1987.

Dickson made her stage debut at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and initially played stage roles in Los Angeles. Then, she appeared in the 1972 feature film Deathmaster. In television, Dickson mostly took on guest roles until she was cast as Jill on The Young and the Restless in 1973.

The actress was reportedly let go from the soap in 1987, with talk about disagreements between her and the showrunners. Dickson even filed a 10 million dollar lawsuit against Columbia Pictures to be recast in the role. She cited producer William J. Bell by name, alleging that he "blacklisted" her and tried to "ruin" her life. She did not return to the soap after the suit.

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What were Brenda Dickson's storylines as Jill Foster on The Young and the Restless?

Jill Foster was born in Genoa City to Liz Foster and was raised with her two older brothers, Snapper and Greg. The family was left behind by the father, Bill, and took on multiple jobs to make ends meet. Jill worked at a beauty shop until Katherine Chancellor hired her as a personal hairdresser. This was her official entry into the storyline of The Young and the Restless.

Katherine was a heavy smoker and an alcoholic, so much so that her husband Phillip could not stand to be with her. Instead, he fell for Jill and she started to love him despite fighting her feelings. The two slept with each other, and Jill got pregnant. However, after finding out about this, Katherine drove Phillip off a cliff, and he succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.

After Phillip's death, Katherine evicted Jill and her newborn son, Phillip III, from the Chancellor Estate. Jill then had a string of affairs to find support and shelter for herself and her baby. Some of her lovers included David Mallory, Derek Thurston, and Stuart Brooks.

Soon, Jill started working for the cosmetics company Jabot. The company owner, John Abbott, was impressed by her work and promoted her to head of merchandising. The two even started a brief relationship, but Jill cheated on him with his son, Jack Abbott. John broke up with Jill, and she countered by filing a harassment suit against Jack.

After many ups and downs, Jill married John Abbott in 1982. Jill initially faced many challenges in her new household, especially with the housekeeper, Mamie Johnson, who wanted to protect John from Jill. Eventually, the relationship became strained, leading to Jill's divorce in 1986.

With some luck, Jill got 20% of Jabot and a seat on the company's board of directors during her divorce settlement. Later, Jill was found badly wounded and shot in her shower. Though she made a slow recovery, there were still many suspects to consider, primarily John, Jack, and her old arch nemesis, Katherine.

However, the true culprit turned out to be Sven, a masseur whose advances Jill had rejected in the Genoa City Hospital. He was soon exposed by Jack, who rescued Jill. It is around this point in The Young and the Restless that the casting for Jill changed and Brenda Dickson left the role for good.

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