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The Young and the Restless is a CBS daytime show that has been running since 1973. It is based in the fictional town of Genoa City and focuses mainly on two wealthy families in the town: the Newmans and the Abbotts.
Summer Newman Abbott is one of the characters from these families on The Young and the Restless. Hunter King, earlier known as Haley Ashley King, played the role. Hunter has also worked in the show Hollywood Heights (2012).
Hunter King started acting as Summer Newman in The Young and the Restless in 2012, as the daughter of Phyllis Summers and Nick Newman. The fans loved her dramatic character, but in 2021, she decided to leave the show, ending her character's journey for a brief period.
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Hunter played the role of Summer for nearly a decade, and the reason behind her departure from the show was both personal and professional. Though she appreciated her time on the show as Summer, she wanted to explore new opportunities with new challenges.
In an interview with Soap Opera Digest's podcast Dishing With Digest, she expressed her desire to explore new characters.
“I just feel like I'm in a stage of growth in my life in many ways and, at this point in time, I feel I have done a lot of growing on the show, and now I feel it's time for me to grow in other ways and put myself in uncomfortable situations,” she said.
The Young and the Restless: Hunter King's journey as Summer Newman
Hunter King joined The Young and the Restless in 2012 as Summer Newman. Her character evolved from a reckless teenager to an ambitious woman over the years on the show. In 2016, she took a short break from the soap opera to work on a television show called Life In Pieces. After this break, she returned to The Young and the Restless in 2018.
Summer's love story on the show was an important storyline for her character. She had a complicated relationship with Kyle Abbott, played by Michael Mealor, the son of Jack and Diane Abbott.
Even though Kyle and Summer drifted apart for a while on the show as Kyle was married to Lola Rosales, they eventually ended up together and decided to move to Italy in 2021. This marked the end of her journey on the show. Hunter appreciated it and said she was grateful for the time she had spent on it.
“I love playing Summer, she's a big part of me for the last ... almost a decade,” she said on the podcast.
Hunter further added:
“When these things happen, there's a variety of reasons why they happen, but I do hope to always have Summer in my life in some capacity. ... I know that I hold her very near and dear to my heart.”
Hunter leaving the show did not mean Summer's journey on The Young and the Restless had ended. In early 2022, the makers introduced Allison Lanier as the new Summer Newman. This continued Summer's storyline and re-development in her relationship with Kyle.
Hunter King's departure was not what fans wanted, but it has given Summer's character a new face and freshness.
New episodes of The Young and the Restless are aired on weekdays on CBS.
