Justin Hartley Was Almost Not ‘Y&R’s’ New Adam Newman?

As they celebrated their first anniversary as hosts of “Soap Box with Lilly & Martha” on Thursday, August 21, former daytime soap stars Lilly Melgar (“General Hospital”) and Martha Madison (“Days of our Lives”) had soap journalist Michael Maloney, talent manager Michael Bruno and online soap reporter Michael Fairman on as guests as they discussed the week’s biggest soap opera news. No story was bigger this past week than the news of Justin Hartley (“Passions,” “Revenge,” “Mistresses”) returning to daytime television to portray a recast Adam Newman on CBS’ “The Young and the Restless.” According to Bruno, however, there was a chance that the role could have gone to Hartley’s former “Smallville” co-star Tom Welling, “Sex and the City’s” Jason Lewis or “Queer as Folk’s'” Gale Harold.

Michael Bruno, who manages several daytime soap stars past and present, including Amelia Heinle, who portrays Victoria Newman on “The Young and the Restless,” appeared on the Thursday, May 29 edition of the Lilly Melgar (“General Hospital,” “The Bay”) and Martha Madison (“Days of our Lives,” “The Bay”) hosted radio show “Soap Box with Lilly and Martha” to discuss several soap related topics. One of which was the recent news of David Tom being let go from “Y&R” as Billy Abbott and being replaced by daytime newcomer Burgess Jenkins.

Five years after being taken off contract and placed on recurring status, Jacklyn Zeman (ex-Bobbie Spencer, “General Hospital”) has opened up to Soap Opera Digest in its newest issue about the circumstances surrounding her unexpected departure from the ABC daytime drama series.