Just as fans were holding out hope that Michael Mealor would be staying on at “The Young and the Restless” as Kyle Abbott, despite reports of a stalemate with the show over terms on a new contract, co-star Jason Thompson (Billy Abbott) inadvertently confirmed his on-screen nephew’s exit after a fan tweeted, “I am really going to miss Jason Thompson and Michael Mealor in scenes together.”
In a since-deleted response, Thompson said, “Me too!! Michael Mealor is a gem. We will miss him.”
With the soap not commenting on actor contracts per its policy and neither King nor Mealor posting on social media since the last full week of June, there’s credence to something going on behind the scenes.
The pair last shared separate tweets over appreciation from fans for their love and support of “Skyle,” their character’s fan name, after the couple shared an emotional goodbye as Summer left Genoa City for Italy. Meanwhile, Summer enjoyed an emotional goodbye with her father, Nicholas (Joshua Morrow), when he shared a visit with her on the Friday, July 9 episode of the soap. Back in Genoa City, Kyle introduced Harrison, his son with Tara (Elizabeth Leiner), to the rest of the Abbott clan, including Ashley (Eileen Davidson) and Traci (Beth Maitland).
As viewers recall, Tara gave Summer no choice but to leave Genoa City and dump Kyle just as the two were preparing to wed. Later, Summer told Kyle she wasn’t prepared to be a stepmother and decided to leave him for a life-changing job opportunity.
Even with Mealor and King’s final air dates not known at this time, it’s too early to speculate as to whether the show plans to recast either role.