THE SCOOP

Since early July we’ve been reporting that actor Michael Mealor would soon be departing “The Young and the Restless” as Kyle Abbott after just three and a half years on the show, joining in 2018 as the son of Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) and Diane Jenkins (last played by Maura West). Neither Mealor nor the soap had issued any comment on the matter until word slipped a few days ago via co-star Jason Thompson (Billy Abbott) in response to a fan sharing how they’d miss seeing the two actors in scenes together. Thompson’s tweet, wherein he said he’d miss working with Mealor as well, was subsequently deleted by the actor but helped prompt Mealor himself to confirm his exit from daytime’s number one soap.

“In true Chanccomm fashion, Uncle Billy broke the news first…..my time as we know it on The Young and the Restless is coming to a close,” wrote Mealor on Twitter, referring to Thompson inadvertently confirming Mealor’s exit and then deleting the tweet. “The last three and a half years has been a truly humbling and life changing experience. I wouldn’t have been here this long without your love!” Mealor added.

“From every engagement and every heart break, whether you were #KOLA or #SKYLE, y’all were along for the rollercoaster,” Mealor further commented on fans of his on-screen pairings. “Thank you ‘The Young and the Restless,’ CBS and SONY for trusting me with this incredible character. Thank you for allowing me to be your Kyle Abbott. So much love!”

Mealor’s exit reportedly coincides with the exit of co-star Hunter King (Summer Newman). Both actors are said to have reached a stalemate in their contract negotiations with the CBS series and will be exiting the show in the near future. No official last air date for either actor has been reported and there’s yet to be any word on the show’s interest in recasting either role.

Prior to joining “Y&R,” Mealor’s acting credits included appearances in such TV series as “Supergirl,” “Chasing Life” and “Roadies,” among others. His first acting gig was in the 2014 horror film “Indigenous” according to his IMDb page.