News
Hunter Tylo Reflects on Son Mickey’s Tragic Death, and Refusing to Play Trauma Surrounding Phoebe’s Death on B&B; “My Pain is Not for Sale”
The original Taylor Hayes of The Bold and the Beautiful, Hunter Tylo, recently made two surprise livestream appearances. It is the first time in several years that anyone had heard publicly from Tylo herself. As previously reported, she showed up as a guest on the Unexpected Cosmology You Tube Channel.
One of the more emotional and heated moments came when Hunter was asked about getting a start in show business as an actor. In her response, and to make a point, she recalled some of the harrowing moments that led to her beloved then 19-year old son, Mickey Tylo, falling into the family pool after having an epileptic seizure and dying back in October of 2007. Meanwhile, on-screen, Taylor’s daughter, Phoebe Forrester (MacKenzie Mauzy) died in a car crash on an episode that aired in December of 2008.
In the story, Phoebe came back to town and she was mortified to find Rick (then, Kyle Lowder) in bed with her mother! Later in 2008, Phoebe learned Rick kissed her fraternal twin-sister Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) against her will. When Phoebe confronted Rick at his office about it, he tried to get away. She followed him to his car and got in with him. As he drove, she became physical, hitting him. Rick lost control of the vehicle and then crashed. While Rick survived, Phoebe died in her father, Ridge’s (then Ronn Moss) arms.
Photo: JPI
While Hunter seemed a bit off on her dates; as to when her son passed away and then having to play the reaction to Phoebe’s death as Taylor on The Bold and the Beautiful; she explained how being an actor on a soap, or in film or primetime, can be difficult, and how she has gotten a “reputation” over the years for standing up for herself.
Hunter explained, “I don’t think people understand what they’re getting into by wanting to be an actor or an actress. I have, in the past, temperamentally walked off off of a set. I have refused to say things or do things because either they didn’t jive with what I believe in, or I could just see how flat out wrong it was.” Next, Tylo began to illustrate how sometimes soap writers may use actors real-life experiences and write it to their storylines.
MICKEY TYLO’S DEATH
Hunter added,“They (the writers) will start taking your real life and then they’ll write it into the story. So, you get to live it twice. In real life, my 19-year-old son, used to go to all these concerts. He wanted to be a DJ. We were living near Vegas. I used to commute to L.A, because I hated L.A. He would go to all these concerts. He was hanging out with “Panic at the Disco, and all these guys who were just getting started in Vegas. They were making him their promoter. Mickey was getting overstimulated by all of the flashing lights and probably the grinding crazy music that also scrambles your brain with death tone frequencies. He ended up getting epilepsy from it, and by time he was 19 1/2, it killed him, because he went outside to get phone reception at our house in Vegas and he had a seizure at that moment. He fell in the pool and no one was there. Unfortunately, his brother had to find him.”
Photo: JPI
REFUSING TO PLAY SCENES FOLLOWING PHOEBE’S DEATH ON THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
“The next thing I know in the script, one of my daughters dies. She gets hit and killed in a car wreck,” recounted Hunter. “I’m like, ‘What? I can’t do that. I can’t do this!’ This only happened like three weeks ago or two or whatever, however long it was. I don’t know. Each day (I was supposed to show up for work) I noticed I was getting later and later coming to the set. My body was saying, ‘Don’t do this. Do not relive this because you’re going to have to use real life to get the tears to flow. You’re going have a meltdown or something.’ There were a lot of people talking who were bad mouthing me (saying), “Look at her. She’s late to the set all the time. Look at her. She’s just acting like a drama queen.”
Photo: JPI
Hunter recalled the time she refused to perform a key moment in the story: “They wrote a scene where I’m supposed to go to the morgue to identify my daughter, which everybody knows what a parent would really have to do. I did have to go through that, and they wanted me to reenact it, live it, and do this whole thing of grieving and holding her body and her toes and her hands, and kissing their head like you do. I wasn’t going to do that. I said, ‘I don’t care. Fire me. Goodbye. This ain’t happening. I mean, it’s not for sale. My pain is not for sale, okay?”‘
UNDERSTANDING THE STRESS OF BEING AN ACTOR
As she finished her recollections, Tylo ended with, “So, that’s why I say to anybody who wants to be an actor know what you’re getting into. You don’t understand the stress. It’s not all roses. It’s not all flashy cars and limos and gowns and red carpets and lights are flashing and everybody loves you. It’s not. Sometimes people hate your guts and sometimes you’re doing stuff that is extremely traumatizing to yourself. So that’s my two- cents.”
You can check out the moment during her livestream conversation where Hunter brings up her son’s tragic death and Phoebe’s on-screen death on The Bold and the Beautiful below.
Now, let us know, what are your thoughts on an actor having to relive something close to a real-life tragedy that impacted them significantly? Do you remember Phoebe’s death on B&B? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Hunter Tylo tells how three weeks after her son’s tragic death, writers wanted her to film the scenes with Phoebe’s death on the show and she refused. #BoldandBeautiful pic.twitter.com/aW1Kpspfbv
— Tridge Family – Bold and Beautiful (@DrTaylorHayesBB) August 9, 2025
I admire Hunter for refusing to do a storyline while she was grieving the loss of her son. Brad bell was wrong to even write a storyline so personal.
Hunter Tylo always seemed to be the class of B&B even dealing with such stupid stories. Just reread the recap of the lead-up to Phoebe’s death, for example. Ridge’s step/half brother and/or stepson Rick (depending on who is married to whom when) — son of his dad (Eric, who raised him) and his true love Brooke — was in bed with Taylor, his step/half brother and/or stepfather’s on-again/off-again wife, and mother of his children, twins Phoebe and Steffy, at times Rick’s stepsisters, or first cousins once removed. And Rick romanced both of them and their mother, his step sister-in-law.
Well, that’s an actor’s job. It was a year later. I do agree having to do the morgue scene would be tough. Hopefully she could talk to the writers, etc. and explain.
I don’t think epilepsy is brought on by being around flashing lights.
Agreed on both points. Perhaps the writers could have been a lot more sensitive Tylo’s emotions in writing elements of that story, given the loss of her son the prior year. That said, she returned to her *job* as an actress *on a soap opera* and surely had to expect that she would be asked to portray sadness and grief again eventually. Grief does weird things, so I won’t judge her for it *feeling like* it was weeks after her son passed away — that truly would have been unspeakably cruel — but it really wasn’t.
On your latter point, yes and no — while flashing lights/sensory overload can absolutely set off epileptic seizure episodes for those who already have the condition, you are correct: you can’t actually acquire the condition itself that way. While they don’t know the exact cause for people to get the condition itself, it’s usually related to genetics or a brain/head trauma issue. There’s no valid research to suggest that someone can get it by being around things that trigger episodes in people who already have it. Doesn’t mean he didn’t have epilepsy or that it didn’t contribute to his death, but it’s odd that she’d blame it on him being around the music scene.
Still don’t know why Brad brought her back one year later just to destroy her character. She was on Larry King after her son died I believe she did sue the doctor for malpractice but nothing came of it she has had a tragic life ups and downs but to me she was the only Taylor. Hope she comes to peace and moves on Brad destroyed the character so I’m happy for her not to come back .
Beyond the Gates
‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (Exclusive)
Soap opera fans are always clamoring for when Dancing with the Stars reveals their cast each season, that they would include a familiar face from daytime drama, but it rarely happens, if ever, anymore.
Over the last several years, the series has leaned heavily into casting celebrities with massive TikTok or Instagram followers, which in turn, have helped this season and last have their best ratings numbers in years.
But, how about for next season’s cast of Dancing with the Stars, that it could include newly-awarded Daytime Emmy winner, Ambyr Michelle (Eva Thomas) of Beyond the Gates?
Photo: CBS
LOVE OF DANCE TO LOVE OF ACTING
Michael Fairman TV spoke to Michelle about her dance background and if she would love a shot at lifting the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy during Wednesday’s November 11, livestream chat on the Michael Fairman Channel.
Ambyr explained to fans (who joined in on the live chat), how she began her show business career. “I started off as a dancer, first and foremost. Acting wasn’t really something I wanted to go after. I did plays when I was younger, but it was just something we did in school, but I really wanted to be a dancer. I moved out to LA to dance, and I fell out of love with dance, which was so weird.”
This year’s Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series winner, added, “I was like, ‘What is going on?’ I moved all the way out here for dance. I found I was forcing myself to go to dance class, and I just didn’t have the passion for it. I was working at this restaurant at the time, and one of my coworker was like, ‘What about taking an acting class out here?'”
Next, Ambyr took the coworker up on the idea. “So, I took an acting class and I fell in love with it that day,” shared Michelle. “I was like, ‘I want to do this for the rest of my life.’ I thought, I would love to book a role, of course, as a dancer, but I think acting has a little bit more longevity.”
Photo: ABC
A SHOT AT THE LEN GOODMAN MIRRORBALL TROPHY
When the talked turned to if Ambyr would consider or be interested in appearing on the ballroom dance competition series, she piped up with, “I would love to do Dancing with the Stars! Pick me!”
As those in the live chat rallied around this idea, it made us think, Ambyr could be the first contestant from Beyond the Gates, and someone representing the soaps. It checks off so many boxes! To which Ambyr replied, “That would be beautiful.”
You can check out the full conversation with Ambyr below.
So, what do you think soap fans? Can we make sure Ambyr’s name gets in front of the producers and casting director for next season’s Dancing with the Stars? Would you like to see her in the competition? If so, who would be your dream pro professional dance partner for her? Let us know in the comment section.
The latest ratings are out for the week of October 26-30, 2026 and the big takeaways include: that CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates was separated by only 23,000 viewers behind third place (of the soaps) General Hospital! For the last several weeks, Beyond the Gates has been closing the gap on this year’s winner for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, and continuing to best GH in the key demos.
According to the latest Nielsen ratings breakdown from Soap Opera Network, the final week of October brought Beyond the Gates 1.790 million on average tuning-in and the show set a season high in total viewers. Meanwhile, General Hospital hit a new season low! The long-running ABC soap had 1.813 million for the week, and once again the series did not go over the 2 million mark.
Meanwhile, in the key Women 18-49 demo, Beyond the Gates was firmly ahead of GH with a rating share of 0.21, while General Hospital had 0.17 rating share.Then, in the key Women 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates was once again ahead of the ABC soap with a ratings share for that demo at 0.30 while GH came in with 0.26.
Photo: CBS
MORE BY THE NUMBERS
In addition and comparatively, Beyond the Gates +22,000 viewers week-to-week, and had the largest gains in viewership year-to-year in daytime TV with +267,000 from this in 2025.. However, General Hospital seems to be going in reverse. The show was down -56,000 viewers week-over-week and down -22,000 year-over-year .
BEYOND THE GATES
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines that had people tuning-in to Beyond the Gates during the ratings week:
Hayley (Marquita Goings) attempted a massive shocker regarding her pregnancy and tried to use it to extract money from Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). Although, Bill saw right through her game, he demanded a paternity test, and made it clear he has no intention of raising the child—planning instead to pay her off to take the baby and leave. Meanwhile, Hayley confided her plan to her cousin Randy (Maurice P. Kerry).
Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) clashed over Jacob’s ongoing investigation into The Impaler, causing significant strain in their marriage. At the same time, Smitty (Mike Manning) considered taking matters into his own hands—including potentially heading to Mexico for evidence—while Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) worried about what comes next.
Photo: ABC
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Over at General Hospital for the ratings period, the story served up included:
Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) teamed up to investigate what really happened to Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). Later, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) leads them to Jack’s dead body.
Jude (Wil Traval) dropped a bombshell claim to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn); that he is Phoebe’s father, while Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) signed their divorce papers.
Then, Danny caught Rocco (Finn Carr) and Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) sharing a kiss, plus the shocking return of Heather Webber (Alley Mills) capped the week.
Now the questions become; without having much promotional synergy in the ABC day-part to draw more eyeballs it is not helping but hurting General Hospital. It seems Beyond the Gates is also a benefactor of a one-two-three punch of CBS soaps (Y&R, B&B and BTG) and promotion.
However, that still doesn’t take away the fact that Beyond the Gates is close to besting GH in all ratings category as they go head-to-head in some markets across the country.
So, are you excited to see Beyond the Gates climb in the ratings? Are you concerned for General Hospital? Do you think they can stave off Beyond the Gates in total viewers or will the upstart soap overtake them in the next ratings report? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Antonio Sabáto Jr., the former Jagger Cates of General Hospital and GH: Night Shift, and the former Dante Damiano of The Bold and the Beautiful has issued his first public statement since the incident involving his son, Jack’s arrest in Alaska for a fatal hit-and-run.
Jack is the son of Sabáto Jr. and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, and according to court documents obtained by KTUU Jack, was allegedly driving a white Chevy Tahoe when he hit and killed Carl Simmonds, 42, near an intersection in Anchorage around 5:35 a.m. on Monday, November 9.
The reports indicated that Jack fled the scene — but later decided to called the cops to say he hit “something” that “suddenly appeared in the road” while he was “doing late-night DoorDashing.”
Photo: NBC
Now, Antonio has taken to his Instagram breaking his silence on the situation, sharing, “At this time, my family and I are navigating an extremely sensitive and deeply personal matter.”
He added, “As a father, my love for my children remains unconditional, and my priority is the well-being of my family. We ask that the public and members of the media honor our privacy during this difficult time and keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.”
The soap alum concluded, “I also wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the gentleman who tragically lost his life. My thoughts and prayers are with them as well. We sincerely appreciate your compassion, understanding, and respect for the privacy of everyone affected.”
Jack Sabáto was arraigned in court on Tuesday, November 10 with bail set at $5,000, and a no-driving order and the potential of $5,000 penalty fees if he fails to attend future court appearances.
Antonio is the father to Jack, 34, daughter, Mina Sabato, 24 and son, Antonio Sabáto III, 15.
This is a developing story. You can check out Antonio’s official statement below.
So, let us know your thoughts on this tragic hit-and-run, which claimed the life of another man, and Antonio’s statement, via the comment section below.
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‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (Exclusive)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ in Total Viewers
B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
Antonio Sabáto Jr. Breaks Silence on His Son’s Arrest for Fatal Hit-and-Run
Y&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
‘Days of our Lives’ Kyle Pryor Debuts as Dominic Marino and Says of Alleged TV Mom, “Deidre Hall is the Absolute OG, Amazing” (Exclusive)
‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (Exclusive)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
‘Days of our Lives’ Veteran James Reynolds Reveals Parkinson’s Diagnosis
Y&R’s Matt Cohen Talks Role as Compassionate Zookeeper in Rom-Com ‘Christmas at the Zoo’
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