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Tonya Lee Williams Says She Won’t Ever Be Coming Back to The Young and the Restless

By Michael Fairman

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It’s a different time in her life and she is in a different place, but Tonya Lee Williams (ex-Olivia Barber) addressed being asked back to reprise her signature soap opera role on CBS’ The Young and the Restless.

Tonya told Soaps In Depth the last time the soap reached out to her to reprise Olivia was for its 50th anniversary, “It it would have been lovely to do but I could not imagine doing the role. It takes a lot for me as an actor. You don’t just turn up and start reading a script. I don’t know how to explain it … I trained as an actor. I go through a lot of process into who that character is. And that character was someone from 20 years ago.”

Williams’ Y&R run Williams began back in 1990 and went through 2005. She later returned in 2007 making some appearances in the several years that followed. However, the last time anyone had an Olivia sighting was back in February of 2012 for Cane and Lily’s wedding.

She qualified that she left the show on “great terms,” adding, “I absolutely love the show. It has nothing to do with the show. But I try to explain it like this: Have you ever dated someone for a long time and you don’t want to date them anymore? And you have broken up with them and like, 10, 15 years have passed and people are saying, ‘Would you go back with that guy?’ I’m like, ‘No.’ Because you’re a different person now.”

Currently, Williams is the executive and artistic director for the Reelworld Film Festival. An organization she founded in 2001. Held in Toronto, the film festival features talent from ethnically diverse communities.

So, would you have liked to have seen the character of Olivia show back on Y&R? Perhaps, helping a patient in need since she is a doctor or speaking with/being involved with the Winters family in some capacity? Comment below.

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I was always surprised the role was not recast and used strongly as a supporting character through the years. It would be nice to have Olivia part of the Winters world.

Not surprised… but that won’t stop people from asking for her return, alas. Wishing her the best.

Wonder if she would go back if Victoria Rowell was able to go back. Still hate that Drucilla was never found even though I know all about the falling out between the actress and the network.

Totally agree, I heard she let on bad terms. She’ll always be Drucilla. Would love to see her back.

Oh Absolutely! I loved Drucilla and the wonderful storylines. I wish the network would pay attention to what the viewers want. She got really upset with the network and not knowing the whole unedited story from an unbiased observer, I can’t comment on how I feel about her story. If what she says is true, then I’m on her side. You just never know for sure. But regardless, I’d love to see her back. Easy enough to say she was saved had lost her memory and ended up in Europe eventually and through therapy because of recurring nightmares, she gets her memory back.
Lol. Could happen that way. It’s the miracle of soap operas or call it Magic!

She is right sometimes you can’t go back have not seen an episode in a long time . The good days are over

She was incredible in the role.It’s shame that she wouldn’t go back.

I agree !

She would not be a useful character on the show anymore

Oh absolutely! It would have been great seeing her interact with Nate, being his on show Mom. She is beautiful, intelligent and a terrific actress. I was sad when she left. But at the same time I would be okay if they found someone charismatic and equally beautiful to replace her. So much possible storyline to having an Olivia back on the show even if sadly it’s not the original one.

I can’t really blame her. If the writers or whoever is in charge of Y&R has given her old character (Olivia Hastings) more onscreen time, she probably would have returned for more Y&R episodes.

What is going with Y& R? The storylines are really stupid and boring….the Jordan story lines are pathetic…We need better writers! Have stop watching the show period.

I agree I’m over it and the Chelsea and Adam story is so bad and Lilly and Jack taking pills Nicky the drunk just over it I watch once a week before every day we need new stuff.

Someone looking to be in news.all about me

Definitely would love to see Ms. Williams reprise her role as Olivia. She was so good at it and a pivotal character. Please Ms. Williams think about it I do understand your explanation why you don’t what to come back, but perhaps you could aspire Ms. Rowell and my man Sherma Moore to come back that would be a highly rated Young and the Restless episodes. I know Christoph St. James would be smiling down from heaven.

She, Victoria Rowell, Kristoff St. John, and Shemar Moore contributed to the presence of fully fleshed, realistic Black characters in daytime, and that will forever be their legacy. They are all missed IMMENSELY. Props and much respect to Williams on moving forward and the paths she’s forged since Y&R.

I always like Olivia her part was great I think don’t she has to return as long as she’s happy with what she’s doing that’s great

She has said multiple times her time at Y n R cannot be recaptured. Olivia was smart and beautiful and a great contrast to her scrappy sister Drucilla. As I think the first doctor major character on y n r, a black actress at that and imo her storyline as a wife dealing with cheating and AIDS she has left a huge mark on y n r lore! I think the days of Olivia, Drucilla, Neil and Malcolm will go down as some of my favorite and to bring Liv back without the others wouldn’t feel right. I respect her decision and she is full filled in her behind the scenes work

Yes I would she is a wonderful actress

Yes. Different is to be expected. The same should not be expected nor is it practical. Coming back would bring a new perspective and fresh outlook.

Yes I would and could see Olivia return even if only for a short period being the next in line after Aunt Mimmie as the family legacy falls . And to see she and Nate’s relationship as mother and adult son.

Prediction: Tonya will play Lexie Carver on Days of our Lives, although I’d prefer Renee Jones to return. They’re both good actresses, beautiful and the same age.

I don’t see her coming back would bring people back to watch. We have Mamie back, once a week, and it’s a waste of time. That whole story was dead on arrival….the writers can’t make it more boring for us to watch…it doesn’t matter what actors they have reading the dialouge. Please, look how they wrap up stories, the nut finally goes to prison, and Ashley’s doctor friend has an evil twin. They don’t need Olivia back, they need new writers who care.

Yes I would,
I think Nath, Lilly and Devon need their mother’s.

Beyond the Gates

‘Beyond the Gates’ Nicole Plays the Field: Who Is Her Ultimate Love Match?

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Who would have thought that more uptight of the Beyond the Gates Dupree sisters, Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson (Daphnee Duplaix), would be the one cavorting around with a few different suitors at one time and living it up!  Such as the case of the psychiatrist at Garland Memorial Medical Center.

In story, after her decades-long marriage went bust with Dr. Ted Richardson (thanks to the bombshell by Leslie that Ted and her had an affair the result of which was her having his daughter, Eva), Nicole divorced the renowned plastic surgeon and since that time has two men actively vying her attention, newcomer in town, Dr. Kial Robbins (Greg Vaughan) and Ted’s plastic surgeon partner, Dr. Carlton Fitzgerald (Michael Christopher Riley).

What’s refreshing for daytime is, this is a woman taking control of her personal life, and not making excuses that she is not being mutually-exclusive, She has even explained to both Kial and Carlton that after the stormy ending and the betrayal of her marriage to Ted (Keith D. Robinson), she’s not rushing into anything with any sort of short or long term commitment. So, everyone knows what they are getting themselves into.

For Nicole, let the fun begin and this week on all new episodes of Beyond the Gates come the Friday, May 8 episode while with Carlton, Nicole runs into Food Network Chef, Sunny Anderson who is also a regular contributor and official “Drew Crew” member on The Drew Barrymore Show. Meanwhile, Ted is thinking about another woman who Shanice thinks is Leslie, but doesn’t he just love Nicole and wants her back, try as he might to move on with anyone that isn’t her? Stay tuned.

This week, in the latest promo for Beyond the Gates, things are getting hot and heavy in the bedroom between Nicole and Carlton, while previous she had quite the time with Kial.

Check out the latest video teaser for episodes airing May 4-8 below.

So, who do you think will be the ultimate love match for Nicole? Will she wind up back with Ted, choose to be exclusive with Kial or Carlton, or will no one get Nicole, and she will just continue to be single and happy for the rest of her life? Let us know your picks via the comment section.

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General Hospital

RATINGS: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Outdistances ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ in Total Viewers, ‘GH’ Most Audience Gains Year-Over-Year

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The ratings report is out for the week of April 13-17, 2026, and the top-rated The Young and the Restless, pulled further ahead than in recent weeks of its top competitor and sister soap, The Bold and the Beautiful in total viewers.

According to the latest ratings report from Soap Opera Network, for the four network broadcast soap operas, on the strength of several key storylines, Y&R came in averaging 3,126,000 total viewers while B&B had 2,759,000. Total viewers data was not available for the previous week.

In story, The Young and the Restless delivered the fallout from Holden (Nathan Owens) learning he’s Malcolm Winters (Shemar Moore) biological son, Stephanie (Vivica A. Fox) hoping her son would be be a donor match to save Malcolm’s life, and Holden letting Lily (Christel Khalil) know he is her half-brother. In other arcs, Sally (Courtney Hope) learned she is pregnant with Billy’s (Jason Thompson) child, while Adam (Mark Grossman) headed to Vegas to help his brother Nick (Joshua Morrow) takedown his nemesis Matt Clark (Roger Howarth).

Photo: JPI

Adam reunited with Riza (Tina Casciani) with whom he was known as Spyder. He is concerned that Nick has developed a drug addiction. Adam gets knocked out by Matt Clark after finding Nick in a storage room and the two are taken hostage. Eventually, Adam gets Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) to save them while Nick finds a stash of pills and pockets them. Matt prepares to take Sharon (Sharon Case) and Noah (Lucas Adams) hostage.

Over at The Bold and the Beautiful, the truth was finally exposed and thanks to a tip off from Daphne (Murielle Hilaire), Electra (Laneya Grace) leaned that Ivy (Ashleigh Brewer) was the perpetrator who took the letter meant for Will (Crew Morrow), where she professed her love for him and wanting to be back together with him.

Ivy, went so far as to continue saying she was doing it for her niece’s own good. Elsewhere, Katie (Heather Tom) and Brooke’s (Katherine Kelly Lang) riff as over their warring fashion houses Forrester Creations and Logan heated up, while Dylan (Sydney Bullock) and R.J. (Brayan Nicoletti) both were figuring what, if any, future she had with Will, and he had with Electra.

MORE VIEWERS TUNING IN THAN 2025

It should be noted that year-over-year all four soaps were up in 2026 in total viewers for the ratings period. Y&R was up +75,000, B&B +202,000, Beyond the Gates +117,000, who for this ratings period had 1,661,000 tuning-in, and General Hospital which came in at under 2 million viewers for the week, but did see the largest jump in total viewers compared to 2025 with +211,000.

In story at General Hospital for the week, Ethan Lovett (Nathan Dean) returned to Port Charles, Curtis (Donnell Turner) was worried about Jordan’s (Tanisha Harper) medical issues following the car crash, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) developed an interest to join the mob, Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) confronted Jacinda (Paige Herschell), and Nina (Cynthia Watros) learned her daughter shot Drew (Cameron Mathison), and has been drugging him into a locked-in state unable to speak or move.

The ratings discussed above are from Nielsen and their Live+Same Day data for the week of April 13-17, 2026.

So, what do you think of the latest total viewer ratings picture? Which daytime drama is floating your boat? Which are you interested in least? Let us know via the comment section below.

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Alum Haley Pullos Stars in Lifetime’s ‘The Dating App Nightmare’

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Haley Pullos (ex-Molly-Lansing Davis, General Hospital) will be seen in the upcoming Lifetime Movie Network (LMN) thriller, The Dating App Nightmare which drops next week on Thursday, May 7 at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

The Lifetime movie marks the first acting role for Pullos since being able to resume her acting career, following her 2023 DUI car crash when she collided head-on with another vehicle where both drivers suffered injuries and has been serving out five years of probation following her April 2024 plea and three-month jail sentence.

Soap fans know Pullos best as Molly, the daughter of Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) and Ric Lansing’s (Ric Hears). Haley played the role from 2009-2023. The part is currently played by Kristen Vaganos.

Photo: LMN

DATING APP GONE WRONG

Now, focusing on getting back to her career, in The Dating App Nightmare, the story centers around a single mom named Kate who signs up for a dating app with her daughter Sarah (Pullos) hoping it will turn into a bonding moment. However, things quickly deteriorate. Sarah goes MIA after a date with someone she met on the app. That launches Kate to launch her own search for her Sarah.

Others in the cast include: Nicky Whelan who plays Kate. The Dating App Nightmare also features Charisma Carpenter, Brennan Mejia, and Nikolas Elrifi. The film was directed by Glenn Ciano and written Jackie Moore and Daniel West.

For the last several years GH fans had been concerned for Haley. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office initially charged Pullos with two felony counts of DUI and one misdemeanor count of hit-and-run. Under a plea agreement, she pleaded no contest to one felony count of DUI causing injury, and the remaining charges were dismissed.

Photo: JPI

UPDATE ON HALEY’S LEGAL CASE

According to Pasadena Now in a summation of Pullos legal issues as of January 2026, “Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Terry Smerling sentenced Pullos in July 2024 to five years probation, 200 hours of community service, a nine-month alcohol treatment program, and a mental health treatment program. She was also ordered to pay $8,260 in restitution to the other driver and prohibited from driving for one year.

The other driver, Courteney Wilder, was initially in critical condition and later filed a civil lawsuit against Pullos seeking damages. Wilder reached a settlement of more than $1 million with No Comment Lounge, a Pasadena establishment where Pullos had allegedly worked, in October 2025. Pullos remains a defendant in the civil lawsuit.”

Haley has been acting since she was a child having worked in film, TV and commercials. In 2008, she landed a guest starring role Ghost Whisperer, followed by Knight Rider and Saving Grace before becoming GH’s Molly. Along the way, Pullos was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in the now defunct Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series back in 2015.

So happy to hear that Haley is back working as an actress and landed a role in the upcoming Lifetime thriller, The Dating App Nightmare? Share you thoughts in the comment section.

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CBS unveils Beyond the Gates season 2 promo and Jordi Vilasuso joins the cast. Leave A Comment

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