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Y&R Alum Jay Bontatibus Passes Away After Lengthy Battle With Cancer At 52

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/IMDB

Sad news to report this evening in the soap world. Soap Opera Digest divulged that former Y&R actor Jay Bontatibus passed away on February 12 in Los Angeles after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Bontatibus is best known for his portrayal of Tony Visacardi on the CBS sudser, a role he played from 1998-2000.  In story, Tony fell in love with Megan Dennison (Ashley Jones) and was eventually was run over killed by her sister, Trisha Dennison (Sabryn Genet).

Later in his daytime career, Jay had recurring roles on General Hospital and Port Charles  (ex-Andy, 2002-03) and was last seen on the soaps back in 2008 on Days of our Lives in the role of Rob.

Bontatibus was married to current Days of our Lives casting director and former Y&R casting director,Marnie Saitta from 2002 to 2005. Family and friends have supported Jay through his difficult and heartbreaking ordeal and have thanked the fans for their support.

Send your well-wishes and condolences to Jay’s family, and your remembrances of his soap opera career, in the comment section below.

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How very sad to read this news. Cancer can be so unexpected in a younger person and always family and friends are hopeful for a healthy outcome for their loved one. I’m certain he felt very loved during his illness by those who knew him well and his fans near and far. God Bless his soul. Condolences to his family and friends.

RIP Jay, my prayers are with his family & friends

Jay was great on the Y&R and will be greatly missed.

So sorry for their loss. Sending prayers for God’s healing Grace on them.

May he rest in peace. But he was Tony Viscardi #2. And he played the role from 1999-2000. Nick Scotti was Tony Viscardi #1.

very sad,,, to young to leave this world,,
i remember his storyline very well…r,i,p.

Rip and he was a wonderful actor. Prayers to the family
Way to young!!

I only knew him on GH and Port Charles. I always enjoyed his portrayal of Andy. So sorry to hear about his passing. Far too young. RIP.

So sorry for your loss

Jay was a wonderful man and a complete professional as well. He was terrific on General Hospital & Port Charles, and I am lucky enough to have gotten to know him personally as well.

I still remember him on Y&R. Awesome. Loved him and Megan together. Hated when Trisha set it up to kill him. Sad about his battle with cancer; but his acting is remembered by a lot of appreciative people 🙂

So sad! Such a talented actor! Prayers for r his family.

My condolences to your family.

This is so damn sad. He was a handsome and talented actor and some kind of inherent sweetness came through his performance.
He’s left this world way too young.

So sad, what a loss to the Daytime Community. Jay was a wonderful actor and I loved him on Y&R. May he RIP.

So for your loss.

How sad. I remember him form Y&R. He had that indefinable quality that lit up the screen. So very handsome and talented. Condolences to his family and loved ones.

So Sad…RIP Jay Bontatibus:( Gone Way too young. Prayers for his family and friends & for all the Y&R Cast who worked so closely with him. Y&R Fan here since the 80’s.

I remember when Jay took over the role of Tony on Y&R and immediately liked him. I was so sad when his character met his tragic end on the show. I was happy to see him on GH as Andy Cappelli and hoped that character would stick around longer than he did.

Jay was a beautiful talent and I’m so sorry to hear about his passing. My condolences and prayers to his family and friends. May he now be at peace.

Such sad news ! My thoughts are with Jay and his family.

Praying for the family. It breaks my heart hearing this news. I watched Jay on The Young and the Restless. Also praying for friends and people that worked with him on the soap operas.

Thank you for bringing your talent and love to so many in this world. YOU WILL BE MISSED GREATLY.. RIP.

what a wonderful and talented man I never missed anything he did on tv I will miss him . my prayers go out to his family . rip my friend!!

My condolences to Jay’s loved ones and his Y&R family. A great talent gone way too soon.

Wow so sad he was a great actor he will be missed Rest in peace…

I don.t rember him

God Bless Jay.
-SD, CHS class of ’85

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Susan Flannery and Ian Buchanan Visit the Set of ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’; Daytime Emmy Winners Reflect on Show Then and Now

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Susan Flannery and Ian Buchanan

The one and only Susan Flannery (ex-Stephanie Forrester) dropped in to see her former co-stars on The Bold and the Beautiful at their Sunset Las Palmas Studio in Hollywood, along with her good friend and another B&B co-star Ian Buchanan (ex-James Warwick) on Tuesday October 20.

It was the first time in a very long time that The four-time Daytime Emmy winning actress was reunited with Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke), Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy), executive producer and head writer, Brad Bell, Jennifer Gareis and even her TV sister, Alley Mills (Pam, B&B now Heather, GH) showed up for the day too!

Flannery played the Forrester matriarch from 1987 until 2012. It was then that after playing the part of Stephanie for 25 years that Susan made the decision to retire from acting and in one of the most heartbreaking sendoffs, passes away from lung cancer in Brooke’s arms in November of 2012. During her B&B tenure, Flannery won 3 of her 4 Daytime Emmys, the other being for her first soap role as Laura Horton on Days of our Lives back in 1975.

Susan and Kelly

Photo: Bell-Phillip TV

As for Ian Buchanan, he played Dr. Warwick, psychiatrist, from 1993 to 1999.  He returned for other runs in 2014 and 2017.  Buchanan took home his Daytime Emmy in 1997 for his work as James. Soap fans also remember, Ian as mobster Duke Lavery on General Hospital, and Dr. Greg Madden on All My Children,

Both Susan and Ian shared their thoughts on coming back to The Bold and the Beautiful, for Susan 14 years later since he exited and for Ian close to 9 years since his last appearance below.

Susan said, “It’s definitely like coming home in a way, even though it’s not the same studio. It’s really lovely to see old faces and old faces with new faces. It takes you back mentally. You start remembering what it was like back then, even things like how much your feet would ache at the end of the day from wearing six-inch heels. It was just lovely to be back and see everybody.”

Susan Flannery and cast

Photo: Bell-Phillip TV

Ian expressed, “It’s a mind trip, you know. When I was sitting looking at the big Forrester set, it was like stepping back in time, almost. It takes you back mentally, and you start remembering what it was like when you were here before.”

“It’s lovely to see all these people again, even if you don’t know everybody,” explained soap vet Buchanan. “There’s something really special about coming back and seeing the show and the people who have been part of it for so long.”

So, happy to see Susan and Ian with some of their former castmates? Do you think Stephanie and Brooke is one of the greatest frenemy stories in daytime history? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Beyond the Gates

Tabitha Brown and Kandi Burruss Guest Star on ‘Beyond the Gates’ for Dani’s ‘Welcome to Your Life’ TV Special; What Could Go Wrong?

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Kandi Burress, Tabitha Brown, Karla Mosley

As previously announced, Beyond the Gates is bringing chef, author and actress Tabitha Brown and Grammy Award-winning songwriter, singer and actress Kandi Burruss to Fairmont Crest in a special episode of the CBS daytime drama airing Thursday, October 22.

In the episode, Dani’s (Karla Mosley) best friend Pamela Curtis (Cady McClain), arranges a “Welcome to Your Life” television special for her. As it turns out, Brown will play the show’s host, Tia Allen, while Burruss takes on the role of Dani’s first modeling agent, Kalista Kilroy, who turns the celebration of her life into a bad trip down memory lane.

Dani’s parents Anita and Vernon (Tamara Tunie, Clifton Davis), sister Nicole (Daphnee Duplaix), and daughters Chelsea (RhonniRose Mantilla) and Naomi (Arielle Prepetit) all join the show to celebrate and support her but also witness how things so south. Also appearing in the episode are Molly Figueroa as Tatum Stewart and fan-favorite Anita Williams (Tunie) impersonator Jackie Tyree!

Beyond the Gates

PhotoL JPI

THE 411 ON TIA AND KALISTA

Speaking with TV Insider, about their soapy experience in Fairmont Crest, Tabitha Brown previewed about her host with the most, “Tia is very professional, but she’s a girl’s girl. She is a protector of women and wants to tell their stories in a beautiful way, but she also wants to make sure they’re seen in a very good light.”

However, Burruss previews that Kalista arrives with a score to settle. “She’s spicy,” shared the recording artist. “I always love playing somebody that has come to start trouble. It’s always fun to play a villain of sorts, but Kalista feels like she’s been done wrong and she’s hurt by what she feels has been done to her. So Kalista is stirring up trouble, but she feels justified putting Dani on blast. Kalista is ready for some payback.”

Beyond the Gates is produced by CBS Studios, as part of the CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble. Created by head writer Michele Val Jean, executive producers include Val Jean, Sheila Ducksworth, Julie Carruthers, Tracey Thomson, Leon W. Russell, Derrick Johnson, Anna Saalfeld and Lela Coffey.

Beyond the Gates is broadcast weekdays on CBS (2:00-3:00 PM, ET/1:00-2:00 PM, PT) and is available to stream on Paramount+**.

So, looking forward to this special episode of Beyond the Gates when Dani is put on a blast during a blast from her past and Welcome to Your Life TV special? Share your thoughts via the comment section.

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Days Of Our Lives

‘Days of our Lives’ Reveals Kyle Pryor Cast as Dominic Marino

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Kyle Pryor

For months now, Days of our Lives has teased the character of Dominic Marino. In recent weeks, viewers learned that Marino is on the down low working with Sami Brady’s (Alison Sweeney) apparent fiancé ‘Dante Vitali (Franco LoPresti), and that he is the never-before-heard-of child of Stefano DiMera (the late Joseph Mascolo) and Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall)!

Up until now, the Peacock streaming soap opera has never revealed his face, but that all seemed to change on the Tuesday, October 2o episode of DAYS. In story, Dante met Sami’s parents for the first time, Roman (Josh Taylor) and Marlena.

He shows them a photo of Dominic, which he happened to have on his own phone and even commented he kind of looked like he could be Marlena’s son. The photo, which has quickly made it around Soap Twitter/X, revealed that British-born actor Kyle Pryor is the man in the photo and eagle-eyed viewers actually located said photo on Pryor’s Instagram.

Dominix

Photo: Peacock

Deadline revealed Pryor started taping at the end of 2025 and will first be seen in the role, on air Monday, November 2.  In addition, Days will celebrate its 61st Anniversary with two special episodes featuring Dominic’s arrival, as well the returns of Tony and Anna DiMera, played respectively by Thaao Penghlis and Leann Hunley, on Friday, November 6 and Monday, November 9.

Those in the know, are are that Pryor previously held series regular roles on Australia’s Home and Away, and the UK’s Hollyoaks and guest starred on Emmerdale. In an ironic twist, Pryor appeared in the series Spartacus: Blood and Sand which is the same action series his apparent TV brother, Dan Feuerriegel (EJ DiMera), once appeared in before coming to DAYS.

So excited to see Kyle Pryor take on the role of Dominic Marino as Days of our Lives sets its anniversary story to kick-off with is arrival in Salem? Share your thoughts in the comment section. And in case you missed our latest conversation with Conner Floyd (Chad DiMera) he weighs-in on how Dominic’s appearance will shake things up in Salem. You can check that out below.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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