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Y&R’s Peter Bergman Talks On Dina’s Death & How It Will Impact Jack, His Final Scenes With Marla Adams & Taping During COVID-19

By Michael Fairman

Published

6 years ago

on

Photo: CBS

The Abbott family is reeling from the death of their mother, Dina Mergeron, who passed away from complications from Alzheimer’s disease at the end of last Friday’s episode; signaling the end of an era for Dina’s portrayer, Marla Adams.  In a pivotal and heart-breaking scene, Dina shares one last goodbye with her children: Traci (Beth Maitland), Ashley (Eileen Davidson) and of course, Jack (Peter Bergman).

Today, the drama continues as the Abbott’s grieve Dina’s death and its aftermath while they remember the life of their flawed mother. This puts Jack at the epicenter of the family, and like it, or not, the new head of the clan.  What does the future hold for him now?

Michael Fairman TV chatted with three-time Daytime Emmy winner, Peter Bergman, who has embodied Jack for over 30 years on the top-rated CBS Daytime drama, to get his thoughts on: how Y&R needed to handle Dina’s death within the confines of the coronavirus pandemic and its safety protocols, what he felt about playing those final scenes with Marla Adams and the significance of the ‘teardrop of love’, and a preview of what fans can expect in the coming days as the impact of Dina’s death will be felt by the Abbott children and extended family.

 

An actor’s actor, you can always expect a conversation with Peter to be forthright, candid and enlightening, and this one was no different.  Here’s what one of the genre’s absolute best had to share about the significance of this story and more.

How has it been returning to Y&R during the pandemic?  I bet you never thought in all of your years in daytime, that you would be doing your scenes socially-distanced, sitting or standing, so far apart from your castmates.

Courtesy/CBD

PETER:  Just getting back to work felt great, loved that.  I wasn’t involved really in romantic scenes at this point, so that I didn’t have to do.  So, all in all, I was very happy to be back, and socially-distancing didn’t really bother me at all, and then Dina died.  Doing that from six feet away was just awful.  You saw the limits at a time where not any of us could be within six feet of each other; where you would usually hold a hand, stroke a brow, and talk softly.  So, I think the writers did what they needed to do to make it work for Dina’s exit.  We are in the middle of COVID, in case anybody forgot, and so you have to ask, ‘Does America really want to watch an elderly woman die in the middle of the Abbott living room or anywhere else?’  So, we had to have Dina’s exit without looking at a dead body, out of respect for the times we are living in.  We had to do a strong, powerful, pivotal scene with our hands tied behind our backs.

Courtesy/CBS

It’s so interesting that you say that because that’s how I felt watching it, knowing what it would have been like, if Jack, Ashley and Traci would have been with Dina at her bedside, up till the end, for instance.  But all of that said, Peter, I got so choked up in your last moments with Marla.  Jack is just sitting there and Dina is telling him how much she loved him and you’re doing the thing that only Peter Bergman can do as the tears well-up in your eyes.  As we have talked about previously, my mom died from complications from Alzheimer’s, so these are always tough types of scenes for me to watch.  I am sure it was also for those in the audience, who have lost a loved one to this disease, many of whom reached out to me on social media following its airing.

PETER:  It’s got to be tough for you to watch.  I get that.

Photo: Ed McGowan/Plain Joe Studios

Yes, so I felt for Jack and Dina in the moment as a son and his mother.  But what did you think about how the scene was written, and what Dina was saying to Jack and his sisters as her final goodbyes to her children and their reactions to it?

PETER:  As written, something in this necklace triggers something in Dina that brings her out of a stupor, brings her out of the murk, the fog for a brief instant to tell the people who she cares the most about that she loves them in slightly different ways.  I have, with everything in me, a struggle to always add in there, “I have a complicated relationship with my mother.”  I’ve added that line in there so many times over the years, you have no idea.  It was a complicated relationship because by the time she dies, there is no kind of straightening that out, there is no kind of Jack looking for answers. The depth of what Ashley is feeling, what Traci is feeling, what Jack is feeling, were kind of lost because of the way we had to do it. The writers had to do it, so I’m not blaming anyone, but because of the way we had to do it, there was no, “Wow, why isn’t Ashley crying?  Why is she just so stoic that this isn’t touching her at all?” because she can’t go there. Traci feeling like she found her place in the family simply by Dina saying, “You’re the beating heart of this family,” and Jack, who is doing the right thing, “She should leave peacefully, she should leave feeling loved, we should all be here, we should give her nothing but love,” damn, this is complicated.  You couldn’t have any of those things.  .  Hopefully, some of that slid in there and we wedged some of those complexities into it, but it was hard to write a complex scene with the situation as it was.  We needed to get it done it one day.  We did not need to drag this out.  Again, were it not COVID time, sure, let’s drag it out.  Let’s spend some time on this.  People die.  Let’s watch the family process a death.

Photo: CBS

I just think of what it all means for Jack moving forward.  Dina basically tells him, “You’re in charge of the family. Look after the family.” That’s kind of where it’s been going for Jack this whole time.  I don’t know if that’s what Jack wanted, but that’s where he is ending up.

PETER:  Right!  That’s where he ends up, and you know, this has been a long time coming.  Dad dies, and it is pretty clear that he’s got to step up, and his mom comes into town, and she’s not just his mother.  She’s Ashley’s mother; she’s Traci’s mother, we’ve got to look out for her and give her the dignity and things like that.  Now, there is just no getting around it.  Jack is the head of the family.  That’s the way it fell.  Twenty-five years ago, was Jack ready to be head of anything?  Absolutely not, but I think enough has happened to Jack now: enough heartache, enough growth, enough introspection, enough losing people, that Jack might just be ready for this job.

Courtesy/CBS

When Marla Adams came back to Y&R 2017, and they started telling the Alzheimer’s storyline, it brought up such abandonment issues for Jack and rightfully so, about how a mother could just leave her family and children,  Throughout all that,  you did such poignant work.

PETER:  I wanted that to be in there at the very end.  One of the powerful parts in this whole thing is that Jack wanted to scream at Dina every bit as much as he wanted to hug her.  That was there for quite a while, and Jack had to kind of come to terms with, “Hey, you’ve been leaning on this excuse for quite a time.  She’s here.  She can’t do you any harm.  She feels bad about what happened.  What do you want, Jack?”

Photo: CBS

One of the highlights of this storyline was when Y&R explored the history and relationship between the siblings, Jack, Ashley and Traci.  We saw their younger versions as the show flash-backed to when Dina left John and the Abbott family.

PETER:  Between the writers and Peter Bergman, we built this story that the night that Dina left, Dad was upstairs with the girls, they were weeping inconsolably, there was no fixing it, there was no telling them that everything was going to be all right.  He didn’t want to lie to them and say she will be right back, he told them, “She’s not coming back,” and he comes downstairs, and Jack is fourteen-years-old, and a little confused, but decided to say to his dad, “Hey, can I help?”  He looks across the room, and his dad is weeping, first time he had ever seen that.  His father is weeping, and he said, “Jack, you’re going to have to help me with the girls.  I can’t do all of this,” and it changed Jack’s life forever.  Jack was a parent to Ashley for a good part of their relationship.  So, all of this stuff with Jack’s identity, all of the fighting with Ashley, all of the Jabot madness is Ashley finally getting to say, “I don’t need a father!  You’re not my father.  Stop talking to me like you’re going to fix things for me!  I’m sick of it.”  All done by Dina … all truly caused by Dina.

Courtesy/CBD

In my interview with Marla, she told me that at the end of her last scene, you and many others came back to the set to pay tribute to her.

PETER:  We did.  The show had arranged it, and Tony Morina, the executive producer, stepped out on the soundstage with a microphone, and Marla sat on the sofa in the Abbott living room. Tony began telling a lovely, lovely story about how far back his relationship with her goes because Marla and Tony wife’s, Sally Sussman (Ex- head writer, Y&R), also had a long-standing relationship.  Tony was just so grand and gracious in saying that there are some people who, if they weren’t an actor, they’d be this or that or the other thing, but that Marla was born to be an actress.  That’s what she is, and it was so generous.  I think she got three and a half years that she didn’t expect to get out of this.  It was supposed to be a six-month storyline, and four years later, she was still there, and it was a good thing for her, and a unique story turn for the rest of us.  It really was.  It was a powerful thing, and now the Abbott family has a new shape.  There are three adults there: Ashley has established her independence, she is not around as much, she is back and forth between Paris, and Genoa City, Traci is trying to be as supportive and kind as she can be, but essentially, Jack is in the big house by himself.

Yep!  Well, now we’ve got to find Jack a good woman.

PETER:  Yes, or a bad woman.

… Or a bad woman!  I’ll take him in a relationship with someone to stir things up.  I also hear coming up, there will be the reading of Dina’s will.  Is there anything you can tease about that?

PETER:  There is a will read, yes.  No one knows what to expect, and Dina … in the end… comes through for almost everybody…

Courtesy/CBS

Well … that ought to be good.

PETER:  Yep… really comes through for almost everybody, and you know, the Abbott children are wealthier, and all three of them are alone, and in no small thanks to Dina for that.  These are three adults who have been very unlucky in love.  Of course, this is the next challenge.  I don’t mean to assume that I have any idea of what you went through in losing your mom, but there is a point at which you also have to let go and say, “Okay, now it is just me, and what do I want to do with this life?  I’ve used this as a reason not to move forward for a good while.  What am I going to do now?”  I think the next turn in the Jack Abbott story comes pretty organically.  Dina’s death frees Jack to be just as alone as he has ever been.

No matter what Jack does, including the bad things, you always see the inner-pain that is very palpable within him, as you have portrayed him.

PETER:  Yes, but he really has grown in the last 30 years.  Jack is hungry for more right now, and he couldn’t really be that way with Mom in the house.  He didn’t have time for that.  Now he has all of the time in the world.  So, we’ll see what he does with that.

Courtesy/CBD

I understand there is a funeral for Dina, but it will be off-camera?  I guess, because of COVID, it is better that way.

PETER:  That’s true and it’s off camera, that’s correct.  What’s important at most of these things isn’t what happens at the gravesite, it is what happens at the reception afterwards, and that is also a fun turn.  So, they all agree as a family they are going to do it at Society, and they kind of close the joint and make it their own little party, and someone shows up who isn’t expected, and it throws a really, really different vibe into the whole thing, and everybody has to adapt.  It’s actually fun, what it turns into.  It turns into a memory fest with crazy stories of Dina.

Courtesy/CBS

Do you have a favorite moment, or memory, of a scene you played with Marla?

PETER:  I think I had a day where Jack tried to get through to her and tell her, “Do you realize the damage you did?  Do you realize?” and she wasn’t able to take it in, and he went to Traci, and he said, “I want to shake her.  I want to yell at her… and I want to protect her.”  I thought there was something just so rich about that.  That was my favorite moment, my favorite part of it, when Jack finally said, “She’s going, man.  We’ve got to get this conversation done now.  We’ve got to talk this through,” and he was too late.   She was too far along with Alzheimer’s.  She wasn’t up to it.  She couldn’t do it.

Photo: JPI

And now here is Jack; and his parents are both gone.  There is no Jerry Douglas or Marla Adams on the show as both John and Dina have passed on within the history of The Young and the Restless.

PETER:  Again, you were generous enough to share your own personal experience, but isn’t it amazing?  Wow, you’re the grownup now.  Isn’t it amazing?  That’s what the Abbott’s are going through: just what you went through.  There is no older generation to turn to for anything.  We are the older generation.  It’s powerful stuff, and I’m really, really grateful for anytime that Ashley, Jack, and Traci are together talking about those things, talking about, “Wow, okay, that just happened… where do we go from here?”  It’s going to be really interesting.  If you asked me, “Over the last 30 years that you’ve played Jack Abbott, have there been many times where you’ve thought, ‘I’ve got no idea where this is going!’”  I would say, “Yeah, right now.”  I’ve got no idea where we are going with this.

Courtesy/CBS

There has been much speculation that the “teardrop of love” necklace will lead Jack to a new romance, or some new adventure in his life.  They spent a lot of time mentioning it in short order, that it would seem it’s not just to bring Dina some closure.  What are your thoughts on it?

PETER:  I think it has legs.  I think you’re going to hear about it again. There is something in there, and I don’t know if it’s the teardrop’s magic charm or that its history is not what it was, or it gets stolen.  I don’t know, but I think we have spent enough time saying ‘teardrop of love’, that there could be a story there.

In Dina’s final moments where Jack brings her the ‘teardrop of love’, wasn’t it symbolic to her because it was her acknowledgement of having her family back together and with her at all times? There is a back-story to that piece of jewelry as well.

PETER:  The point of the necklace is, “This was when I was truly happy, when I had this necklace, when it is all back together,” and maybe we are to know something more about the teardrop…?  I don’t know.  So, this was a gift to her before Jack was born.  She wore it home from the hospital when she brought him home, but we don’t know exactly what year she got it, and we don’t know exactly what year she lost it.  It was stolen, and it was on the black market for a while, and Victor (Eric Braeden) was looking into it.  It was clear that it was very important to Dina.  So, Jack, against his own wishes, said, “No, I’ve got to do the right thing.  I’ve got to try to trace this thing down.  It clearly means something to her.  Maybe she is trying to tell us something.  God only knows.”  So, he did the right thing, not because, “I want to make Mommy happy,” but because he forced himself to do the right thing, to find the damn necklace, and to see what this is about.  Then, we saw the affect it had when he gave it to her.

Photo: CBS

It’s always good to chat and check-in with you during these key and historical moments in the life of the character of Jack Abbott.  There have been many throughout your time on Y&R, and it will be interesting to see where this goes from here.

PETER:  It will be, and I’m telling you, this is a real moment.  Normally, we just go from one story into the next, into the next, and this one has been hanging for so long that, “Okay, now that it is over, wow, what is going to happen to Jack?”  I’m just as curious as everybody else.

So, what do you think will happen next for Jack?  Did you reach for the hankies in Peter’s final scenes with Marla Adams?  Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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They did a nice job. GH’s story with Mike was much better but I am glad that Y&R didnt try and copy it. They did their own thing. It just wasnt nearly as powerful. It is weird that on Y&R they dont ever get close to each other. We as viewers know why BUT over at GH they do a much better job of being socially distant BUT letting the actors get closer and actually touching each other when someone needs a hug or a kiss. Like Peter said, its tough and sad to lose his onscreen mother and no one is holding her hand or giving her a hug goodbye. Anyway, lets hope Jack finds love with the necklace and it could be someone who is just six feet away, Lauren! She would almost want to choose anyone other than Ted Danson or Steve Martin! I love Christian and respect that he lets it all hang out and embraces his age BUT, the hair is atrocious! They could have dyed his hair and let half the gray/white come in and make it look more natural and less shocking! Tracey has had work done but she looks good and makes good choices. Christian LeBlanc needs a redo on the hairdo!

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It was odd with them not being able to be around Dina. I understood why, but still sad. I’m sorry to see Dina and Marla go.

It will be interesting to see what is next for the family. I’m over the Teardrop of Love so I hope we have seen the end of it.

I also hope they don’t put Jack with Lauren.

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I really hope when things get back to normal each Abbott child is able to have a dream or a vision of Dina and the audience gets the final real emotional goodbye that was stolen from the actors and audience
So sad that there is no longer a matriach or patriach original longstanding elder in genoa city. Days has Maggie, Victor, Doug and Julie. B n b Eric and Pam, Y n r…nobody. Shame.
Cant say Jack getting a love is a priority anymore. At this point I’d rather see him have flings like Kate on Days.If its true Grace is coming back that would be intresting. He s much funner as a playboy. Leave the romance for the younger characters who we havent tired of yet.

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I thought Dina on Y and R’s final scenes were superb. I am not sure how old she is but she is definitely a wonderful actress. She carried herself with such elegance and grace. I am amazed at how she was able to memorize all of her lines. She will be a character I will remember for years to come. She is and will continue to be the backbone of the Abbott Family.

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YR & Bold is the ONLY shows doing social distancing. Other soaps and primetime shows are doing everything as they normally would (including love scenes). They are just being careful with testing. YR & Bold feels impersonal now. It’s hard to connect to their stories now. About to tune out.

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Lindsey
Yes. I agree. Hardly do we see two people together except for Devon and Elena because they are a couple in real life. The rest are keeping their distance from each other. I think they do a pretty good job though and we can live without the love scenes for awhile. I guess that’s why they gave Thomas on B&B his very own Hope to snuggle with, ugh!

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Jack needs to hook up with Gloria now that she’s back. They’re delicious together.

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Illustrious career…. mind bending … stratosphere

I’ve always held’ Peter Bergman’ Dr. Cliff Warner AND Nina Cortlandt, AMC

WON OVER

Just Jack had…. red ? REAL’ly ?

celebratory curtain call – Jack Abbott AND Beth Chamberlain, ex-GL Beth

COME ON

Y&R

let this be

heart soar

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I can’t help but remark: how Marla Adams… unabashedly share’ how she and Beth Maitland are like soul sisters… and how she shares that Beth Maitland is the best actress on the show

that’s heart to heart

i’d ring it up

happy dance to these two ladies

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Hang in there Jack, there is plenty of Hope in your future!

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I am really upset seeing older actors out. Dina Mergeron could have easily been the town matriarch like Kay was.

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I watched this episode with tears. Both my parents suffered from Alzheimer’s. My mother was not unlike Dina. A morning of clarity just before she died. I commend the writers, producers and others for portraying this like it really can be for those who suffer from Alzheimer’s or other diseases. People often have that moment of peace right before their death. Accurate portrayal.

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Interviews

Joe Hendry Talks WWE Microdrama Collab ‘Agent of Shadows,’ New Music, and What’s Next! (Exclusive)

Published

34 minutes ago

on

October 23, 2026

By

Joe Hendry

The motto, “I believe in Joe Hendry” is catching on even outside the WWE Universe! The Scottish-born pro wrestler is having a banner October (well not so much on this week’s Monday Night Raw), but with the release of his new album Beyond Belief and appearing in WWE’s first-ever microdrama Agent of Shadows in its partnership with vertical leader ReelShort.

On Friday, October 23, ReelShort launched Agent of Shadows on its mobile-first storytelling platform that is available in more than 100 countries, reaching more than 70 million monthly active users.

Hendry joins fellow WWE stars Drew McIntrye, Jacob Fatu, plus Booker T, Michael Hayes and Nikkita Lyon and more in the cast as they mix it up with microdrama leading men, Chase Mattson and Marc Herrman, in the action-packed series.

Photo: ReelShort

A NEW FRONTIER FOR WWE SUPERSTARS

As the story begins, the world’s greatest secret agent must protect and care for his 6-year-old daughter while posing as her nanny. Now, without revealing his true identity, he must win his daughter’s (and her mother’s) trust, while secretly thwarting corrupt suitors, mafioso strongmen and even a megalomaniacal billionaire who’s using his family to get to him. What could go wrong?

Michael Fairman TV chatted with Hendry on his ascension and rise in the ranks of the WWE, bringing his brand of satire, music and singing to sports entertainment, plus his thoughts on branching out into the acting world of motion pictures, microdramas and more. The full conversation can be seen with Joe on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

Photo: ReelShort

JOE HENDRY ON PLAYING … JOE HENDRY

Unlike the other WWE superstars in Agent of Shadows, Hendry is taking on the role of … himself! Seems like it may not be then been too much of a stretch to play or is it? Joe explained, “I don’t know how much of this I’m allowed to reveal, so I’m sure there’ll be a lot of fun in discovering what that is. But what I will reveal is what I think is the best thing about my involvement … everyone else plays a character and I play Joe Hendry. So, I’m very pleased about that.”

Speaking on his background, Joe explained, “For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been a wrestler for 14 years, but I kind of had a mainstream crossover in 2024 when my music video became a meme. It did really well in the charts.  I’ve now been able to carry that forward and I’m in one of those positions where I can just appear as myself.”

“This is the first film-type project I’ve been a part of,” elaborated Hendry. “I think that’s why WWE stars crossover so well into movies, because we’re so used to having to do everything in one take, whereas in Hollywood you may get as many takes as you need. In microdramas, you can look at these chapters as well. So, let’s say you manage to get through the first give chapters on your way to work or whatever, you can always come back to that. I think’s its a smart combination for storytelling.”

Photo: WWE

NEW LP TRACK LIST INCLUDES ‘FIRE LOGAN PAUL’

Back on October 5, Hendry released his LP Beyond Belief filled with hilarious and clever send-ups. The track list includes: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Fire Logan Paul (the social media phenom and pro wrestler), Give Joe Hendry Every Single Belt and more. Hendry added one more favorite, that is his latest single and music video!

“The other main one is If You Don’t Love Joe Hendry, and the lyrics are, ‘If you don’t love Joe Hendry, then, you’re a useless piece of … ‘ So, I think we should fire Logan Paul, and I think we should give Joe Hendry every single belt. I just think these are sensible messages we have to get out to the world.”

The album was completed in what some would consider lighting speed! “We had a lot of fun recording these, but it was done so fast. It was actually a lot of pressure to get it done. I wrote the album except Fire Logan Paul in a span of four days.  It was pretty intense. We recorded all the vocals in five hours, which is insane,” recalled Joe. “But it’s kind of what I was talking about before. In WWE, everything is done live. We do not have retakes. So, I think being a WWE superstar has prepared me well for producing other forms of media quickly.”

Photo: WWE

TEENAGE DREAMS BECOME A REALITY WRESTLING RANDY ORTON

Back in the squared circle, Hendry has been in a feud with the Judgment Day, and in particular of late with JD McDonaugh on Raw. But taking a look at his rise from NXT to TNA to WWE, Joe reflected on his heart-stopping moment at WrestleMania 41 against one of his legends, Randy Orton.

“I remember being 15 and kind of imagining being a pro wrestler. I also remember specifically thinking, ‘What if I had a feud with Randy Orton?’ And then, I became a wrestler when I was just about to turn 25 and all these years later, it happened!

“It such an unlikely story,” said Joe of getting the call he would be facing the 14-time WWE champion. He added, “I’m so grateful that I’ve had that moment early on in my WWE career and it kind of takes the pressure off, because it doesn’t get any bigger than that. So now, I can focus on my goal which is just to get better all the time; improve as a wrestler all the time. I can see the progression in myself. I’m gaining skills and confidence all the time.”

Photo: WWE

SHOULD JOE STAY GOOD OR TURN BAD?

The proverbial question had to be asked, “Does Joe prefer being a babyface or would he like to see a heel turn? Hendry replied, “Interesting question. Never say never. You just never know. Anything can happen in the WWE. It’s funny, originally, my character was designed by me to be hated, and people just happened to like it! You can’t force it. The audience is going to tell you. They are a huge part in dictating our paths as wrestlers.”

Check out Joe in Agent of Shadows by visiting ReelShort.com to download the ReelShort app on Apple and Android devices. You can also check out @ReelShort on YouTube.

You can also watch our full conversation with Joe Hendry now on the Michael Fairman Channel below.

Now let us know, will you check out WWE’s first microdrama, Agent of Shadows? Do you get a kick out of Joe Hendry’s songs and how it relates to his feuds in the WWE and his rise in the ranks of pro wrestling? Hoping Joe stays a babyface or would you like to see him turn heel? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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Beyond the Gates

‘Beyond the Gates’ Mike Manning Talks Smitty’s Emotional Visit with His Mother (Exclusive)

Published

5 hours ago

on

October 23, 2026

By

Mike Manning, Smitty

This week on all-new episodes of Beyond the Gates, as Smitty (Mike Manning) continues to be framed and in hot water for the murder of Dr. Lia Whitmore, he gets some familial back-up when his never-before-seen mother, Jenny Smith arrives in Fairmont Crest to see her son.

Jenny is played by Jennifer Van Horn who made her Beyond the Gates debut on the Wednesday, October 21, which was the same day that Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series Emmy nominee, Mike Manning participated in a livestream chat on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

In story, as Smitty was at home, he received a surprise visit from his mother, who resides in Ohio. Jenny came to support her son through this difficult time. Smitty made note of his disappointment that his father didn’t come with her on the trip, sharing that he knows his dad has never been comfortable around wealth or the Duprees.  Smitty also acknowledged how his father didn’t approve of becoming a journalist or moving to the DMV.  Later, when Smitty’s husband, Martin returned (Brandon Claybon) he walked in on Smitty getting a pep talk from Jenny.

Mike Manning

Courtesy/CBS

SMITTY’S MOM ARRIVES

Manning addressed how he had to keep the appearance of Smitty’s mom on the down low. “I do have a mom now. Yes.! I couldn’t talk about it to anybody.  Jennifer Van Horn who plays my mom was so lovely and so nice, and she was great. I love Smitty having some backstory and having a parent.”

And there could be even more Smitty drama to come! Mike shared, “They mentioned Smitty’s father too, so they kind of plant the seeds for maybe more to come, which is nice. I think it really shows that there’s just one more level to the community that is surrounding Smitty. One of my favorite scenes from this entire storyline is when Smitty gets hauled into jail and the entire Dupree family shows up and they all start taking shots at Jacob (Jibre Hordges) and everyone at the police station.”

BEING EMBRACED BY THE DUPREES

Manning,  in particular, recalled a moment from fellow Daytime Emmy nominee, Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree). “I loved when Anita goes, and this is not verbatim, but it was something along the lines of, ‘If Smitty’s not home for dinner, you’re gonna be hearing from Anita Dupree.’ Then, Vernon (Clifton Davis) says something, and Kat (Colby Nixon) comes in and she’s giving him so much sass. I remember watching the episode just being so touched that the entire Dupree family is wrapping around Smitty like this shield, this cocoon.  So, it makes this storyline of him being framed a little bit easier to swallow.”

Jennifer Van Horn

Courtesy/CBS

MORE OF SMITTY’S BACKSTORY TO BE REVEALED?

Speaking of the scenes between Smitty and his mom, Manning felt, “It was very touching. He spoke about how he loved his mom for what she sacrificed, It was one of those mother-son things, but it was poignantly done. I would like them to explore that more, and Smitty’s family, because, I think that it’ll also help inform some of the dynamic between Martin and Smitty. We know that Martin comes from a long line of successful people, whether it’s in entertainment or politicians. His grandfather’s a senator. So, we understand that he grew up in the country club, basically. We don’t really understand where Smitty grew up yet.”

The two-time Daytime Emmy winner also explained that he has his own origin story for Bradley “Smitty” Smith: “Obviously, I have an idea in my head with the backstory that I’ve sort of decided for Smitty, whether or not that’s exactly what the writers are going to throw at me,  eventually, who knows? But, I certainly have an idea of why Smitty is the way he is, why he’s so driven, why he takes risks, why he’s so hungry to prove himself and be successful in journalism and everything else.”

You can check out a scene between Smitty and his never-before-seen-mom, Jenny below. Followed by our live chat with Mike Manning after the episode aired.

Now let us know, do you hope Beyond the Gates explores more of Smitty’s backstory? Did you enjoy the debut of Jennifer Van Horn as Smitty’s mom? Share your thoughts via the conversation below. And make sure to catch Mike on the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards streaming next Friday, October 30 to see if he takes home his third gold statuette!

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‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Cast Dish on Steffy, Finn & Carter, Daphne Baby Drama! (Exclusive)

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October 23, 2026

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B&B Cast

On Thursday’s October 22 episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, it was now “confirmed” by Finn and Li (Naomi Matsuda), two medical professionals, that Steffy has become pregnant as the surrogate for Carter and Daphne! BUT, what everyone doesn’t know (except co-conspirators Steffy and Carter), is that Steffy was already pregnant with Carter’s child after their drunken night together.

In an elaborate cover-up, Carter has pushed the agenda that they will lie through their teeth to their respective spouses so that their one-night tryst never comes to light which produced a baby. How far can Carter and Steffy carry on this surrogacy implantation charade in an effort to give Daphne the child she can’t have? And what twists and turns are in store now?

This week, B&B series stars: Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy), Tanner Novlan (Finn), Lawrence Saint-Victor (Carter) and Murielle Hilaire (Daphen) sat down for a conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel where they took turns giving their reaction to the storyline, discussing their characters motivations behind the baby drama, and what might lie ahead, and bantering about fan’s theories that have been online and more.

Photo: JPI

REACTIONS TO LEARNING OF THE SURROGACY COVER-UP

Tanner Novlan shared he was happy that the writers did not make Finn a doofus with his shocking reaction of “WHAT!?” when Steffy told her husband that she went ahead and had the procedure to become a surrogate while he was out of town.

“It was great that the writers gave him that opportunity (to have that reaction),” shared Novlan. “We’re still having to work through a lot of that, but there’s a lot of little breadcrumbs that it’s nice that Finn picks one up every once in a while and inspects it and doesn’t just keep carrying on.”

Three-time Daytime Emmy winner, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood explained, “I did not expect the storyline, but we are so thrilled.  It’s a wild ride. We’re all shocked. I couldn’t believe that we were diving into this kind of storyline and we’re still in the middle of it … in the thick of it.”

DOUBLE DAYTIME EMMY NOMINEE CLEARS THE AIR

For B&B fans thinking that since Lawrence Saint-Victor is an actor and a writer on the soap, and pulls double duty, that he was responsible for creating his frontburner story, he revealed that he has nothing to do with the writers decision on this one. “Not even a little bit, ” shared Saint-Victor. “At first, when Carter was really pushing Steffy, I had a reaction to it. I was like, ‘Oh no, this isn’t good.’ And then, I kind of had to put myself aside and lean into it. My knee-jerk reaction is what the fans are experiencing. I had to get into it and figure out why he’s doing it. But no, I hasn’t nothing to do with it, for those out there that’s thinking I’m manipulating the writer’s room.”

Photo: JPI

COULD FINN AND DAPHNE ALREADY KNOW THEIR SPOUSES CHEATED ON THEM?

Moving forward, might we all be fooled and Daphne and Finn actually know what happened between their spouses? Tanner Novlan weighed-in, “There is a world here where Daphne and Finn, might actually think something else might have happened and think, maybe that’s best (to leave it alone).”

Some viewers believe down the line, the baby will be revealed as Finn’s biological child, since so far, Steffy never took a paternity test. The actors in the story say they have not been told anything different than what they are playing.

“I think that this story’s so wonderfully uncomfortable, everyone’s looking for the way out,” explains Saint-Victor, “If it’s Finn’s baby, then it kind of wraps up. But right now, we’re ‘all gas, no breaks,’ as Jacqui would say. We’re not letting you guys off the easy way here. So, whether it’s Finn’s child or not, that’s not an out.”

Steffy and Carter

Photo: JPI

STEFFY PUT THROUGH THE WRINGER

For Wood, she has been playing the emotional weight of the story. She opened up about how Steffy has processed all that has come at her. “I believe that Steffy would like to think at the very beginning, if she led with honesty and just told Finn, ‘Hey, I was drunk, I was out of my mind and I was angry and hurt and I slept with Carter,’ we wouldn’t be in this situation. Yes, it would’ve been extremely tough, but again, leading with honesty off the heels of Sheila, it would’ve forced Finn to look inward and go, ‘Hey, well, we wouldn’t have been in this situation if you wouldn’t have kept letting your mom, back into your life.”‘

Jacqui elaborated further, “Ultimately, Steffy wanted to feel safe, protected, and her partner, or a man in her life, to come in and say, ‘I’ve got this. You don’t have to worry about this. I’ll protect you.’ And then, obviously having that release with Carter, fast-forward, hearing that moment when she realized what she did, yes, she wanted to tell the truth, but there was something about Carter saying, ‘We can’t do that. We can’t be thinking about ourselves,’ that also resonated with her.”

“Now Steffy’s thinking, she’s selfish, realizing all these people that will be hurt if the truth came out, and how they’ll be crushed. Is it the smartest decision? In the moment, you’re not thinking did you cross all your I’s and T’s. Then in Hindsight, you’re like, ‘Whoa, actually, that was really silly. That was really dumb of us to do.’ But now you’re in it, so you’re going to have to  lean even harder.”‘

Photo: JPI

IS CARTER THE VILLAIN OF THIS STORYLINE?

Some viewers also consider Carter as the villain in this piece, something that Lawerence Saint-Victor has leaned into: “I love it wholeheartedly, because Carter doesn’t see himself as a villain. To Carter, it’s like, if you want to keep your family intact, if you want to make sure that we’re not in tabloids, the COO and the CEO of Forrester Creations had an affair, there’s only one way out.”

He added, “And if that means we have to suffer with the lie to make everyone else have a peaceful life, then that’s our punishment. He doesn’t understand why there’s an option here. He gets that Finn would probably forgive Steffy. I think in the back of his mind he said that’s an option. He knows. whether it’s true or not, for him, he knows it’s not an option with Daphne. She will leave. She left when he was on his best behavior. She will leave now.  For Carter, there is no option.”

WALKING OUT ON HER MARRIAGE

Speaking of walking out, how does Daphne see her role in all that went down? Murielle Hilaire added, “So when Daphne decided to leave it was not because she wasn’t in love with Carter, it’s when she found out she could not give her husband a child, she was heartbroken. She actually only walked out for three hours. She didn’t want to be selfish, and she wanted him to go and maybe find someone who was fertile. I think. if maybe Carter would have followed her to the airport and begged her not to go, maybe she would have left the airport with him (and maybe what happened between he and Steffy wouldn’t have).

THE FUTURE OF SINN

Sinn fans be on the alert! Novlan punctuated that this may be the toughest challenge in Finn and Steffy’s marriage yet. “All I know is that his family means everything to Finn. The kids, his wife, so for him to walk away from that, it would have to be a pretty big lie and this would be one of those lies. They’re love is definitely going to be tested here.”

You can check out the full conversation on the Michael Fairman Channel below.

Now let us know, do you think Finn could walk out on a pregnant Steffy if he learned of her duplicity? Do you think Finn and Daphne might know their spouses slept together, but are keeping the peace, after all, Daphne wants a baby? How do you see this playing out in the months ahead? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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