The Young and the Restless fans were met with a recent exit scare involving Eric Braeden‘s Victor Newman, which made them anxious about whether he was set to leave the series. Braeden’s character had been a staple of the series for many years. However, that was originally not the case, as the creators planned only a smaller role, spanning a few months for him.
So, is Eric Braeden in negotiations to leave The Young and the Restless? Here is the answer.
Is Eric Braeden’s Victor in talks to leave The Young and the Restless?
There are currently no reports suggesting that Eric Braeden is in talks to leave The Young and the Restless.
The reason why fans believed he was leaving was because of his recent gunfight with Ian Ward, where he was nearly killed. However, fans can rest assured that the 83-year-old actor will not leave the show. Braeden’s Victor Newman will now focus on bonding with his daughter Victoria while recuperating.
However, Eric Braeden had exited or almost exited the show multiple times in the past.
Braeden once mentioned in a 2024 interview that he had almost exited the series after extending his contract for one year beyond his short three-month stint. This was because he did not want to play villains again like he did before joining the series. However, he stayed after speaking to co-creator William J. Bell and after the latter designed a storyline to make Victor a more nuanced and layered character.
Braeden admitted in a 2008 interview with National Ledger that he almost quit the soap opera during executive producer Lynn Marie Latham’s time with the show. This was because he was upset with his character’s storyline direction at the time and Latham’s ignorance of his frustrations. However, he stayed, believing his problems would be sorted, and eventually, Latham was ousted from the show.
Later, in October 2009, Braeden exited the series for a time. This was a result of a contract dispute with Sony, with November 2 being scheduled as his last date. However, he eventually sorted things out with Sony and re-inked a deal that allowed him to remain on the show.
