'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
John Abbott was a long-running character on The Young and the Restless, known as the patriarch of the Abbott family and the founder of Jabot Cosmetics. Introduced in the early 1980s, John played a central role in many of the show’s major storylines involving business rivalries and family dynamics.
John Abbott was most famously portrayed by actor Jerry Douglas, who joined The Young and the Restless in 1982 and played the role until the character’s death in 2006. Douglas continued to appear as John’s ghost in recurring episodes until 2016. Before Jerry Douglas, John Abbott was briefly portrayed by Sean Garrison and then by Brett Halsey from 1980 to 1981.
Jerry Douglas played John Abbott on The Young and the Restless
Trending
Jerry Douglas, born Gerald Rubenstein on November 12, 1932, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, was an American actor best known for his role as John Abbott on The Young and the Restless. He joined the cast in March 1982 and portrayed the character for over 25 years.
Douglas's acting career began in the early 1960s and included guest roles on television series such as Mission: Impossible, The Rockford Files, The Streets of San Francisco, and Melrose Place. He also appeared in films including JFK, Mommie Dearest, and Avalanche.
Douglas died in Los Angeles on November 9, 2021, at age 88. In an interview with TV Insider dated June 21, 2023, Jerry Douglas' wife, Kym Douglas, talked about keeping his memory alive,
"Hunter and I are keeping his legacy alive and we always will. We’re starting a charity based on Jerry’s love of reading. Jerry would read hardcover books every three days. He loved books so much."
She added,
"We’re going to do a kind of a library for underserved communities that don’t have a lot of books to introduce young kids to books. It’ll be another way to turn something devastating into something productive that can honor him and keep his memory alive."
John Abbott's major arcs on The Young and the Restless
John Abbott was introduced in 1980 as the founder of Jabot Cosmetics. He had three children, Jack, Ashley, and Traci, with his first wife, Dina Mergeron. Dina abandoned the family in 1972, and Mamie Johnson helped raise the children.
Ashley later discovered that Brent Davis was her biological father. Jack, Ashley, and Traci all pursued higher education and were prepared to join the family business. John's relationship with Jill Foster led to marriage despite opposition. Jill had an affair with Jack, resulting in a s*xual harassment lawsuit and John's first stroke.
After their divorce, Jill received a large settlement and a stake in Jabot. John later dated Joanna Manning and Jessica Blair Grainger, whom he married before she died of AIDS. Victor Newman took control of Jabot, causing John another heart attack.
John remarried Jill, and they had a son, Billy. They divorced after Jill had an affair. John regained custody of Billy and moved to New York. He returned to Genoa City in 1999 and later married Gloria Fisher. He planned to divorce her after learning of her sons' criminal pasts. However, he forgave her after a fall and surgery.
In 2005, John went to prison for killing Gloria’s estranged husband. He was overmedicated and had a stroke in prison. He died in 2006. After his death, John appeared as a vision or conscience to Jack, Ashley, Billy, and others, with his final appearances in 2016. Jerry Douglas died in 2021.
Lauralee Bell, who plays Christine on The Young and the Restless, commented on Jerry Douglas' death via an Instagram post,
“At times, he felt like a father figure (maybe because we all wanted John Abbott as our father) and sometimes he’d remind me of my dad, but more often with all the events we’ve had, filled with laughs, he was the kindest man and the sweetest friend and I will miss him so much!”
Jess Walton, who plays Jill on The Young and the Restless, paid homage to her former co-star by posting,
“Rest in peace, my dear TV husband, Jerry Douglas. Thank you for the laughter all those years. Much, much love to you and your beautiful family Kim and Hunter and everyone.”
Stay tuned for more updates on The Young and the Restless.
