Why are there rumors about Tessa Porter leaving The Young and the Restless? Explained 

Over the past weeks, The Young and the Restless fans have been worried about Tessa Porter, played by Cait Fairbanks, leaving the show. A dramatic plot line surrounding the character being drugged and kidnapped by the returning villain Ian Ward has caused widespread speculation that Tessa is leaving.

Nonetheless, it is imperative to point out that to date, there has been no confirmed notice from CBS, the producers of the show, or Cait Fairbanks about her departure from The Young and the Restless. Fairbanks is still appearing in episodes as of mid-2025, and no reliable information indicates that her character will be written out. Most of the rumors seem to be based on the severity of recent plots and fan speculation, and not on reliable news.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for The Young and the Restless.

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Is Tessa actually leaving The Young and the Restless?

The debate over Tessa Porter's destiny stems primarily from the Ian Ward storyline. Ian drugged Tessa during a New Year's Eve party following a shocking turn of events and subsequently held her captive. This life-threatening experience threatened Tessa's life and understandably raised alarm among audiences.

It is generally seen that soap operas tend to employ risky storylines to build toward the departure of a character, so naturally, this storyline created red flags. Fan debate on sites like Reddit and Twitter has been a reflection of this unease. Fans asked themselves if the show intended to write Tessa out for good.

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Why rumors of Tessa leaving The Young and the Restless

Despite rumors, there is no confirmation or insider news backing the rumors that Cait Fairbanks or Tessa Porter will be leaving the show. Current spoilers and episode summaries reaffirm that Tessa is still a character in developing storylines. The drama of Ian Ward continues to build, frequently putting Mariah Copeland and her love interest, Tessa, right in the middle of things.

It should also be mentioned that Tessa Porter has been a major character since she arrived in 2017. Her union with Mariah, which together are referred to as "Teriah," is historic as the first LGBTQ+ couple to wed on the show. The storyline has been embraced by both audiences and critics and brought depth and representation to the soap.

The ambiguity is further fueled by online headlines and videos sensationalizing rumors without credible evidence. Lines like "Cait Fairbanks Leaving Y&R!" are often used in YouTube titles or social media updates, yet these are not backed by reliable sources.

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What's ahead for Tessa in The Young and the Restless

Tessa is currently at the center of a plotline in the show centered around increasing tension in her relationship with Mariah Copeland. Mariah has been acting strangely since her return from a business trip—withdrawn, short-tempered, and emotionally remote. This new behavior has concerned Tessa as she finds herself attempting to understand why Mariah's attitude suddenly changed.

Mariah, not fully explaining why, proposes a breakup and suggests a visitation schedule for their child, Aria. The suggestion leaves Tessa moved and wondering what she is hiding. In future episodes, she is shown to be increasingly emotionally reactive, from bursting into tears on the street to receiving consolation from Daniel Romalotti Jr.

So far, there has been no word from CBS or Cait Fairbanks about the character's exit from The Young and the Restless. According to current developments, her character is still ongoing in the story. Until any official statement comes out, talk of her leaving should be treated as speculative.

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Catch the latest episodes of The Young and the Restless streaming on CBS.