Melissa Claire Egan exit Maternity Leave Chelsea Y&R
Credit: John Paschal/JPI

Chelsea has been locked away as of late, but it looks as though she will be getting an early release very soon. Soap Opera Digest has confirmed that Melissa Claire Egan will in fact be heading out on maternity leave since her son is due sometime in August.

So, how will the institutionalized woman suddenly get sprung from the facility? In the Friday, July 9, episode it will be revealed that Chelsea’s mother Anita will need her daughter to care for her following a hip injury. Yes, you heard that right, only in daytime can someone be released from a mental hospital to tend to their mother’s broken hip.

More: Soaps’ all-time worst exits, ranked

Of course, Victor is the mastermind behind having her committed so he will need to grease the wheels on her release papers in order for Dr. Hedges to convince a judge to open the doors to freedom. Not to worry though, the magazine also noted that Chelsea will stay in touch with those in Genoa City, now and then, via video calls, so she won’t be completely missing in action.

More: The plot twist that changed Egan’s career

One question remains… Now that Chelsea and her son Connor have been reunited, will she be able to leave the boy behind? Or, will she convince Adam to allow her to take him to be with his grandmother in order to make up for lost time? Stay tuned!

Chelsea has had her fair share of troubles — and caused plenty of her own — over the years. Take a look back at Soaps.com’s photo gallery documenting the different stages of Chelsea’s life in Genoa City.

— Amy Mistretta