Young & Restless’ Melissa Ordway Reveals How She Spent the ‘Sweetest Morning’ With Husband Justin Gaston and Their Girls
The former soap co-stars’ older daughter just reached a major milestone.
“Kindergarten, here she comes!” cheered The Young and the Restless leading lady Melissa Ordway on May 22. Who is she? And why is that? “She,” as if you couldn’t guess, is the actress’ 5-year-old with husband Justin Gaston, and “why” is because the photogenic family had just spent “the sweetest morning celebrating Olivia and all her fellow preschool graduates!”
That’s right — the little girl’s moving on up to the big time. And Mom and Dad, who respectively play Abby and briefly played Chance on the CBS soap opera, couldn’t be more excited for her. “Olivia, we’re so proud of you and your kind heart!” wrote an enthusiastic Ordway.
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Of course, really, the Genoa City MVP hardly had to tell us that she and the hubs were proud of their graduate; it was written all over their gorgeous faces in the series of heartwarming snaps of them with Olivia and kid sis Sophie, 3, that were shared to Instagram. (You can take a peek at the series of images below.)
On your way to the comments to offer Olivia your con-graduations, stop off, why don’t you, at the below photo gallery, a collection of images of more soap stars and their kids. Included are actors from not only The Young and the Restless but The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our Lives and General Hospital.
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p><em>Bold & Beautiful</em> is the perfect description for the family of Finn and Caitlin’s former portrayers, shot here in 2021 with their firstborn, daughter Poppy. On second thought, maybe “shot” was a poor choice of words, considering the way Steffy’s husband was written off.</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
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<p>In 2003, the <em>General Hospital</em> Emmy winner had her hands full — literally — with son Dylan. Mind you, it was nothing that Anna’s portrayer couldn’t handle with aplomb. Is there <em>anything</em> that the on- and off-screen badass can’t handle with aplomb?</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
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<p>Had the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> Emmy winner (who plays Eric) and firstborn Jathan not already been awarded ribbons back in 2011, we’d have had to have given them to the father/son duo for their sheer cuteness.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>Back in 2003 — long before he declared that he was probably done at <em>The Young and the Restless —</em> Paul’s portrayer escorted down the Emmy red carpet Caden and Calyssa, his kids with wife and former castmate Cindy Fisher (ex-Rebecca).</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (3)
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<p>Tomfoolery was obviously the order of the day when the future <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> leading lady and son Jake hit the town in 2004 — gee, 17 years before she’d start her run as Taylor.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>We suspect some popcorn and soda was plundered when the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> MVP — Sami when she’s in Salem — took in <em>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales</em> — with son Ben Sanov in 2017. But what about his sister?</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>Ah, <em>there’s</em> Megan, the actress’ little girl with hubby Dave Sanov, hitting a screening of <em>Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2</em> with Mom in 2013.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>The actor behind <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> baddie Deacon put his honey where his mouth was, planting a kiss on the cheek of his baby girl Simone during a 2009 father/daughter outing.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>Yup, guessing from this 2012 image of Cane’s former <em>Young & Restless</em> portrayer and his boys, Ford and Sebastian, they’re what you’d call a close family.</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
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<p>There must be soap in their DNA: Two years after this 2002 photo was taken of Brook Kerr (then Whitney on <em>Passions</em>), he’d join <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> as Jimmy. Now, of course, Mom is back in daytime, playing Portia on <em>General Hospital.</em></p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>Talent clearly runs in the family. This shot of the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> leading man, who plays John (duh!), was taken in 2006, just a year after son Ben made his own daytime debut as Lucas on <em>General Hospital.</em></p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>The word “squee” was all but <em>invented</em> to try to encapsulate the relative adorableness of little Ford, the son of <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> leading man who plays Liam. The tyke’s not even smiling in this picture from 2019, and he <em>still</em> looks like he’s seconds away from out-cute-ing Bambi.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>“They tell you it will go by fast… well, 18 years went by in a flash,” marveled Cameron Mathison on son Lucas’ birthday in 2021. Also seen here in this 2010 portrait is the <em>General Hospital</em> star and wife Vanessa’s adorable daughter, Leila (who’d turn 15 in 2021).</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>In 2016, back when the soap legend was still playing Hope on <em>Days of Our Lives</em>, she and son Jack Daggenhurst (from her second marriage) pitched in at the L.A. Mission. Missing from this shot: Alfonso’s firstborn, son Gino Macauley. He’s in the next photo, though, from 2006…</p>
Image: Paul Skipper/JPI
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<p>Aww. Look at Alfonso giving Gino that adoring look that we’ve all gotten at one time or another from our moms in those blissful instances when they’ve totally forgotten how many times they’ve had to send us to our rooms or ground us!</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI (2)
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<p>In 2016, the same year the veteran of <em>Young & Restless</em> (as Rey), <em>Days of Our Lives</em> (as Dario), <em>All My Children</em> (as Griffin) and <em>Guiding Light</em> (as Tony) welcomed his second daughter with wife Kaitlin, the Emmy winner and their firstborn, Riley, had a ball — literally — hanging outdoors.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>The force of nature who gave <em>All My Children</em> — and the world — Erica Kane watched daughter Liza Huber enter the soap world for a few years as <em>Passions</em>’ Gwen. Since this 2011 pic was taken, Liza has retired from acting and become an entrepreneur.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
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<p>Good angle, bad angle… who cares? We love the absolute joy on the Emmy winner’s face in this 2002 snap in which she’s sweetly sandwiched by husband Helmut Huber (who, sadly, passed away in 2022) and their son, Andreas.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
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<p>The <em>Young & Restless</em> scene stealer, who plays Lauren, may have been horsing around with son Austin Recht (with former husband Ron Recht) at this 2014 photo shoot, but they still managed to take a gorgeous portrait. Missing from this shot: Austin’s brother, Landon.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>Here’s Landon, with Mom at the 2008 Emmys. C’mon, we weren’t gonna let the horse get more facetime than Landon!</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>The <em>Days of Our Lives</em> vet — who comes and goes as Jack like the seasons, it seems — has four kids, two with first wife Christina Saffran, two with his second, Lana Buss. Pictured with Dad in 2006 is his firstborn, daughter Grace.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>In 2007, not too long before the launch of her reality show, the future <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> actress (who plays Shauna, as if you didn’t know) posed for paparazzi with Sam, one of her two daughters with ex-husband Charlie Sheen. Not for nothin’, Sam, but we feel ya, kid; sometimes we hate having our picture taken, too.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>In 2007, the year that her superlative work as Laura on <em>General Hospital</em> finally won her a Daytime Emmy, the soap icon was able to share the experience with daughter Elizabeth, her second child with husband Jonathan Frakes of <em>Star Trek: The Next Generation</em> fame.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>No need to be camera-shy with a face that cute, kiddo! On the left in this image from 2013 is, of course, the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> heartthrob who plays Eli; nestling into his shoulder is his firstborn, son Caden. Maybe daughter Gaia, born in 2012, is even better at hiding.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>His hair’s gotten darker as he’s gotten older but Jesse, the son of <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Ashley and husband Vincent Van Patten sure had Mom’s sun-kissed blond locks back in 2009. On an unrelated note, does anyone know where we can get a head of hair that gorgeous?</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p><em>Bold & Beautiful</em> perfectly describes the young women who are near and dear to Quinn’s portrayer: Pictured here during a 2017 visit to the set are daughter Avalon, with second husband Stanford Bookstaver; Meghann, the daughter of first husband Wally Kurth (Ned to her Lois on <em>General Hospital</em> back in the day); and daughter Rosabel, with Kurth.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>The <em>General Hospital</em> Emmy winner who plays Alexis has said of her singer/songwriter daughter, Kate, “I birthed her and <a href="https://www.nancyleegrahn.com/family/" target="_blank">take no credit for her</a> talent and, more importantly, her beautiful soul. She came in that way.”</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>Say “Cheese!” <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Galen Gering (Rafe) and his sons, Dillon and Jensen, nailed it during a 2013 photo shoot. None of them even blinked!</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
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<p>“I am so proud of the man that you’ve become,” the <em>Young & Restless</em> Emmy winner — Jill on screen — told son Cole on his 2021 birthday (or 17 years after this pic was snapped at a party for the CBS soap).</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>The real-life daughter of <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Steve — photographed with Dad in 2008 here — is now a recording artist who puts out music under her own first name, but with a twist: She adds an extra L.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
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<p>Aww. That’s the late, great <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> star — the original Sally Spectra, as if you didn’t know — with son Raymond on the set in 2014.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>“Smile for the camera,” you can just imagine the photographer saying right before this shot was snapped in 2018. Dad Jason Thompson (Billy, <em>The Young and the Restless</em>) and mom Paloma Jonas obliged, of course. But kids Rome and Bowie? Being kids, not so much.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
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<p>The <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> patriarch, Eric to his on-screen friends and family, has three kids with wife Laurette Spang in real life: Jake, Rebecca and, seen here with Dad in 2012, Molly, a regular on the sitcom <em>Last Man Standing.</em></p>
Image: Jesse Grant/JPI
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<p>In 2002, the <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> patriarch celebrated an Italian remote with his missus and two of their three kids, son Jake and, once again, Molly.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>The <em>General Hospital</em> MVP, Carly on screen, got into the swing of things, so to speak, during a 2010 photo shoot with Lauren and John, her kids with former husband John Wright.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>Oh, these two are more than <em>Friends</em>, they’re family. The <em>Days of Our Lives</em> icon, who plays Victor, is the father of Hollywood superstar Jennifer Aniston, with whom he’s pictured here in 2012. He also has a son, Alexander, with his second wife, Sherry Rooney, whom he met when they were castmates on <em>Love of Life.</em></p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>This is “Like father, like son” taken to a whole new level by the <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> alum — much-missed as Rick — and sharp-dressed chip off the old block Luke at the 2016 Daytime Emmys. (MIA from this shot are Luke’s sisters, Grace and Molly.)</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>In 2005, the <em>Young & Restless</em> Emmy winner, who plays Traci, was accompanied to a schmancy party in New York by daughter Emelia, who’s since become an accomplished bassoonist. Now <em>there’s</em> a word we don’t get to type every day!</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>The real-life marriage of <em>General Hospital</em> exes Felicia and Frisco may not have stood the test of time, but it left them with a lasting friendship and two handsome sons, Peter and his kid brother, Harrison (who sadly <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/633203/general-hospital-kristina-jack-wagner-son-harrison-dead-at-27/" target="_blank">passed away in 2022</a>).</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
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<p>Almost a decade after this picture was taken of<em> Days of Our Lives</em>’ Kristen (and Susan, for that matter), daughter Sophia, by then a grown woman and rising star, guested on the show as the masseuse whose appearance at Xander’s door made the audience gasp, “What’s going on here?”</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
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<p>On hand when the <em>Young & Restless</em> legend celebrated her 35th anniversary as Nikki in 2014 were daughters Alexandra Yeaggy (from her previous marriage) and Elizabeth Scott (from her union with<em> Bold & Beautiful</em> producer Ed Scott), and stepdaughter Jennifer Scott.</p>
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<p>We definitely give these shots from 2018 a big thumbs-up, too, boys! Levi and Jackson — the <em>General Hospital</em> actress’ sons with Don Money — clearly know that picture-taking is <em>ultra</em>-serious business. (Missing from this photo: Dakota, the daughter of Lulu’s portrayer, who would’ve been about a year old at the time.)</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>It’s not for nothin’ that the soap vet, currently Dollar Bill on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em>, named his autobiography <em>My Seven Sons and How We Raised Each Other</em>. Believe it or not, that’s how many he has: twins Anton and Davis (on the far left and far right), his kids with wife Cindy Ambuehl, and Lauren, Alexander, Luca and Sasha, his boys with his first wife. Missing from this shot: son No. 7 Drew Mazur, the nephew that the actor raised following his sister’s passing.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>Talent apparently runs in the family. Christian Gudegast, the son of the actor who plays <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Victor (shot here in 2007), is an accomplished screenwriter whose credits include <em>A Man Apart</em> (starring Vin Diesel) and <em>London Has Fallen</em> (starring Morgan Freeman).</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
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<p>Ah, life was literally a beach for the future <em>Days of Our Lives</em> actress, who more recently played Sarah, back in 2015 when daughter Aleda accompanied her to the beach for a remote shoot for <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em>. The actress, you’ll recall, was playing the ill-fated Caroline at the time.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>The onetime <em>Young & Restless</em> co-stars — you’ll recall that her real-life hubby subbed as Chance when he and Abby said, “I do” — have two beautiful daughters, seen here in 2019: Olivia and Sophie.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>We can only imagine that an instant before this 2010 portrait was taken the <em>General Hospital</em> Emmy winner, who played Jason, jokingly said, “Have a seat!” and suddenly, he had a lap full of his kids with wife Sheree Gustin, daughter Makena and son Jack. Missing from this shot: daughter Brooklyn, who wasn’t yet even a gleam in Dad’s eye.</p>
Image: Brian Lowe/JPI
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<p>Don’t “stair.” Oh, wait… We get it. In 2005, the <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> dynamo took “steps,” so to speak, to get sons Julian and Jeremy Snider (from her first marriage) to fit in the same shot as daughter Zoe D’Andrea (from her second marriage), stepdaughter Danyelle and her friend.</p>
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