Young & Restless’ Melissa Ordway Reveals How She Spent the ‘Sweetest Morning’ With Husband Justin Gaston and Their Girls
Monday, May 24th, 2021
Priscilla Grant/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
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.
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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: 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
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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: 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>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>We can only imagine that an instant before this 2010 portrait was taken the <em>General Hospital</em> Emmy winner, who plays 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: 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: 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>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: 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: 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>“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: 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: 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.</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>
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: 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>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>Cool as he is, Mason Martsolf wasn’t <em>too</em> cool to hang with his dad, who plays <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Brady, at a 2017 screening of the movie <em>To the Beat</em>, in which the youngster appeared. Missing from this shot: Mason’s twin brother, Chase.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>From left, that’s Mason again, the soap vet’s wife Lisa and Chase. Or maybe it’s Chase first, then Mason? The couple <em>does</em> have twins, after all — luckily, not soaps’ traditional good and evil kind!</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>Well, “hay” there! In this 2010 portrait, the <em>General Hospital</em> vet, who plays Sonny, is surrounded by daughters Heather (whom he and wife Paula adopted upon the passing of her mom, Paula’s sister), Cailey and Cassidy, and son Joshua.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI (3)
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<p>You don’t have to look hard at these images of <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Lily and son Michael from 2017 to see how much they love one another — or how much fun the two of them have together.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
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<p>Dads may never stop being embarrassing, but at least getting to have for one the <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> leading man (aka Ridge) means occasionally jetting off to exotic locations like Monte Carlo, as he and partner Susan Haskell did in 2014 with daughters McKenna and Marlowe.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>The soap icon who plays <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Marlena chronicled her struggles to become a mother in a 1995 TV movie (in which she tackled the role she was born to play — herself). Ultimately, via a surrogate, she had two boys, Tully and David, who were on hand in 2016 when Mom received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>The former marrieds, who met while playing Maxie and Johnny on <em>General Hospital</em>, recently marveled at how fast their little girl, Harper — who was <em>really</em> little in this 2014 photo — was growing up. “<a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/588755/days-of-our-lives-general-hospital-stars-daughter-seventh-birthday/" target="_blank">How is our baby so big?!?</a>” asked Barash, who’s now Jake on <em>Days of Our Lives.</em></p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>If this 2016 photo of <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Phyllis and daughter Natalia had a theme song, it would be “I Got You, Babe.” If it had subtext, it would be, “We’ll get you in there next time, Jameson,” since it’s missing Natalia’s kid brother.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
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<p>Getting all of the daytime MVP’s kids in one shot would be a neat trick — she has six. But hey, at least we got one — firstborn Benjamin (with ex-husband Jonathan Knight). This particular pic was taken in 2008, when <em>General Hospital</em>’s future Ava was competing for her fourth Emmy for playing <em>As the World Turns</em> pot stirrer Carly.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>What’s a cloudy, gray day when there are smiles as bright as those that were being beamed forth in 2013 by <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Nicole and daughter Isabella (with ex-husband Kyle Lowder, formerly Brady/Rex)?</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>Gonna go out on a limb and guess that few people could’ve applauded louder for the soap-hopper than his Mini Me, son Julian, when in 2004 the soap-hopper was nominated for the fourth time for a Daytime Emmy for his work as <em>One Life to Live</em>’s Todd. (For those keeping track, Howarth is now on his third <em>General Hospital</em> character: newfound Quartermaine Austin.)</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
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