On the Ninth Anniversary of Her Young & Restless Debut, Melissa Ordway Admits ‘It Might Be Fun to Play Bad Abby’
Saturday, April 16th, 2022

“Maybe it’s time for a little bit of her Victor side to come out!”
Like portrayer Melissa Ordway, The Young and the Restless‘ Abby tends to be a very grounded person. That wasn’t always the case, however. “The character was in such a different place when she was being played by Emme Rylan,” says the actress, who debuted in the role on April 16, 2013. “Abby was going through her Naked Heiress phase and was sort of Genoa City’s version of a Paris Hilton-style party girl.”
With a new actress in the role, the show took Abby in a different direction. “She was taking herself more seriously and wanted others to do the same,” recalls Ordway. “She wanted to be seen as a business woman. In some ways, Abby grew up.”

One of Ordway’s first pairings was with Ignacio Serricchio’s Alex Chavez.
Credit: Howard Wise/JPI
It was a transition that Ordway believes was totally in keeping with the character’s already-established history. “She is the daughter of Victor Newman and Ashley Abbott, and those are two very smart people who are also amazing businesspeople. That’s who Abby is at her core, so I always like when they play that aspect of her.”
At times, however, that same history can work against her. “Abby is a little bit lost, because she didn’t grow up with the Newmans,” muses Ordway. “She’s not fully connected to either of her families, even though she has great relationships with them. She’s constantly reinventing herself because there are so many layers that make up who she is.”

“Abby is her father’s daughter, even if she sometimes forgets that,” says Ordway.
Credit: Sean Smith/JPI
If there’s a through line for the character, it is that at heart, she is a good woman. “Abby always tries to do the right thing,” nods the actress. “She might not always succeed or even know exactly what that right thing is, but even when she messes up, her heart is usually in the right place.”
In fact, that’s something Ordway wouldn’t necessarily mind changing. “Everybody wants to play the bad guy for a while,” she laughs. “You get to do all the things you’d never do in real life. She’s been a very good girl for a very long time. Maybe it’s time for a little bit of her Victor side to come out. It might be fun to play Bad Abby!”
Want to relive every step of Abby’s journey, from birth to present day? Check out our photo gallery chronicling her life!
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<p>Baby Abby was born to Ashley Abbott onscreen in November 2000. Her birth took place the same day Ashley was supposed to marry Brad. She was totes adorb right from the get-go!</p>
<p>Ashley claimed her old friend, Christian, was Abby’s biological father, but this being a soap,<em> that</em> was a lie. Brad adopted Abby and they remained close until his death, even after her true father was revealed.</p>
<p>As a child, Abby overheard that Victor Newman was her biological father. It turned out there was a whole scandal involving stolen sperm surrounding her conception. Abby was the one to break the news to the Mustache, who proceeded to start doting and doling out ponies.</p>
<p>As a youngster, Abby hung out with her cousin on the Abbott side, Kyle, who was her Uncle Jack’s son with Diane Jenkins. Kyle and Abby are still close today.</p>
<p>As a child, Abby moved with her mother to Hong Kong, and then to L.A. after Ashley’s divorce from Brad. In a crossover storyline, Ashley began dating Ridge Forrester and worked at Forrester Creations, so Ash and Abby spent a Fourth of July hanging out with <em>The Bold and the Beautiful’s</em> Forrester clan.</p>
<p>Abby returned to Genoa City as a young teen and mourned the death of the man who was like her father, Brad Carlton, after he drowned. A Jewish ceremony was held and Brad’s daughter, Colleen, and Abby comforted one another. Abby would later lose Colleen too.</p>
<p>As a teen, Abby got mixed up with Ryder Callahan, who was working at Crimson Lights. She followed him to the abandoned zoo and amusement park where Lauren and Jana were held prisoner.</p>
<p>Abby went through a phase where she courted publicity and used the Newman name to garner attention for social causes. She rode a horse naked through the Genoa City Athletic Club as The Naked Heiress in one stunt. Daniel Romalotti, her boyfriend at the time, videotaped the event.</p>
<p>Abby attempted to run down Tucker, believing he wasn’t good enough for her mother, while drunk behind the wheel. Ashley, who was in the car during the incident, switched positions with her and claimed to be the driver to protect Abby. Ashley later married Tucker in the hospital.</p>
<p>Abby dated both Detective Alex Chavez, and Carmine Bosco. Carmine went on to become Lauren’s stalker.</p>
<p>Abby began dating Tyler Michaelson, who was the roommate of her nephew, Noah Newman. They got serious and were even engaged, but she ended things when it became apparent he wouldn’t cut off his connection to his ex, Mariah Copeland.</p>
<p>Abby had sex with Austin Travers, who was married to her niece Summer at the time. Austin later wound up dead in a macabre mystery that unfolded at the Abbott cabin.</p>
<p>One of Abby’s best friends through the years in Genoa City has been Devon Hamilton. They went on a date, and even kissed, but have remained firmly in the ‘friendzone’. Devon and Abby <em>did</em> end up parenting a child together, however.</p>
<p>Abby married Dr. Ben ‘Stitch’ Rayburn despite him also having an attraction to her mother. All was well until Stitch’s son from a previous marriage showed up in town. The kid had issues and caused Abby to miscarry their child after tripping her on the stairs. He was later diagnosed with a tumor, but Abby’s marriage was never the same and ended. Stitch later reappeared and wreaked havoc in Abby’s life.</p>
<p>Abby fell into a romance with dashing Zack Stinnett, who developed an app for her startup company. Unfortunately, Zack’s app was a front for a sex ring and he locked her in a storage unit.</p>
<p>Abby had sex with Lauren’s son, Scott, who was living with Sharon Newman. The pair was locked in a storage unit together by Zack Stinnett, Abby’s ex, when Scott was on the verge of exposing the sex ring he was running. Scott fell for Abby but they later parted ways overseas.</p>
<p>Abby fell for contractor Arturo, and decided to overlook the uncomfortable fact that he’d been having an affair with her stepmother, Nikki Newman. The pair became engaged but she later broke it off when he became entangled with his ex, Mia.</p>
<p>Abby began dating another doctor, Nate Hastings, and things went swimmingly for the pretty pair until her father dragged Nate into a scheme to fake his own death. Her family’s manipulation didn’t sit well with the straight arrow and he and Abby went their separate ways.</p>
<p>Abby was instantly attracted to Chance Chancellor when he returned to Genoa City, and the feeling was mutual. Abby and Chance quickly embarked on a committed relationship and began talking kids and a future together.</p>
<p>Abby married Chance (who was temporariy played by Melissa Ordway’s real-life hubby, Justin Gaston) in a lovely ceremony at the Chancellor Estate, which was to become their home. Abby then adopted the mouthful of a moniker Abby Carlton Newman Abbott Chancellor.</p>
<p>Abby became a mother when she and Chance decided to use a surrogate after facing conception issues. Devon volunteered to be the sperm donor and Mariah carried the child. The trio worked together to deliver the baby boy after Stitch took Mariah captive. All of this took place while Chance was away on a covert mission. He later went missing.</p>
<p>When Chance (now played by Conner Floyd) went missing and was presumed dead it was his devoted wife Abby who tracked him down and brought him home. The pair were elated to be in one another’s arms again, but it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. Chance was suffering from PTSD, which prevented him from bonding with their new son. They also grappled with Devon making a bid for shared custody, which they decided to agree to, and Chance began undergoing therapy for his issues when an attempt to return to work at the GCPD went awry.</p>
<p>Abby took things to a whole ‘nother level with long-time friend Devon when the two fell into a passionate kiss whilst commiserating and ended up having a sex romp all over his penthouse. Her husband Chance walked in on the afterglow, so she headed into a new chapter.</p>

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