Young & Restless Alum Bids a Sad Farewell to Her Darling ‘Little One’
The tribute clip moved us to tears.
It’s been a long time since Jessica Collins has graced our television screens as Avery Bailey Clark on Young & Restless, and while she’s had much success and happiness in the ensuing years, including with her hit series Acapulco, the past week she suffered a heartbreaking loss.
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Collins took to social media to share photos and clips in memory of her beloved Lucy, and we were moved to tears at the tribute.
The soap vet, who not only appeared on Young & Restless, but also as Dinah Lee Mayberry on All My Children and Loving, began her post by saying, “This past week, our family had to say goodbye to our sweet Lucy.”
Our hearts went out to Collins as she continued, “There are no words for how much we love her and how much we’ll miss her for the rest of our days.”
The star then honored her beloved doggo with a message: “I’ll miss the tummy rubs, the happy kisses, the unconditional love and everything about you my darling ‘little one’”.
If you’ve gone through this, then you’re already aching for Collins’ loss. Certainly, her former castmate Melissa Claire Egan’s heart was in pieces reading the news, as she remarked, “Oh Jessica😭 I am so so sorry. Sweet sweet Lucy. You will see her again. Sending so much love💗💗💗”
Collins’ final words were, “Thank you with all my heart for 14 1/2 beautiful years. Until we meet again my love… ❤️🐾” The caption, as you can see below, was hashtagged, “I love Lucy”.
Young & Restless’s Lauralee Bell (Christine) and General Hospital’s Laura Wright (Carly) also dropped heartfelt condolences in the comments, with Wright remarking on “the love between you two.”
It’s always so difficult to lose a beloved pet and family member. Our hearts go out to Jessica Collins and her family.
Don’t miss seeing photos of Genoa City stars then and now in the gallery below.
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Image: NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jason Mendez/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
1/25
<p>One of the show’s original sex symbols — hey, it was a <em>long</em> time ago! — Snapper Foster’s portrayer had the whole audience wanting to “play doctor” with him. Since then, he’s become such a legend that everyone knows who you mean if you just say “The Hoff.”</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Priscilla Grant/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
2/25
<p>From 1973-80 and 1983-87, the onetime Miss California in the Miss World Pageant brought to life Genoa City’s camptastic queen of mean, Jill Abbott. Back then, the opportunistic mantrap was less “older and wiser” than she was “cattier” and “greedier” (and we <em>loved</em> it!).</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
3/25
<p><em>Young & Restless</em>’ resident pop idol — who rocked our world along with Traci Abbott, Lauren Fenmore, Cricket Blair and Phyllis Summers’ as Danny Romalotti in the big-hair 1980s — has transitioned to the <em>other</em> side of the camera and is now a sought-after writer/director.</p>
Image: CBS, CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Howard Wise/JPI
4/25
<p>The soap vet who played Richie Rich Lance Prentiss is an original cast member of <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>, where he still plays Eric Forrester. His on-screen love interest — scheming Lorie Brooks to his Lance — went on to play <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ ill-fated Laura Horton.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Gilles Toucas/CBS
5/25
<p>Since originating the role of Victoria Newman — and playing Victor and Nikki’s tempestuous daughter for so many years that she pretty much grew up on screen — the Daytime Emmy winner has moved to <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>, where she now makes waves Katie Logan.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Priscilla Grant/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
6/25
<p>Cole Howard’s portrayer followed up his six years in Genoa City with a three-year stay playing doctor on <em>All My Children </em>as Jake Martin (before Ricky Paull Goldin but after Michael Brainard). Still, Peck is perhaps best known for starring in 1990’s <em>Lambada</em>.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI, Jill Johnson/JPI
7/25
<p>All these years after she played “colorful” Jana Hawkes, the British-born actress still knows how to stir the pot — she does it on the regular as Gwen Rizczech, Jack Deveraux’s surprise daughter on <em>Days of Our Lives.</em></p>
Image: NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
8/25
<p>After his mid-’80s <em>Young & Restless </em>run, during which Tyrone Jackson posed as a white dude to infiltrate and bring down the Mob, the actor became iconic, owing to his appearances as lawyer <span style="text-decoration: line-through">Johnnie Cochran</span> Jackie Chiles on <em>Seinfeld</em>.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
9/25
<p>Off and on from 1982-2001, the German-born actress played Diane Jenkins, the upwardly-mobile model that the camera loved even more than Jack Abbott did. Though her version of the vixen wasn’t the one that was killed off, it also wasn’t the version that the soap resurrected in 2022.</p>
Image: CBS/Getty Images, Jill Johnson/JPI
10/25
<p>From 1985-87, the only mustache that could compete with Victor Newman’s was found on the handsome face of his brother, Matt Miller. Alas, when his portrayer revisited Genoa City in later years, it was nowhere to be found.</p>
Image: Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Priscilla Grant/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
11/25
<p>Though he made a lasting impression in the mid-1980s as Lauren’s obsessed fan Shawn Garrett — need we remind you he <em>buried her alive</em>?!? — the California native was asked back to the soap a decade later to play Adam Hunter, a short-lived love interest for Ashley Abbott.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI, Aaron Montgomery/JPI, Jill Johnson/JPI
12/25
<p>J.T. Hellstrom’s former portrayer has gone on to become a highly successful Hollywood producer. (<em>La La Land</em>, anyone?) Meanwhile, the leading lady who played Colleen Carlton opposite him in the early 2000s is now a primetime mainstay.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI, Priscilla Grant/JPI
13/25
<p>In the late 2000s, the <em>America’s Next Top Model</em> winner struck a chord, not a pose, when she hit Genoa City as (tee-hee) Tyra Hamilton, the manipulative minx who turned both Neil Winters and Devon Hamilton’s heads years before Hilary Curtis would.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
14/25
<p>The Daytime Emmy winner transformed Raul Guittierez from a teenage dream into a man about town during his 1999-2004 stay in Genoa City. Somehow, even all these years later, the handsome fella has still managed to retain his boyish charm.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI, Howard Wise/JPI
15/25
<p>It’s been nearly 20 years since the actress played Katherine Chancellor’s granddaughter, Mackenzie Browning, but she still has soap in her veins: In real life, she’s happily married to Darin Brooks, Wyatt on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> (where she occasionally guest-stars as Eva the Publicist).</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, John Paschal/JPI
16/25
<p>After being written off following a wildly successful 20-plus-year run as Brad Carlton — originally the gardener that everyone wanted to, ahem, prune their bushes — the daytime MVP was snatched up by sister soap <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> to make it rain as Dollar Bill Spencer.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI, Jill Johnson/JPI
17/25
<p>It wasn’t just viewers were mad about the then-newcomer’s portrayal of loca Isabella Braña. Hollywood was, too. So as soon as she left Genoa City, she was made one of the leads on the primetime hit <em>Desperate Housewives</em>. The rest, as they say, is history.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
18/25
<p>Back when <em>The Young and the Restless</em> was really, <em>really</em> young, these were the actors who were paired to make Brad Elliot and Leslie Brooks its first supercouple. She later did <em>Another World</em> and <em>One Life to Live</em>; he, <em>Days of Our Lives.</em></p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI (2)
19/25
<p>One of <em>Young & Restless</em>’ all-time biggest failings was its inability to make the most of <em>As the World Turns</em> Emmy winner Maura West, who made a pit stop at the CBS soap as Diane on her way to <em>General Hospital</em>, where every (!) freaking (!) day (!) she’s elevated the daytime genre with her work as femme fatale Ava Jerome.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
20/25
<p>Not even a detective as sharp as Paul Williams could track down this fan favorite in Genoa City anymore. After more than 40 years of crimefighting and lovemaking as the reformed cad, he’s no longer a cast member (and maybe you’ve heard, <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/the-young-and-the-restless/news/615914/young-restless-doug-davidson-paul-return-scenes-lauralee-bell-social-media/" target="_blank">not too happy about it</a>).</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Priscilla Grant/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
21/25
<p>The fan favorite still holds out hope that one day, Drucilla Winters will pull a Diane and <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/the-young-and-the-restless/news/573578/young-restless-victoria-rowell-returning-drucilla-cbs-diversity/" target="_blank">get herself resurrected</a> (and frankly, so do we). But whether it ever happens, we’ll always tip our hat to the actress who created one of the soap’s all-time most popular characters.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Jill Johnson/JPI
22/25
<p>Following a two-decade stretch as baby-faced playa Ryan McNeil, the actor, who in real life is married to the former Melissa Brennan (aka Jennifer on <em>Days of Our Lives</em>), passed through <em>General Hospital</em> as as Steven Webber on his way to Nashville, both the city <em>and</em> the series.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, JC Olivera/JPI
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<p>When Eileen Davidson left behind her role of Ashley, she left it to her lookalike… who, even now, could pass for her long-lost sister? Or maybe Patty Williams after one of her extreme makeovers? In any case, the resemblance remains noteworthy!</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI, CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Courtesy of Michael Corbett
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<p>The marriage of wealthy Nina Webster and literal lady killer David Kimble in the 1990s was toxic to the nth. But at least one of their portrayers, fondly recalling the fireworks that it generated, would be willing to <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/the-young-and-the-restless/news/607002/young-restless-michael-corbett-returning-david-kimble-alive/" target="_blank">come back for Round 2</a>.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, RFC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
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