The Bold and the Beautiful rumor that Kristen Alfonso is replacing Rebecca Budig is unfounded

How do these rumors get started?

Several soap spoilers and some Facebook posts have announced that Rebecca Budig is leaving The Bold and the Beautiful and will be replaced by Days of Our Lives actress Kristan Alfonso. There has been no official announcement that this is true so at this time the rumor is unfounded.

Alfonso portrays Hope Williams Brady on Days of Our Lives, but is not currently onscreen. The soap vet was last in Salem in June when Hope and Bo Brady (Peter Reckel) had an entire episode devoted to them.

How do these unfounded rumors begin? Sometimes, fans discuss their opinions online, and the next thing you know, there is an article claiming the information to be true. 

How do the rumors spread?

The rumors spread when soap fans read the misinformation and share it. It then takes on a life of its own and sometimes goes viral. This has become more prevalent as fake news and clickbait increase online. Every click or read is making somebody some money.

There are also Facebook groups with names of the daytime dramas or the actors who portray soap characters. When you post in these groups, your postings are rejected, and all you see are advertisements or outlandish stories.

Soap opera groups have evolved

Years ago, soap opera groups were filled with fans discussing current storyline and their favorite characters, but today, anything goes. There are groups set up in the name of daytime actors, and posts made that appear these celebrities are reaching out to their followers.

Scott Clifton (Liam Spencer) on The Bold and the Beautiful and Steve Burton (Jason Morgan), General Hospital have announced that people were trying to get money from fans in their names, and it's not them.

This is why, when you read headlines that say "Breaking News" or "Major Shakeup," it's best to look at the source and check to see if any reliable news outlets are reporting the same thing. If you find that the information is only coming from Facebook, this could be a red flag that the information is not credible.

What's going on with Taylor

Regarding Budig's character, some fans have assumed that Taylor Hayes will leave LA again. This is what she does each time Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye) dumps her.

This time, Ridge married Brooke Logan Forrester (Katherine Kelly Lang) immediately after rejecting Taylor's proposal, which was an especially harsh blow.

Thomas Forrester (Matthew Atkinson) was furious, and fans thought he might go tothe dark side again. His father got through to him, and he and Brooke hugged.

 When Steffy Forrester (Jackie Wood) returns to LA, she will be livid and may not be so willing to accept the news as her brother was. Taylor is heartbroken but says she will be OK. 

The evolution of Taylor Hayes

Some B&B viewers and spoilers have suggested she might end up with Deacon Sharpe (Sean Kanan), whom she is seeing as a therapist. There is nothing at this time to indicate they will become a romantic couple.

Budig began portraying Taylor when her predecessor, Krista Allen, was fired without cause. Allen stepped into the role after Hunter Tylo refused to return. 

In later years, Tylo said she had difficulty with scenes that were similar to what she went through when her son died. She did not like rehashing such a difficult personal moment onscreen.

Never say never

When Alfonso left Days of Our Lives in 2020, a YouTube video suggested that she could portray Taylor. This may have been where the rumor originated.

There is no news about her next project, and nothing credible to suggest that Taylor will leave LA or that her portrayer will be replaced. Still, soap fans know to never say never because anything is possible in daytime TV.