The Young and the Restless Breaking News: Alison Lanier is out as Summer Newman

Y&R fans have been blindsided

Not everything is leaked or revealed by spoilers for daytime drama shows, which is why the news of the immediate departure of a popular actress on The Young and the Restless is shocking viewers. Skyle fans will be devastated by the following.

Hi guys!!” her post began. “This Friday, May 2nd, will be my last episode on Y&R! I’ve loved the journey and learned so much but it’s time to grow in a different direction… very grateful for all of the Y&R fans who have supported me <3.”

This message was posted on X (Formerly Twitter) by Alison Lanier, who portrays Summer Newman. By the time some of you read this she may already have aired her last episode.

No details were given, so its not known if the actress decided to leave or if The Young and the Restless did not renew her contract. Lanier joined the CBS soap on May 17, 2022, so this would be the end of her three-year contract. There has been no news related to a replacement.

What will happen with Summer?

Spoilers have teased that Summer will attempt to win Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) back from Claire Grace Newman (Hayley Erin). There have also been rumors that she would hire Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) at Marchetti to replace Chelsea Newman (Melissa Claire Egan), who will be working with Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson)

Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope) is going to work with Adam Newman (Mark Grossman), so Summer is losing both her assistants. She may go back to Europe and run her company there. It's possible that Sally and Chelsea jumping ship is because Summer was being written out of the show.

Still, she loves Harrison Abbott (Reding Munsell) and it seems out of character that she would travel across the globe and leave him with Kyle and Claire. With no replacement being announced this is what the writers might have done.

Summer has been pushed to the backburner

Y&R viewers have noticed that the writers have not given her any good material for quite a while. She has been causing problems for Claire as her romance with Chance Chancelor (Conner Floyd) was ending and trying to get Kyle back. Summer has basically been in the background without any significance for quite some time.

If Lanier's last date is Friday, neither of these storylines will work out if she is not being replaced. Will the soap only mention the character as if she is off-screen somewhere, or will they replace Lanier at a future date? There is nothing taking place on screen to suggest Summer will abruptly leave Genoa City.

Was Lanier fired or did she walk away?

Lanier replaced Hunter King, who has been making Hallmark films. Her co-star, Michael Mealor, left Y&R at the same time as King but returned because he said he had to pay rent. When she was first hired, she said the following:

“I feel so good about it,” she said of her handle on the character. “I mean, I just feel so lucky to be on the show and to work with all these awesome people and we have so much fun.”

Lanier earned a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2024 for Outstanding Supporting Actress as Summer. King was a fan favorite and missed when she left. It took a while, but fans finally accepted Alison in the role and now she is gone.

The message Alison Lanier posted was vague leaving her followers wondering if she was fired or decided, like her predecessor, to try other things. Stay tuned to The Young and the Restless to learn Summer's fate.