Here's Why Tessa And Mariah Almost Didn't Marry On The Young And The Restless

Few couples on daytime television receive as much universal adoration from their fans as "The Young and the Restless's" Mariah Copeland (Camryn Grimes) and Tessa Porter (Cait Fairbanks). Their groundbreaking storyline is not only one of the few instances of a same-sex couple on a major soap opera but also one that goes the distance and results in wedded bliss. After years of facing seemingly insurmountable hurdles, Mariah and Tessa were married in an unconventional ceremony in the spring of 2022, per Soaps. However, they had to overcome some of the darkest challenges any couple could face on their journey to get there.

Over the years, there were several instances where it appeared Mariah and Tessa's poor judgment and actions might ruin everything they worked so hard for. Unfortunately, it was usually Tessa who was responsible for most of the couple's issues, and she almost blew up their relationship more than once (via Soap Central).

However, before the ladies ever walked down the aisle, they had to face their own inner demons, which almost prevented them from getting together in the first place. Being forced to confront the feelings brewing deep inside them, which they'd never felt before or realized they were capable of, changed the course of daytime television forever.

When Mariah Copeland and Tessa Porter first crossed paths, a relationship between them never seemed plausible. Initially, Tessa was in a relationship with Mariah's brother Noah Newman (then Robert Adamson), and Mariah was romantically involved with Genoa City billionaire Devon Hamilton (Bryton James). The couples would hang out often, but for Mariah, there was an awakening of feelings she didn't know how to process — something she'd never felt before meeting Tessa (via Soaps).

Mariah felt an attraction to Tessa and an emotional connection beyond friendship which she didn't know how to handle. The fear of what it meant and how Tessa might react almost ended their romance before it even began (via Soap Central). During a trip to a music festival, Mariah summoned the courage to make the first move and kissed Tessa in their hotel room, though afterward, both women pretended it never happened.

The lack of progress in their relationship continued, and things were at their worst when Tessa moved in with Noah. However, Mariah talked things out with her mother, Sharon Newman (Sharon Case), and decided to tell Tessa how she felt about her. Though Tessa remained committed to Noah, Mariah couldn't stay in her relationship when she had strong feelings for someone else and ended things with Devon.

After Tessa Porter seemingly rejected Mariah Copeland and chose to remain with Noah Newman, the friendship between the two women cooled off. Not only was there a rift between them, but a miscommunication also led Tessa to believe Mariah revealed sensitive information for the sake of her talk show. 

After everything that went down between the two women, Mariah's mother, Sharon Newman, encouraged her to document her feelings in a journal (via Soaps In Depth). At this point, Tessa tried communicating with Mariah to understand her feelings, but Mariah remained guarded, only expressing her feelings through writing. Then, Tessa did the unthinkable and stole Mariah's journal, using it as inspiration for her songwriting career. Mariah instantly recognized the words in Tessa's song as her own and confronted the other woman, who denied everything. 

Since Tessa was adamant she did no wrong, Mariah pulled her ex-boyfriend and Tessa's boss, Devon Hamilton, into it. Devon, however, refused to take action, which triggered Mariah to reach out to Tessa's boyfriend, Noah, opening a much larger can of worms (via Soap Central). While reading the journal, Noah uncovered the secret about Tessa and Mariah's kiss, which left everyone distraught and in a world of hurt. Eventually, Mariah and Tessa were forced to work together and were able to understand the other's viewpoint better and become friends again. 

After much chaos, avoidance, and ignoring their feelings, Mariah Copeland and Tessa Porter finally began dating. However, after a period of bliss, the couple faced their biggest roadblock yet: Tessa blackmailing Mariah's mother (via Soaps In Depth). Corporate juggernaut Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) found herself in an abusive relationship with J.T. Hellstrom (Thad Luckinbill). During an altercation with J.T., Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) killed him in self-defense. Victoria, Sharon Newman, and Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) helped her cover up the crime — information Tessa used as leverage.

Mariah became alarmed when she found a significant amount of cash hidden around her and Tessa's apartment. Eventually, Tessa divulged everything to Mariah about how Sharon and the others were responsible for J.T.'s disappearance and how she blackmailed them, per Soaps. Mariah later learned that the women kidnapped Tessa in retaliation to force a confession out of her.

Though Mariah and Tessa ultimately overcame this obstacle, their conflict with Sharon and Victoria's troubled past with men nearly cost them everything.

Somehow Tessa Porter and Mariah Copeland survived the blackmail ordeal, even though Mariah temporarily called it quits at one point. However, "The Young and the Restless" can't let a couple be happy for too long.

Once Mariah convinced her family that she loved Tessa and she wasn't going anywhere, things seemed to be going well for the couple — until Tessa's music career blew up, and she became an in-demand artist. There had always been underlying trust issues between Mariah and Tessa, and naturally, they crept back in when Mariah learned that Tessa was going on tour with her ex-husband (via Soaps In Depth).

Throughout the tour, Tessa was never around to check in with Mariah, only adding fuel to an already combustible situation. Mariah, the maker of her own destiny, allowed her paranoia to get the better of her. While her mistrust for Tessa grew, Mariah got close to a woman named Lindsay, eventually sleeping with her. Sadly, Tessa showed up at home shortly after and immediately knew what had happened, per Soaps.

Though Tessa was typically the one making mistakes and asking for forgiveness, Mariah was forced to chase Tessa and get her back this time. Like every time before, the two women were able to patch things up and considered it just another learning experience to strengthen their relationship.

Mariah Copeland's choice to be a surrogate for Abby Newman (Melissa Ordway) could've caused a lot of friction in her relationship with Tessa Porter. However, Tessa supported her through every step of the process. Unfortunately, Mariah was kidnapped toward the end of the pregnancy, which led to a traumatic birthing experience and left her with newfound mental health challenges (via Soaps). After being locked in a room for so long, Mariah developed an unexpected attachment to Abby's baby, so parting with the little boy was a struggle.

Amid her attachment issues, Mariah thought she had discovered a solution to all of her problems: having a baby of her own with Tessa. However, Tessa wasn't on board with this plan, which caused friction in their relationship. Eventually, things improved once Mariah began progressing in her healing journey and no longer felt an unhealthy attachment to the baby she'd carried. With that hurdle behind them, Tessa agreed to look into starting their own family (via CheatSheet).

After years of struggles in their relationship, Mariah and Tessa were finally married in May 2022. Dubbed the "Teriah" wedding, Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) officiated the 70s-themed ceremony. The happy pair overcame all of their challenges to create the foundation for a strong marriage and made daytime television history in the process.