All Of John Abbott's Wives On The Young And The Restless

It is no secret to any "The Young and the Restless" fan that John Abbott (originated by Brett Halsey, then portrayed by Jerry Douglas until the character's death in 2006, and as a ghost in subsequent episodes) was one of the most iconic patriarchs in the show's history. The character was a beloved one, shown by how devastated fans and the cast were by Jerry Douglas' tragic death in 2021. As one of the longest-running characters on the soap, John was part of some of the most dramatic storylines over the course of his time on the show. Some of the best storylines include his love life.

John started on the soap in 1980, the rich founder of Jabot Cosmetics with his three teenage children. The four of them were a close family and remained that way as they grew up. Over his time on the show, John enjoyed many relationships with the women of Genoa City, but he was only married four times.  Even though that number seems low for a soap character, between no-show wives and cheating scandals that left him heartbroken, John's romantic interests were never without excitement.

John Abbott was already married when he debuted on "The Young and the Restless." His first wife was Dina Mergeron (Marla Adams), who didn't appear on-screen until 1983. Dina had left John and their three children several years earlier as she felt trapped by domestic life. She returned years later from Paris as the owner of Mergeron Cosmetics (which she inherited from another husband) and offered to buy Jabot Cosmetics, but John rejected her offer.

Dina returned to Genoa City multiple times after that and reunited with John upon her arrival, but she inevitably left for Paris again every time. After John's death in 2006, Dina made a few attempts to rekindle a relationship with her children but they were hesitant, still resentful of her abandonment years earlier. Still, they cared for Dina after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2016 until her death in 2020.

John's second marriage was to Jill Foster (Brenda Dickson). She was much younger than John, and the relationship was not widely approved of. John's son Jack (Terry Lester) suspected Jill's interest in John to be mainly focused on his money, but John married Jill to help her and her son.

The marriage fell apart soon after they were wed; Jill slept with Jack one time and became pregnant, unsure of which Abbott was the father. She suffered a mysterious fall from a ladder and miscarried. John found out about her pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage, the shock causing him to have a stroke. He recovered, kicked Jack out of the house, and divorced Jill. He settled by giving her one-fourth of Jabot Cosmetics, a job at the company, and a seat on the board in order to keep her mouth shut about the details of their divorce.

John's third marriage was to Jessica Blair (Rebecca Street) after she had come to town in search of her daughter, Christine (Lauralee Bell). John took a liking to her and wanted to pursue a relationship, but Jessica was keeping a secret from everyone in town: she had returned to reconnect with her daughter after getting news she had been diagnosed with AIDS. Despite her reservations, she accepted John's proposal. However, Jessica tried to flee Genoa City before marrying John but her illness progressed and she was forced to tell both her daughter and John that she was living with AIDS. John was understandably upset by her secret, but he married her anyway.

Their marriage was short-lived, as Christine found her biological father and he arrived in Genoa City. John divorced Jessica so that she could marry Christine's father and they could be a real family before Jessica died. She passed away soon after surrounded by the people she loved.

John's fourth marriage was a rekindling of his relationship with Jill Foster (now played by Jess Walton). After Jill had been rejected by Victor Newman (Eric Braeden), she fell back in love with John and they married, although this new relationship was not received any better than their first one had been. Intent on having a child, Jill got pregnant before John could have a vasectomy. He told her to abort the unborn child, but she refused.

John questioned whether or not the baby was his since Jill had been sleeping with Victor around the same time she was sleeping with John, but his worries were forgotten when their son was born. The family was happy for a time until Jill cheated on John with Jed Sanders (Josh Taylor) and the couple divorced. John suffered another stroke and entered a custody battle for their son, which he won. He left town with his son soon after to reflect on his next move in Genoa City.