The Young And The Restless Star Michael Mealor Has Big News For Kyle Fans
Fans of "The Young and the Restless" were devastated in 2021 when one of the soaps' most popular pairs — Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) and Summer Newman (Hunter King) — moved to Italy and left the show. While they returned for a guest appearance later in the year at Victoria Newman's (Amelia Heinle) wedding to Ashland Locke (then played by Richard Burgi), they have been conspicuously missing ever since (via Soaps In Depth). They even got married off-screen so fans could only hear about the big event and not see it.
Recently, actor Michael Mealor appeared as Kyle for a brief few minutes in an episode when his father, Jack Abbott, called to inform him that his long-lost half-brother Keemo (last played by Philip Moon in 1995) died (via TV Season & Spoilers). Kyle didn't seem too broken up about the news. But when Keemo's daughter Allie (Kelsey Wang) ended up selling her dad's house to Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters) — Kyle's mother who had been presumed dead for years — fans wondered if Kyle would return to the show for good (via Soaps In Depth). They finally have an answer.
Michael Mealor is making his contract comeback to The Young and the Restless
When your presumed dead mother is suddenly alive, you might want to return to the fictional town of Genoa City, WI to find out what is going on. That is exactly what Kyle Abbott will be doing now that actor Michael Mealor has inked a new contract with "The Young and the Restless," according to Soap Opera Digest.
Mealor first started playing the role in 2018, turning Kyle into a playboy who fell in love with Lola Rosales (Sasha Calle). He married and divorced her all in the same year when he realized it was Summer Newman he had loved since he was a teenager (via Soaps In Depth). So, will Summer be returning with Kyle when he jets back into town for an emotional reunion with his family? The answer to that question is still up in the air.
In February 2022, "Y&R" put out a casting call for a new Summer to replace actress Hunter King (via Soap Hub), who is choosing not to return to the soap. While playing Summer she once did double duty as her daytime character and as a star of primetime's "Life in Pieces." As of this writing, a new Summer has not been cast yet.