The Bold And The Beautiful Avant Family Tree Explained
The Avant family may have been a later addition to "The Bold and the Beautiful," but they were impactful nonetheless. The family first came onto the scene in 2013 with the arrival of Maya Avant (Karla Mosley).
Over the years, new additions to the family appeared in Los Angeles, such as her parents, Julius (Obba Babatunde) and Vivienne (Anna Maria Horsford), and her sister, Nicole (Reign Edwards). Then came Maya and Rick Forrester's daughter, Lizzy. Eventually, a final adult Avant family member arrived on the scene from across the pond: Cousin Xander was introduced in 2018 and hailed from England.
During their time on "The Bold and the Beautiful," the Avant family made an indelible impression on the show's storylines. Per Soaps In Depth, when Mosely left "The Bold and The Beautiful," it marked the beginning of the end of the Avant family.
However, even though none of them remain on the canvas, their contributions are still felt today.
Maya was the older Avant sister
No member of the Avant family had a larger impact on the soap than Maya. When viewers first encountered her, they had no idea that her "The Bold and the Beautiful" character was going to make daytime TV history.
Before her bombshell secret was revealed, Maya was in relationships with several of Los Angeles' eligible bachelors, including Carter Walton and Rick Forrester (via CBS). It was her eventual choice to be with Rick that solidified her as one of the show's leading ladies.
However, Maya was hiding a major secret that would send shockwaves through the lives of everyone on the show. In 2015, "The Bold and the Beautiful" made history by revealing that Maya was transgender and was born a male (via People). The plot twist came as a surprise to everyone involved, and it was one of the biggest curveballs in the history of soap operas.
After the show began to move on from that groundbreaking twist, the next logical step was for Maya and Rick to try for a baby. Considering Maya was assigned male at birth, she couldn't conceive or carry a child, leading us to the next member of the Avant family.
Maya and Rick had no choice but to turn to her sister Nicole in hopes that she would be the surrogate they desperately needed.
Younger sister Nicole Avant had her own issues
Nicole came to town with the knowledge of Maya's transgender secret, and she was prepared to use it. She was loose-lipped about Maya's past, and it ultimately caused chaos for everyone around her, especially her sister.
Once she told Wyatt Spencer (Darin Brooks) about Maya's assigned sex at birth, he ran to his father, Bill Spencer (Don Diamont), and the news was shared publicly. Eventually, Nicole got on better terms with Maya and was asked to be the surrogate for her and Rick. After a lot of contemplation, Nicole agreed to carry their child.
However, it caused quite a strain on her relationship with Zende Forrester (via Soap Central). Zende and Nicole figured things out later down the road and left town to move to Paris. However, Zende later returned home without Nicole, raising many questions. Viewers never got answers about what exactly went wrong or went down between them.
It's the same thing that happened when Maya and Rick split (via Showbiz CheatSheet). If Nicole were to ever return to town, there are a lot of stories still to explore between her and ex-husband Zende.
Maya and Rick had a baby girl named Lizzy
Maya and Nicole aren't the only Avant ladies who made their way onto viewers' screens. After a lot of family drama (and almost losing her relationship with Zende), Nicole gave birth to Maya and Rick's daughter (via Soaps.com). They named her Elizabeth but shortened the name to Lizzy.
Most of Lizzy's storyline on "The Bold and the Beautiful" was related to Nicole's pregnancy, but a major plot involving the child took place after her birth. Nicole's attachment to Lizzy was stronger than expected, and she was not keen on giving the baby to her sister and brother-in-law.
After a clerical error voided the adoption of Lizzy, Nicole had a difficult choice to make. She learned she might never carry another child again, so Lizzy was her only opportunity at a biological baby of her own (via Soap Central). However, despite any hesitation about formally signing over her rights to Rick and Maya, she ultimately agreed to do so.
Surprisingly, after going to Paris together, Maya came back without Rick and announced that they had broken up. Naturally, this left viewers with a lot of questions. It was explained that she and Rick simply didn't work out, got divorced, and would not be getting back together (via Soaps.com).
There was so much fanfare surrounding their groundbreaking relationship that it was perplexing to be left with no explanation. Even though no real reason was given, Karla Mosley, who played Maya, said she believed Rick was the cause (via Showbiz CheatSheet).
With Maya and Rick off the canvas, the baby also disappeared from the show and storylines.
Xander was the Avant cousin from across the pond
Years after Nicole and most of the Avants left Los Angeles, a new family member appeared. Fans of the family were delighted when Xander Avant (Adain Bradley) arrived at Forrester Creations.
The character wasn't on the show very long, but he had a turbulent journey while he was. He spent most of his time wrapped up in a dead-end romance with Zoe Buckingham. Xander's romance with her would drag him into one of the biggest scandals to ever hit "The Bold and the Beautiful."
He became complicit in the baby switch storyline, which saw Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) unknowingly adopt Hope Spencer's (Annika Noelle) daughter (via Soaps In Depth). After the truth was revealed, Xander was canned from his position at the company and left Los Angeles for good.
Since his departure, viewers haven't seen him or anyone related to the Avants. However, never say never in the world of daytime TV — anything is possible.